This years holiday was quite lengthy clocking in at 9.5 days. It was busy and restful. The busy part mostly getting out and doing some photo shoots and processing and uploading those images. Please note some of these below.

Such beautiful flowers. I found out later that these are grown from government provided seed. Farmers can also claim a stipend for growing them, this way the government ensures that farmers will rest the field from rice planting and not deplete the soil of it's nutrients. These will be ground into mulch for the next rice planting. Beautiful ephemera.

Pauper or king is irrelevant, it's how you carry yourself. This guy seems to be very at peace in his element and clearly he's on his throne.

 What is crazy? Absurd? Macabre? These are all relative concepts like: pristine, demure,rational... This lady was into selling her blessings out by the Matsu Temple in Fengyuan, Taiwan. She was certainly a  bella figura that day.

Red lanterns always draw my eye like floating candy apples suspended in the air. This was one of the better groupings I've captured so far (in the main entrance tot he Matsu Temple in Fengyuan). Matsu is the local goddess of mercy and the patron saint of fishermen in Taiwan and southern Fujian, China.

Jean Marais-better known as: Moshang, the Sound Jeweler is a figment of both his and my imaginations. However his chillout music isn't fictional. It is real and quite soothing on the ears. Jean likes some of my photos so I got the idea to do a photo shoot with him. The rest of the images are here. This shot taken at the Martyr's Shrine in Taichung.

I continue to love Lukang and visit it and share it with friends and visitors whenever I can. This time it was with John (pictured in his 6'9" self walking away)and Carrie, and David and Katherine. There are always plenty of people around and the place is just such a great backdrop and oozing with Taiwanese history and culture. Were those folks along the wall the ultimate in nonchalance or what?

This lady was all decked out in her New Year's hawtness. She seemed very enrapt in her conversation, oblivious to the whole world walking past her. Detachment is an artform...

Festival of Lights (Diwali)
 
Festival of lights round the corner
Very thought of it peps up the fervor
Everywhere ambiance is full of glitter
Victory of good over evil is the day’s flavor 

Children of *Sivakasi huddled in dark environ
Squadrons of masters in rapt supervision
Speed of the nimble fingers the criterion
Sparkling crackers packed with sweat of the human

Spare a thought for these less-privileged
Score a win over the oppression unbridled
Arouse public opinion on their miseries untold
Amelioration at once the hour’s need indeed

Festival of lights round the corner
Very thought of it peps up the fervor
Everywhere ambiance is full of glitter
Victory of good over evil is the day’s flavor

*Sivakasi (Tamil: ச ி வ க ா ச ி is a city and a municipality in Virudhunagar district in the State of Tamil Nadu, South India, India.The town is famous all over India for its fireworks and matches factories. 

Rangarajan Kazhiyur Mannar

Well teh ongoing saga of my Xacti CA65 is well...ongoing. I thought I'd be getting a new replacement but lo and behold I got a used loaner almost 2 months since I sent camera in for warranty repair.    Anyway-happy to have something and I think I made pretty good use of the pent up desire to shoot some images.

Couldn't ask for a better subject. Wearing uniforms and dancing in unison.

Coral grass-in living purple color.

...and we start by S>T>R>E>T>C>H>I>N>G

...and THRUST!

First rule of the Red Bandana Brigade is-Bringa red bandana and...

Many more shots from the set here.