Weightshifting

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Weightshifting: On a Low and a High

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A few days separate us from our time at Canyon of the Ancients and our last camp from this fall trip. After a mangled tale of an ER (mis)visit and a return for refuge at Sage Canyon (this time camping just outside the Workshop Loft — thank you, Grant, for the use of your bathroom and heated towel rack), we depart the southwestern corner of Colorado and back through the Four Corners, venturing through Utah.

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#28
April 14, 2022
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Weightshifting: Tracks of the Ancients

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I notice the tracks as I return from a brief scouting trip. When deciding on a campsite for the night, reconnaissance is necessary: one, to verify personal safety; two, to ensure picturesque views and surroundings, but distance between neighbors (if applicable); and three, to establish an ideal bathroom situation. (Leave no trace, please.)

This particular survey satisfies one and three — I was returning from a number one break after the drive from Alta Lakes and Telluride when something catches my eye.

The “something” in this instance are animal tracks that run parallel to the dirt road we drove in on. I study them. There are multiple. Hooves and paws are apparent. Cattle makes sense. Horses, too. We know from Grant’s place in Sage Canyon that mountain lions have been recorded on their webcams up on the mesa property. And here we are on top of a mesa. A quick Google search suggests the paw prints could belong to mountain lions, and I’m relatively certain they are not bear tracks.

#27
February 5, 2022
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Weightshifting: Pound, rub, pound.

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It’s something like midnight. A four-and-a-half-pound senior Chihuahua is tucked into her blanket and snuggled up next to my left rib cage inside my sleeping bag. Jen is asleep beside us.

It’s 35°F.

We have myriad layers happening: Jen wears a down jacket inside her sleeping bag with a puffy blanket on top. I’m in a similar arrangement, sans the jacket, opting for a merino long-sleeve base layer. I sleep hot. Last but not least, Grant kindly lends us a giant thrifted wool blanket. He also acquaints us with a cold weather–camping hack: fill a stainless steel Kleen Kanteen water bottle with boiling water, wrap it in a towel, and place it at the foot of your sleeping bag. Jen and her typically cold feet are happy to indulge in this revelation. (For the record, that water bottle was still warm the following morning.)

#26
November 11, 2021
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Weightshifting: 11,218 feet

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We roll into Rico, Colorado, parking in front of the local post office. It’s rustic. Cute. Mountain-town vibes are abundant. Like a peacock, the foliage on the drive from Cortez is in full plumage. During the drive, neither Jen nor I, and even , can’t marvel at the beauty that accompanied us during the drive here.

#25
October 22, 2021
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Weightshifting: There’s a Tarantula In Our Room

There’s a Tarantula In Our Room

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“Err, I just saw a head poke out.”

#24
October 5, 2021
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Weightshifting: The Dark is Dubious

The Dark is Dubious

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We find ourselves sitting by a heated pool in autumn temperatures at 7,200 feet. Santa Fe has been home for two nights, where we luxuriated in a king-size bed with our own pillows (we don’t leave home without them).

#23
October 1, 2021
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Weightshifting: Ernie Is Our Co-Pilot

Ernie Is Our Co-Pilot

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Hello. You’re receiving this long-dormant-now-re-reawakaned newsletter because at some point in the past you subscribed. (Thank you, by the way.) Back then, I was writing about some nexus of travels abroad, personal or professional news, and technology-ish topics.

#22
September 25, 2021
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Weightshifting: Emerging from a fog

> It sunk in. Both the needle and the fact that life had indeed changed. I turned to my left and looked at her. She, the same Black woman who had administered the first, and this time I tucked her name away into my memory, having forgotten it in the excitement and overwhelming feeling of gratitude I had then. The same smile. The same calming, warm personality.

— A Second Shot


#21
May 21, 2021
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Weightshifting: Tales from Hawaii

Kailua Beach on Oahu at sunrise

Kailua Beach on Oahu, at sunrise.

#20
February 24, 2020
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Weightshifting: Plans

2020, here you are.

I hope you’re all well. It’s been a long, long time, but as usual, life happens.

