01/26/08
01/26/08
All, I know it has been a long time, in fact it has been years, four to be exact. I am sorry I have been so distant and lost but I can assure that this lates trip will recover me in you good graces, assuming I was ever there in the first place.
Lets back up a second here and push the last four years in to a three line paragraph:
Got back from Euro, Went to Gig's funeral, Worked on a boat, Tattoo, had a show of prints from my euro trip, got a job, moved to Boston, Moved to Providence, working way to hard, trying to have fun, race motorcycles, have cars, ride bikes, still in Prov, still work in Boston, Tattoo. Done? Good, if I left anything out please don't be offended, I am tired as hell here trying to write this e-mail so just shut up.
For those of you that are new to this list, welcome. My spelling is unbeatable in a bad way, my grammar is worse but I would like to think my pictures and the places I go will make up for that fact. If you do not feel I am correct in this assumption then you can go to someplace cold, dark, light, dry and distant. Shit, that is where I am. Anyway, if you don't want this e-mails let me know and I will remove you. If there is anyone you send this to please have them e-mail me directly and I will ad them to this list. Am I being optimistic about people liking what I am about to say and show? Maybe. Ok, I will go cry now.
Anyway, here we go.
I have been lucky enough to be working with an Large format (5x7) photographer named An-My Le (^ over the e, ohh shut up). She is an old friend that I met when I was a kid, she and her husband John Pilson were students of my old man's in the early 90's at Yale. An-My and John have been friends from that point out and we have all worked very closely on projects over there years.
In the last year I have traveled with An-My to the Middle East (Bahrain, Iraq and Kuwait), Japan (Nagasaki and Tokyo) and now we are coming live to you from Antarctica. An-My has been in the middle of a very large project having to do with the Military and the Sea. This work started many years ago and will continue for the next few, most o which will be shown in NYC and in her next book. You can see her current work at her galleries website here.
This latest trip has taken us from New York City to Los Angeles to Sydney to ChristChurch to McMurdo Station on the Ice. I am sorry I am so tired here and I will do my best but I have about 20 more minutes before I pass out.
The flights were great other then the fact that they all left late and were ay to long. First Leg, 6:15 hours, Second Leg: 14:15 Hours, Third Leg: 6:15 hours. As I am sure you can assume I was about to lose it but here I am. We landed in Christchurch NZ on a nice Afternoon sans Bags. Thats right, the airline lost all our luggage somewhere between there and here, but hey, we were happy as were beat to shit and in need of a shower and a sleep, The Grange was our home for the next few days, a nice little B and B on the outskirts of ChristChurch.
Good Food, Good Sleep, and Good shopping later we were off to the USAP (United States Arctic Program) CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) to get our new getups for our trio. I might mention that two days later An-My and I still had the same cloths on that we left NYC with.
We were kitted out the 9s with two huge coats, Socks up the ass, Boots like nonother you have ever seen before, Under Under pants, shirts, three pair of gloves, hats, neck warmers, water bottles, goggles so on. Two huge orange bags worth. Fitted and ready we returned to The Grange to get one more nice night of sleep before lift off the next day, still no luggage, lovely I know, I was ripe like no ones business.
Off the the airport in the AM, we get suited up, and hurry the hell up to wait. Wait in fact more then intended as the plane was in need of a part that would need to be installed before take off, so add another two hours before we bolt. Eating, sitting around, listening to music could still not prepare us for the flight we were about to take. Nothing amazing occurred on the flight, but the flight itself was pretty unreal. Ever sat in the back of a pickup truck? Well then welcome to the world of a C17 Jet with about 40 other people, Mail, Food, a big Plane landing ski and other things I cannot even begin to imagine. Loud is not the word to use, more like unreasonable. I am not one to complain and I am not in this case but merely stating the sheer dumbfounding blanket of noise that one must endure to get to the ice. The other options are LC130 (Slower Prop plane) at 8 hours or an ice breaker at shit I don't know, 4,5,6 days out? Boat sounds pretty good when you are about 2 hours into the 6 hour flight I will tell ya.
Landing on the Ice is wild, they land with the wheels and it is half as harsh as when you land on a runway, it is quite wild, you expect the world to come to an end and you have no idea when it is coming as there are no windows in the back of this here pickup truck, but all the sudden vrooooomm, and then you hear the reverse thrusters doing their things as brakes are worthless on the ice. The thrusters are the most bothersome thing about the whole process, over all I give an 11 on my flying experience (12 being landing and taking off on a C12 COD from the USS Stennis in the Persian Gulf).
