Since joining the Eyes of Hawaii photography club in Honolulu, several people were asking me about what it was like to live in Ecuador. Being a photography club, I decided the best way to explain it was by creating a slide show / video for them. In looking over our photographic resources from our living […]
Video – Toraja
I created this video / slide-show for our Honolulu photo club (Eyes of Hawaii), to show them what we experienced when visiting Toraja this past Summer. This was a culture that is beyond anything we have ever experienced before, or even expected to still be active in the 21st century. I am not sure I […]
Hukilau Reenactment
The Hukilau event in La’ie last Saturday was staged for a documentary film on the shaka gesture. Volunteer photographers were recruited and provided with a shot list that may be used for the documentary produced by Bizgenics in association with Henry Kapono, a Hawaii legendary performer and song writer, who was nominated for a Grammy […]
Indonesia 28 – Toraja 7 – Grandpa’s Last Party
This is the last big party before the spirit of the deceased ascends to heaven in the village of Kandeapi, in Toraja, South Sulawesi. Once the burial is complete, the sprit is finally released. It was a festive occasion, with the friends and family carrying the deceased in the procession from the festival site to […]
Indonesia 25 – Toraja 4 – Pig Heaven
Toraja society is organized along a strict caste system. The person’s caste, or class, is inherited through the mother, and it is strictly forbidden for a woman to marry a man of lower class. The noble, or upper class, is considered to be descended from a person who descended from heaven. When someone of the […]
Indonesia 23 – Toraja 2 – Raising the Dead
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First off, we apologize for the amount of text in this blog post. Please read it all though. Torajan funerals are very complicated affairs that are likely completely foreign to anything you have ever seen or even considered. Without understanding some of this background, none of the photos or video will make sense. Funerals in […]
Indonesia 20 – Bali 11 – Tanah Lot Sunset
Before leaving Bali, we decided to visit Tanah Lot Temple, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations with more than 9,000 visitors daily. Tanah Lot is still an active pilgrimage site, and there were thousands of people bringing offerings and praying at the temple. It is also one of the best locations for […]
Indonesia 16 – Java 6 – Bromo Village
After we were refused entry to the Yadnya Kasada Festival, we searched for alternative activities, since we could not enter the festival boundaries. The local guide asked permission for us to attend the Reception Night, where East Java governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, the first woman governor in Java, would be attending. She was being inaugurated […]
Indonesia 15 – Bali 7 – Galungan Day
Galungan is a Balinese holiday celebrating the victory of dharma over adharma or the triumph of good over evil. Praying at the temple is the climax of Galungan Day. The people put on their finest traditional clothes and go to the temple with their families to pray and bring offerings to share. Early in the […]
Indonesia 14 – Bali 6 – Galungan Day Prep
Galungan marks the beginning of the most important religious Hinud holiday that recurs every 210 days in Bali. It is like Christmas, where families come together to celebrate. The spirits of the people who have died and been cremated return to visit their former home, and the family has a responsibility to welcome them through […]