If you don’t remember, or are new since the last time I wrote, this is Weightshifting, a personal newsletter written by yours truly, Naz Hamid. You can unsubscribe at the bottom if you like.


#18
February 20, 2020
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Weightshifting: What’s Old is New Again


First, can I just say thank you for being a part of this newsletter? It’s not a large number by far, but it feels intimate enough. Like a tiny-small conference, where I think of most of us were in a large space, we’d all enjoy each other’s company and there’d be enough people that you’d always find someone new to meet over a long weekend. There’s a very apropos reason for the subject line here. And let’s use another list.
#19
October 25, 2018
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Weightshifting: Don’t call it a comeback...

“...I’ve been here for years
I’m rockin my peers
Puttin’ suckers in fear...” — Mama Said Knock You Out, LL Cool J It's bittersweet. In my almost two years there, I learned a lot. I’m sad to have left some of the best people I’ve had the pleasure of working with — a humble and talented crew all around. I’m proud of the huge amount of work and impact that I was able to accomplish alongside that batch of people.  So why leave? A number of things. Let’s use a list, shall we? In no order:
#17
July 10, 2018
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Weightshifting: Always Moving Forward

Wow, it’s been a while since I wrote something here — September 22, 2016, was the last missive. It makes sense. I started something on October 1, 2016, that has continued today and prompted me to write and re-surface. I started consulting at a particular company whose products I’ve used since the very beginning. And as of February 1, 2017, I joined them full-time. That company is VSCO. 
It puts an end cover to Weightshift after 17 years. It wasn’t a big event in a sudden-lightning-stroke way, but a gradual and organic transition that feels natural. I can honestly say that I am happy to be at VSCO. It is a remarkable company, and its size, position, potential, and most importantly, people and culture, speak so much to what I value in collaboration with others, that it fits like a tailored suit. It does feel a little funny to be on this side of the fence. For many, many years, I often talked with friends, colleagues and acquaintances in our industry about what it was like on both sides of the fence, always admiring the grass from one side.  The grass on this side isn’t better — it’s just different. My mind, and desire for working with people I like, coupled with a long-standing want to work on a photography product (given my long-standing love for photography) made a lot of sense.  I’m working as part of a small, awesome (and new-ish) product design team and we’re enjoying getting to know each other better daily, and making things, quickly. A couple of things that happened and got built when I started and got to have a hand in:     We launched an awesome subscription service called VSCO X. You can learn a bit about the truly inspiring technology we’ve built here: We released an evolved and upgraded version of the app towards the end of the year, and you should get on there — I’d love to see you get creative: There’s a lot more to come.  So I’ll be here for a bit. Or here, if you’re interested: Let’s do this.  
#16
February 13, 2017
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Weightshifting: On screen

 

#14
September 22, 2016
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Weightshifting: #Notes

Hello, happy Friday!


