what life?

what else is there to say... is this getting annoying? all these thoughts... dots... languages... i could use some feedback... for real... then maybe i'll stop writing this way... maybe not... it depends... i mean... this is being writen from africa... and there are no lions around this computer tree... no elephants running past this cyber cafe... africa is not in the past... it's right here in the present... drinking ataya... eating with bare hands... some believe the future is here... i believe it... just like i believe in what they believe in... i really do... even if i know it is complete nonsense sometimes... but this is africa... it is nonsense... for most of us at least... because of the way we grew up... the things we know... the way we think... it's sort of like believing in something that you know is wrong... and it might be... but it doesn't even really matters... think of it as surviving... this is a though place... a rough continent... full of history... full of life... if evolution of species really started around here... then it will sure end here too somehow... people here have what everyone in the world want... time... and yet they want what they don't have... watches... it's human nature... we're all so ridiculous it makes me laugh... and cry... do we really have to risk our lifes to enjoy what we already have... does happiness comes from freedom... and freedom from not having anything to loose... is that what war is all about? everyone must come down their little confort zone... experience for themselves... this is a difficult place to be sometimes... frustrating... not in a materialistic way... but because of my position... my points of view... my background... i've got that freedom they never had... that passport they dream about... that same one they are willing to risk their lifes for... a credit card... a pointless knowledge that is hard to share... i'm pure bullshit... a defectuous product from the first world... i'm living an unfair dream life... it's writen all over my skin... just like survival is writen all over theirs... once again i've got what they want... and they've got what i don't have... it end up being the same thing everywhere... same people... just different looks... food... gods... everyone always wants something from someone... always... it s life... survival of the species... We are all here for the same reason... surviving... whatever it takes... and we are fuckin the world up because of it... and we know it... but we want the human specie to go on... our kids to explore the universe... find the answer... play god... i don't know... it's crap... organic... biodegradable... who knows... who cares... all i know is that i'm in west africa... connected... caught in the widest web ever built... i can't even see it... but i'm feeling it... so i keep exploring digitally... searching the invisible... like me... or not...

tarenga

nagadef... ca vas... ca vas... changement de rithme... ici c´est dakar... senegal... tarenga... francs cfa... inchala... etc... mes salutations distinguees... deglinguees... ca vas... ca vas... changement de ton... plein de tontons... on est tous freres... ca vas grand? soeurs... petits peres... ca vas vieux? on est pas grand... on est long... on a pas faim... on mange... niam... niam... faut manger... boire le the... le premier... faut attendre... le deuxieme... faut que ca mousse... faut attendre... le troisieme... faut sucrer... reveiller... discuter... prier... marcher... observer... rever... saluer... resaluer... boire le the... melanger... les langues... les gens... les quartiers... les thes... l´hivers... les saisons... les changements... de rithmes... de moyens... de couleures... d´habitudes... de parfins... de train trains... de bus... comme un bouillon... un cube maggie... un gout magique... de sourires brillants... comme une culture... ancestrale... respectable... admirable... religieuse... maraboutee... cher payee... comme son passe... torture... exclavage... son present... oublie... naufrage... son future... consome... efface... boit ton the... le premier... tu te tais... le deuxieme... tu attends... le troisieme... tu espere... comme un bateau qui coule... le sucre fond... ainsi font font font... les petites marrionettes... encore une galere... l´histoire se la raconte... se repete sans cesse... comme a la tele... c´est le paradis... on veux y aller... aller c´est parti... vas y simone... montre tes nichons... elle est belle la france... vue de loin... quelle salope celle la... vaux mieux pas trop s´en approcher... elle pu l´opulence... excuser mon francais... mais c´est avec fautes que je traites les fautes... je suis desole... pour les bonnes gens... traitres traites... frontieres marquees... peuples separes... continent decouper... cultures sechees... afrique dechiree... fouetee... volee... la blanche colombe c´est envolee... dans un avion privilegie... voyage paye a votre sante... et meme pas on dis merci... donc moi je vous le dis... je vous l ecris... pour toutes les bonnes gens d´ici et ailleurs... je vous remercie de votre acceuil... pour vos sourires... pour cette fiertee... pour ce respect... daram...

do you see what i see?

what´s tha point of it at all? art... si... pode ser... chmen... see... my point of view... well... that´s just how i see it... i mean... how i don´t see it... i mean... what i´m looking for... or not... because it´s there... all around me... and you... us... like spirits... souls... movements... blurs... ghosts... you name it... call it what you want... i don´t even care if you care... it´s a selfish thing... you know... single child... invisible friend and all... maybe that´s why i take pictures... paint... film... write this shit... excuse my french... or don´t... if i did any of this to please people... i would be rich... it´s really not that hard... you just gotta make everyone look good... young... smart... famous... just like in a marriage photo album... boring... plain... where is everyone? dead already? faded... forget it... i love life... i love people... i want to know you better... learn who you are... know yourself... just like my surfboard is a tool to help me ride a wave... my camera is a tool to help me see you... there´s nothing to brag about here... no art statement to be made... no money... all the oppòsite... the closer i get the least you like it... that´s human nature... you don´t really want to stare at yourself in the mirror for too long... just like you don´t want me to leave the shutter open for too long... the more intriguating it looks the more interesting... it´s almost tribal... taking people souls away... that´s why i don´t manipulate... play around... i take it seriously... think about it... it´s not neutral... i´m involved in it... it´s my point of view... my vision... place... time... life... it´s almost as if it is my soul that´s taken away... it´s very personal... emotional... hard to share sometimes... difficult to understand... so i´m gonna keep trying to see with my camera through all these people and places... i´m gonna keep searching for everything i can´t see... like a spirit coming out of a fireplace and the door to another dimension... that´s my vision... to each their own...

links...

right place... right time... anywhere in the world... timing is everything... and surfing is all about timing... timing the swell... the wind... the spot... the crowd... the time... just like catching a good wave... it looks easy... it seems so simple... and it really is once you are riding it... but it takes a lot of dedication... only a surfer knows the feeling... surfing is all about balance... body in the water... mind on land... it´s a lifestyle... right time... right place... it´s a lifelong process of positioning yourself with the elements... a journey... a fortunate search... with no material reward in the end... no perfect wave... no treasure... just you... your memories... your thoughts... friends... photos... links... here are a few of mine from last year... like that fun session i had in tenerife... http://windsurfingtenerife.com/index.php?content_left=gallery#top ... or all the surf pics from LA where i was a photoslut... http://lasurfpix.exposuremanager.com/p/friday_8-17-07_torrance_715to815am/fri8-17-07torrance-0024 ... and that random video from an epic swell at one of my favorite places that made it on the front page of surfline for a few days... http://www.surfline.com/video/video_player/video_player.cfm?id=12662&mv=loc ... and some more photos from some cool people trying to promote a region and its surfers that might not get the best waves around but surely are some of the most dedicated i know... http://setogrande.com ... anyways... check them out... and look around to see what else is on all these websites... keep surfing...