Getting of the pickup is nothing a picture, movie or this stupid e-mail can explain, you will just have to get your ass out there and have at it yourself. Let me try, Air like you have never breathed in your life, Sun like you can't imagine, Mountains in the distance with sun and clouds that hollywood would kill for, An-My stood there for a few and could not speak, she moved only when I yelled at her to get a move on. Two Huge, Huge, not just huge but I mean Huge transport rigs are sitting there ready to talk your blownaway ass to camp. Trust me, I you could just sit there and freeze and be happy as a clam.
In the truck you are reminded of School bus days, only you and everyone else are in Party Sumo suits, so there is about enough space for a 70 pound 5th grader to walk down the isle of said Huge transport. On the Way, we stopped at the Kiwi Camp just over the hill from McMurdo name Scott base, named after the British Brass Balled explorer that was the second to get to the South Pole. From there it is up and over the hill to our new home where I come to you now from, McMurdo.
McMurdo has the feel of Vermont and Oregon mashed into one and put far far away. The people are happy, the Scientist can hardly hold a conversation, the beer is good, the food is better then the P-B and Js I live on. This is a hell of a place to call home. The Terrain is like Hawaii plus Everest, add Science labs, Generator Huts, Power lines, Vans, trucks so on.
We have been here for 37 hours thus far, we have had about 13 hours of that time taken by meeting and training. Throw in there a small amount of sleep, three meals, a four mile run in my underwear (We still don't have out Luggage), a Beer, and now the three hours it has taken me to do this sill post for all my friends in far off places.
I really need to sleep now, so I will finish this all by saying a few things, we will be going to The south pole, back to the airbase, over to the waste camp, and a few other places. With this said I hope to be able to take some shots of An-my allows it, we are here to get the best in the world for her, so she comes first, after her come me, then beer, food, Shower, strange people, my job, then you.
The following link will put you uptodate on the images I have decided to share. I hope you all enjoy it. Please let me know if you have anything to say and I look forward to you input. Sorry I am so beat. Ohh, and thanks to my Boss for letting me go on this trip, he rules. //db
In NYC testing out my camera. I know I am an asshole.
Ever been to Sweden? How about the Train catenary, see how pretty it is? In America that would be Galvy Ibeam, lovely. I know, I am out of my mind but stick with me, it will pay off in the end
Like the brits but with a twist. See the Wood shingles?
This is An-My Le, this is an ^ over the e but I have no idea how to do it on this laptop, well I know how to but I am not willing to spend the time. Sorry An-My. Focus is on the hands, I am such a slacker.
Did any of you see my picture of the Great Dane in Paris on my Euro Trip? It was only a matter of time.
I have been to Providence. I have been to Key West. I have been to the red light district. Now I have been to ChristChurch. They are everywhere.
So While we were waiting to get our Extreme Weather gear, I noticed these three cars in the lot. Now this would not make any sense to anyone in the world but me, well, maybe a few other nerds out there. On the left, you will see BBN379, BBN was one of the very first Internet access companies that helped make the internet what it is today, they were bought by the dreaded Verizon. In the Middle we have DOTNET and on the left we have CAT558, Cat 5 is the standard ethernet cable that most of you are undoubtedly traversing to get to this silly webpage. Anyone else feel me or am I in a world of my own? Thanks. I cry.
OK, see all this shit, we get to bring all this with us to Antarctica. The Red coat on the left is called BigRed and is worthy of the name. I will admit it is warm and very comfy.
There are three of these in the Artic and they will go anywhere. They have a name that begins with a T. I don't have the energy to get it for you, just know they are almost unstoppable and can float. Thanks..
Ford here rules. This is a cool car. Bling Bling Focus.
Punch me and I will fucking kill you.
Aperently America is not the only place to have made the mistake to cross truck and car. StromTroopers Unite!
Yes, this is the new M3. I had to do this. I have the older style and have to admit this is a nice car. Not in the states yet. I know, I am a nerd. Same motor as my M5 but in a M3. Hmmm.
OK, I admit, they are cool. Just a bit to VW for me but cool nonetheless.
"Yo Eggy, I got a girl for you, only problem is she is about 7,000 miles away and rides her three wheeler real fast but it could work."
Comments? Stuff them up your ass mate!
Yo, Dees Images be da Copyright of one said Mate Dan Benson so pack-it in.