, the note-taking iOS app from Q Branch (, and ) recently announced they were shutting it down.  I started with Notational Velocity on the desktop synced to Dropbox as my solution. There was a brief flirtation with Simplenote. I like to support friends and people I respect, and that’s where ’s Scratch came in for a little while with a clunky workaround to get NV and Scratch to read from the same Dropbox folder. It worked decently but it didn’t stick, at least on iOS. Sometime after, Gruber announced Vesper. I didn’t switch just yet, but during a sale I decided to try it out. It stuck…. The app is beautiful in its clarity and approach to tagging and allowance of a photo. I started journaling in it a bit too.  However: certain limits started to roadblock me. Multiple photos weren’t allowed at that time (not sure they ever went for more) and as a very visual and photo-heavy person, that was important to me.  Cue the new Notes.app from Apple. When I saw it during the WWDC 2015 keynote, I immediately thought: “Oh man, that’s going to kill note apps.” I use Reminders.app for a few things, and hack it a bit for to-do lists, etc., but Notes looked like it would do everything I’d been wanting it to do, and even a bit more than I didn’t. Multiple photos? . Lists? . To-dos? . Expanded but simple text formatting? . Sketches? And all tied together in iCloud and available on all my digital devices? Biggest check.  It actually reminds me a bit of , 37Signals’ organization tool that allowed you to free-form notes, images and documents together, and order or organize them if needed.  I often find myself writing little snippets of a related thread in a Note, then organize it for clarity later. With the photos, sketching, colors and text formatting, it becomes very powerful and starts to act like a pre-draft for anything: from written articles, to photo essays, to proposals to work-related meetings.  — , Gruber talks about the things they’d have done differently. I empathize because timing forced their hand in some ways, and a different roadmap might have resulted in an alternate result.  One of the things I’ve been pondering since Vesper’s shutdown was announced, is whether or not design is enough of a differentiator — as a bottom line, will design make you?  I used to consider myself far more precious about design — pixels had to be lined up just so, line heights correct, padding and border radii had to be right. I now think of those as finishing details, as they should be. At its core, a digital product is less about visual appearance and more about ubiquity — multi-platform, multi-audience, multi-function.  Notes.app isn’t the prettiest thing — I admire Apple’s decision to persevere with a paper texture for the background — but it works so well and because it’s a part of the Apple ecosystem, “just works.” It’s less friction, it’s built right in, it’s something people didn’t even know they might have needed.  Design is just one tool and many other factors come into play for what makes success happen. — In this ever-saturated world where many signals vie for our attention,  is the hardest thing. I’ve worked on a lot of projects where this was of at the top of the list of priorities. Where and how do we let people discover or or ?  This is where AI and machine learning are supposedly leading us to — getting our eyeballs more .  Me? I’m interested in how we can expose the right things to the people that need it the most, when they need it most. Thanks for reading, Naz.
#15
August 26, 2016
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Weightshifting: The Ways We Work

Hello, gang —


This morning brought news that my friends at have taken on a bit of VC funding. . Nate thoughtfully explains and outlines how they built up CB and why they’re taking on funding. In a nutshell:  
#13
August 16, 2016
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Weightshifting: Scathelocke is a go! Thank you.

Hi, gang—

Just wanted to say thank you for all the feedback yesterday. The site is now live at its regular ol' address, but will always be accessible from the link I sent yesterday. For posterity.
But: One small(ish) typo from yesterday. The Webmaster Cotton Bureau shirts are $28! Not $18. Sorry about that gang. My bad. But, sales went up by a few shirts to 8! And getting closer to the 12-minimum threshold. Flogging tees is hard. Seriously! Much respect to floggers.   Again, thank you for all of the feedback and being on this list. Be kind, and if you will, and if you're interested in teaming up or working together in small and big ways, we've tried to make that as clear as possible with the new Engage page:  🙏🏽, Naz.  
#12
August 11, 2016
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Weightshifting: Scathelocke

Another sneak peek for you!


I was aiming to launch today according to my nifty new MUJI weekly planner (more on that in a bit), but I also had: “Preview on Tinyletter?” So: I’m giving you a preview before it goes live tomorrow. And you can also be beta testers, bug reporters, and friendly folks who I’d be happy to get early feedback from (reply to me). There's a small thing I'm tweaking with the footer's hover state. Ignore for now! That one's filed. As always, I’ve named it after a character in Robin Hood. Previous versions included:
#7
August 10, 2016
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Weightshifting: A Moment of Clarity

Hi, it's been a while!

I cannot take credit for the title: that comes from the Therapy? album I'm currently listening to, .  I'm deep into responsive debugging and browser testing on the new Weightshift website. I hope to have it ready for Jen to look over tomorrow for final copyediting. We should launch this week.  It marks a new design and some new work. More importantly, it signifies an evolution in the studio and my career. It is not a wholesale redefinition, but it is a change.  ​ I've spent much of the year analyzing and talking to people about what it means to be a designer in the current state of our industry. That led to asking questions about how I like working: for whom I enjoy working for and with, and how I best serve those people and myself. I wrote a lot. I jotted down little bits of ideas, realizations, and moments of clarity. I agonized differently: usually they’re aesthetic design choices but this time content played the biggest role.  A currently in-draft Medium article will outline this better and accompany the site launch. I abandoned the logo. Or rather, I abandoned a formal logo. I strongly believe that branding is important. Because Weightshift is a constant evolution and alignment, I don’t feel strongly attached to a visual representation in a logotype or wordmark that represents this well. From here on out, there is no logo. There is a name and a word. It will morph to whatever is appropriate, when appropriate. I took this photo from our trip to Japan in April. Jen and I were in Arashiyama, Kyoto and Arabica Coffee was on the list of places we had to visit. This gorgeous little modern hut of coffee by the river. The older women in the orange kimono struck me in the above photo. We miss Japan. It's deep in our bones. Soon, and thanks for reading, Naz.  
#11
August 8, 2016
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Weightshifting: Totos and Tamago

Hi,

We're back from Japan. I wanted to write from there. However, we were overwhelmed in many ways. I only had an iPhone, which I used mostly for navigation. It was connected to the pocket wi-fi from our AirBnB host each time (a convenient perk), and drained the battery constantly. Truthfully, we were tired by 8pm most days, and the thought of writing...not a priority.  That said, Jen wrote some thoughts, and put together a lovely photo collection on Medium: https://medium.com/@jenschuetz/totos-and-tamago-3c376f62ba73#.x1rvu3vcy I'll get around to my stuff shortly (I did post a few photos on Instagram: http://instagram.com/weightshift), but have just gotten over jet lag, a bit of a cold, and kicked off a new project with a client today, so... Some photos anyway (pardon the Tinyletter image resolution): Arigato, talk soon. Naz.
#10
May 3, 2016
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Weightshifting: Ohaiyogozaimasu

Jen and I leave for Japan this coming Monday. It's the first time either of us will visit the country. I am excited, to say the least. It's been on the list for a while now.
My parents and sister lived there for two years (before I was born). I don't have much info from them about it, aside from that they liked their time there. We'll be going to Tokyo and Kyoto.  Did I say I'm excited?  My notes, lists and personal recommendations are long and varied. I have a fear that we'll miss out on a lot. That we won't see everything. Jen says, "It'll be a good reason to go back. If we like it." We believe we will, quite a bit.  Japan just experienced a magnitude 6.5 earthquake in Kyushu, Japan's southernmost island. It's sobering. Especially recalling 2011's tragic 9.0. We'll be going from one earthquake-prone place to another. Life moves forward. It'll be the first time for me, to be in a country or place where I don't understand the primary language. In Malaysia and parts of Southeast-Asia, I know the language or can pick up on it. In Japan, we won't. This thrills me. Out of the comfort zone! The trip comes at a good time — my mind is a touch muddy, and it's time to give it a good cleansing. ​ It's time to get inspired. 
#9
April 15, 2016
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Weightshifting: Kauai State of Mind

I had originally intended this whole Kauai 2015 recap to be published natively inside of this email. However, because the photo-heavy aspect of it felt cumbersome in this editor, I created it inside of five minutes in Medium. Modern tools eh?

Now, this isn't public though — I've decided to keep it exclusive and share the draft version. Nice workaround? Perhaps.  So, just for you:  In creating the above, I realized that this is exactly the kind of content I'd publish to The Well Worn (which you may remember from the previous edition of this Tinyletter).  Till the next time, thanks for reading. As always, I welcome replies. Hope you're all well, Naz.
#8
November 9, 2015
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Weightshifting: The Well Worn

Turning 37 has brought about some interesting reflections thus far. It’s been a mix of things, one of which is an increasing dissatisfaction with my comfort zones. The remedy is to carve out time to be creative for myself.

In this instance, my wife Jen and I have been drawn to, and emboldened by, an increasing amount of travel. We like seeing what’s beyond our front door and enjoy what the natural world has to offer. As we head into the future, we have become deeply aware that we must live considered, and as my friend Noah Stokes pointed out, intentional lives. With that duty, we aim for a sustainable, low maintenance, and considerate impact on the world. Not large, not massive, but being where we need to be, when we need to be.

#6
July 15, 2015
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Weightshifting: You Know I Care

It's been a while. Almost six months into 2015 already. Halfway through an entire year. The time, it passes quickly. I turned 37 in March. Time, as elders have told me before, accelerates as you get older. They may or may not have left out the exponentially part. I'm feeling it a little. Okay, maybe a lot. The past two years have worn in some. Upon deeper reflection, I can attribute this to a few things: increased responsibilities, family stresses, work-career questions, the search for what's next, but also the physical tolls of a life that likes to stay as active as possible and happens to be on the move a lot. I'm - and I really should mean we, meaning my wife and I - are in search of some kind of balance between the responsibilities we have to ourselves and our families, but also that yearning for a simpler life. It's at odds with each other though - one means you have to plan for the future, and with others in mind. That means you have to place things in motion and that complicates things, but you've got that plan, that loose roadmap, that fallback. On the other hand, all that stuff makes you want to let go, at least mentally, from all of this... baggage? The precarious balance between being comfortable with it all versus saying eff it and losing it on the farm. Nothing gets figured out in a way. The script is never finalized and finished. Life is a work in progress that we're constantly tinkering with, or provides paths that we have to choose from. You gain a better understanding for what shapes you at the time most recent, but likely, very few things are cold hard truths to you. Your mind changes, along with the world. Evolving masses surging together. — 01. If you take someone who sings a bit, add a bit of TOOL and ISIS (the band!), but with more melody, you get this. Totally up my alley of course. And a cover of Sneaker Pimps' 6 Underground! http://rd.io/x/QFwmPnw1BA/ 02.  This is a playlist I made for our upcoming trip to Malaysia at the end of the month. During sleep on planes, I like to listen to really mellow playlists. Something rhythmic, but soothing too. I have a Side A planned too. http://rd.io/x/QFwmL49g_g/ (If you have recommendations for something in the same vein, feel free to reply. Milosh and Tycho is probably the best example of what these songs should sound like.) 03.  Buterfingers were/are a band from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. They were friends of ours, and my old band, Monkeywrench were to tour with them back in 98, on their first tour. We never did because I left to the States to come study (and eventually settle). My bandmates were pissed with me about it at the time, but we've let that go and are still friends today (sidenote: you can see us reunited here, playing together, 15 years later - https://vimeo.com/49000288). Anyway, Butterfingers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfingers_(Malaysian_band)  While we were a Helmet-ish band, Butterfingers were heavily influenced by Nirvana. A lot of their early albums channel the Cobain spirit before they started to evolve and integrate Malaysian rhythms, sounds, and switching from English to Malay.   I still love 'em. And their evolution has been fantastic. I wish I had a way to point you to their stuff, but I've got old tapes/CDs and torrents that I've pulled years ago to collect their stuff.  Wait. The internet provides.  This is the only song on Rdio available (which pains me): http://rd.io/x/QFwmK0Ei668/ But there's a pretty good playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/epilogueepic/playlist/5FcKPxhozMB0hHqtnrNmIQ The title of this Tinyletter comes from the lyric in this song, Delirium, which I love: https://open.spotify.com/track/6YQuWNUoa7MwcSr8ualBOG — Thanks for reading. Malaysia's coming up again, soon. And travels means lots of fodder for this.  See ya then, tailwinds! Naz.

#5
May 12, 2015
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Weightshifting: Off the Beaten Paths

Across from our gate at SFO Terminal 3, I was able to procure Blue Bottle decaf drip from an artisanal yogurt shop. Being on the road suits me more and more these days. #blessed
 
#4
December 24, 2014
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Weightshifting: Food in Malaysia

I'm primal. It's a variant of the Paleo lifestyle, but isn't as strict or extreme. It practices an 80-20 rule. You're PRO for 80% of the time, giving yourself some slack the other 20%, if you need to. In our household, we're admittedly devoted 95–99% of the time. But the 80-20 rule allows for flexibility. It allows you to be human. It isn't a militant rule and one that dissuades, but rather encourages.
It's times during travel, vacation and different environments and culture that require some leeway. Malaysia is tough in this regard. Much of the food is based around some kind of starch or carb, namely in the form of rice, noodles, some other doughy vehicle or generally sugary treat. Given the three main races — Malay, Chinese, Indian — the food can be absolutely fantastic, but it's also difficult for someone like me. But you allow yourself to function within the paradigm and hack things together that work. The Eastern world is quickly catching up to the Western diet. Lots of American chains have expanded their deep reach into Asia and set up shop. Some have even found new life after becoming irrelevant on home turf.

#3
November 17, 2014
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Weightshifting: Tech In Asia

People love big phones. 
They prize big phones in the same way that the characters from the movie regard their devices. They are customized, elegant machines. Often encased in some kind of leather/fake leather flipcase, making them look like wallets or notebook journals. It's refreshing to see the reverence that people devote to their gear.  They are not subsidized here. People pay full price for them, and for many, this is their only computer. It is a worthwhile investment. And the smartest choice: to buy the largest device you can.  White is popular here. (White cars are also a trend, my mom informs me.) Devices are white. Black isn’t as prevalent. But colored backs are popular. Android devices, particularly Samsung, are dominant. iPhones, not so much. But the 6 and 6 Plus are smart moves. The U.S. may not understand it, but Cook and Co. have done the research, and they're smart — moving to where the puck has been. In Asia, it feels like catch-up. The view of smartphones is different here.  It is about putting these devices in people's hands, and in their lives. And seemingly, not in their pockets.  They are status symbols. A way to financially show you can hang. That you can afford one. Nikes and clothes no longer matter, but that big-ass phone? That has value. They are not hidden away in pants, purses and backpacks. Rather, they are held in hand, a little piece of a person's everyday carry. They are whipped out for photos, for communication, for watching videos and reading while walking.  They all have cases with covers. Almost.  I look at my iPhone 5s, and it feels small within this context. No one cares. They have the best phone in front of them. So many options for a very diverse place and culture. No one size fits all. Many sizes for many. Many styles fit many. Many ways to express yourself.  I look at them almost longingly, with a newly found desire to sheath this phone in a bespoke leather cover.  Like Theodore in , it is one's most precious device. And one would treat her well. 

#2
October 30, 2014
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Weightshifting: The Place Where I Was Born

I'm currently in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

If you've never heard of it, well, it's in Southeast Asia. Though you probably have. It had a weird depiction of its Prime Minister in the movie Zoolander. And most recently, its homegrown airline, Malaysia Airlines, has had tragic news in the disappearance of flight MH370 and the shooting down of MH17. It is also the place were I was born and the place from where I came from originally. I'm here visiting family, and to see about my father who has fallen into a state of disrepair health-wise. Even though I lived here for a decade, from ages 10 till 20, and much of the city is somewhat familiar conceptually, much of it seems foreign.  Buildings and shopping centers have exponentially sprouted all over, the continuing Westernization of mainstream commerce progressing without regard and there's a feeling of culture acceleration and regression. I see the city through different lenses. It is the place I spent my teenage years in; the place where my family lives; as an American visitor; as a Malaysian by birthright; as a foreigner. The city has changed drastically. I've been back here annually for the last three years after a 12-year absence. There's a story there, but now's not the time.  The city and country I left is not the same place. Driving through it reveals a density that feels almost claustrophobic- elevated railways, elevated highways, and new signage that allows massive criss-crossing of the city.  But the traffic hasn't changed. There's a highway system and on this one section, no one seems to take it. It starts near where my family lives in Ampang Jaya and ends near KLCC by the Petronas Twin Towers. It's usually pretty empty, despite the dense traffic below. And I realized that people aren't willing enough to pay RM$1.50 (50 cents USD) to use it. They would rather sit in traffic. My time is worth at least that, if not much more.  But Malaysia isn't a country of great wealth. The haves have a lot and the have-nots are firmly in the working class. Looking at the country through a Western lens is too harsh, and too divisive. The only lens to look at it through is empathy. To understand the region and its people and how things work here. Some photos of things:  Thanks for reading.
#1
October 28, 2014
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