like neil diamond prophesied, i'm coming to america.
it's going to be a crazy trip.  the timing is kind of awkward, and the purpose is not entirely clear, but it is on.

i'll tell you more later.  right now i have to finish packing.

best wishes,
jim  

Hey gang,

You should check out  my friend Tomasz's video project fund drive, and give him a few bucks.
Even if you don't agree with his politics, you should check him out.  He's a very sensible guy, and I'm sure he would gladly address any issues you may have with his point of view if you send him an email.
http://www.indiegogo.com/Edgar-the-exploiter

Okay, I have to go catch a train.

Best,
Jim

The time has come to make the biggest announcement in the history of the blog, and also my life.
drum roll…
Marleen is pregnant.  We will be parents, and I will be someone's father before the summer is over.

Okay.  Carry on.

Best,
Jim

i can't help but notice the number of overweight children in my neighborhood.  it's kind of scary.  they all walk around, spitting on the ground with cans of "energy" drinks in their chubby little hands.  it is kind of disturbing.
on the bright side, the previously mentioned children seem to have no problems with their collective body image.  i suppose that is refreshing.  they strut around the streets, "energy" drinks in hand, dressed in tight fitting and brightly colored clothing.  they look like fleshy beach balls.  beach balls that spit.
their moms and dads spit, too.  it's really charming.

best,
jim
 

Cookies and MilkOriginally uploaded by jimturbert

hi. the opening went pretty well. it is true that almost no one showed up, but we had cookies and milk. i'm told that more people will go due to the fast approaching museum weekend, or cultural weekend (i'm on page 13), or some shit. it feels good to know that i spent an assload of money on printing and mounting so a handful of people could look at my work. i truly enjoy spending as much money as possible. thanks to all the people who came.
these are hectic times. i'm still a mailman, but i'm also trying to complete a growing number of freelance jobs. i know this doesn't sound challenging, but my postal shift is right in the middle of the day, so it kind of screws up a lot of other stuff, especially if i need to take long train rides. it's all about time management.
okay, that's all for now. like i said, i'm trying to manage my time better, and blogging is not in my time management plan.

until next time,
jim

hello. i'm super busy at the moment, so i will promise an awesome post in the near future, and i will give you this link to look at.
http://dynamo-expo.nl/

thank you for your time.

best,
jim

Holy crap, the weather is really great.  You know what else is really great?
This...

Yeah, I know you're sick of seeing the astronaut picture.  Me too, but I didn't make the card.  That is the one that people like.  I will not be complaining about it.  I am grateful for the exhibition.  This will be my first solo show.  It will feature 10 of the Expectations and Reality pictures that you can see on jtfanclub.com, and somewhere between 10 and 13 pictures from my new project about Winsted which almost no one has seen before.  Full disclosure, the Winsted project looks nothing like my self-portraits.  They may have a similar vibe, but the project is still very, very young, so I'm not sure if if comes through yet.  

Anyway, I'll tell more about the Winsted project in the coming months.  It's either going to be really awesome or really boring.  

So...

The exhibition is at the Transformatorhuis in Enschede.  The organisation who put the show together is called Dynamo Expo.  The opening is at 4pm on March 27, and it will be fun.  You should go.  Click the picture for a PDF of the full invitation.  I'll post a link to the gallery once I'm up there.  Right now someone else is there, and i don't need to publicize them.  Let me know if you have any questions or comments.  

Okay.  Bye.  

Best, 

Jim      

I'm not really sure where I want to go with this entry, but I feel like posting something.

Should I post about the days getting longer?

• It is the time of the year when one begins to notice the days getting longer.  Spring is approaching.  I find this time of year to be particularly frustrating because we get glimpses of what warmer weather could be like, only to have the door slammed in our collective faces the next day.

Should I post about my upcoming exhibition?

• I have my first solo show next month.  It wasn't supposed to be a solo show.  The other person who was supposed to exhibit with me decided she didn't want to do it, so now I have to prepare more work.  It's a mixed blessing, really.  I'm into the whole solo show thing, but preparing more work costs more money that I should be spending on other things.  If you are free on March 27, you should come by the opening.  It's at the Transformatorhuis in Enschede.  I will have more info to share with you in the future.  

Should I post about other big news?

• No.  It's top secret shit.

Should I post about my burgeoning freelance career?

• Burgeoning would be a bit of an overstatement.  I've had a few jobs, and I am grateful for them, but it is a seriously crowded field, and I'm not sure how long it will take me to get enough work to sustain myself.  

Should I post about my plans for tonight?

• Tonight I will be going to Theater Zuidplein to was a video made by Erik van Lieshout.  I have done a bit of work for him, and I am a fan of his work.  You should go if you don't have anything to do.  Here is a link to the information.

I need to eat something.  I'll talk to you later.

Best,
Jim

As you may know, I was in CT in December taking care of my grandmother for awhile.  She is super old, and has dementia.  Also, she doesn't hear very well, so I spent a lot of time writing things down so we could communicate.  I'm not sure if she was messing with me or not, but on occasion she claimed that she couldn't read my handwriting, so I typed some stuff on the laptop.  I just found a text file from one of those conversations.  I'm not sure if anyone else will find this amusing, but here are some one sided excerpts from one of our conversations.  These are all things that I said.  The spaces between each line  are where she would have said something:


do you like your new cookies?

you were eating them before.  they're in a can in your room.

they are dutch.  like marlane (*sic)

she's a good egg.

*marleen's name is spelled M A R L E E N, but it would have taken too much energy to explain that E is pronounced differently in Dutch.  Also, she would forget that I explained it, and would keep asking me over and over and over again.
--------


if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

you're doing it again.

BE NICE.

tell me about it.

no, but we will have a daughter named florence.

it's going to be awesome.

so good.

F L O R E N C E

timing.

-------

we're on vacation

we'll be here for a week or so.  

so get ready…

for us.  

just be prepared.  

you'll know when the time comes.  

sometimes greatness is thrust upon us.  

there's enough of me to go around.  

firenze

i already heated it up once.  you have to drink faster.  

do you want to go to your room?  it's warmer in there.

-------

Maybe i'll make a movie out of that material.  An animation?  Hmmm.

  

Oh yeah, here's an explanation about the whole Florence thing.  Gram's name is Florence.  One of the effects of dementia is that she forgets what she has said, yet she seems to have the same thoughts over and over again.  She always asks me if I'm married.  Then she asks if I have kids.  Then she asks, "Why Not?!"  She follows that up with, "If you ever have a daughter, you have to name her Florence."  So, now I will often beat her to the punch, and just flat out tell her that if we ever have a daughter we will name her Florence.   

I think it's funny that she's so obsessed with naming people as a tribute to others.  My mother is named Alberta.  Gram's brother's name was Albert.  My uncle's name was Thomas (after his father, my grandfather), but somehow he earned the nickname Buddy, which was also the nickname of my grandfather's sister, Bernardine (sp?).  I always knew her as Aunt Buddy because that is what my mother called her.  Her husband's name was William, or "Bill".  Would you care to guess what my other uncle's name is? 

Another funny aside, my uncle, Buddy (not Uncle Buddy), never wanted to be referred to as Uncle Buddy.  When I was a small child, he would call me Nephew Jimmy whenever I called him Uncle Buddy.  Likewise, he called my sister Niece Tara.  Shit is funny.  I miss that guy.

Okay, that's all I've got right now.  

Sincerely, 

Jim

look.  samples of my first freelance work with my fancy new camera.

http://www.architectenweb.nl/aweb/redactie/redactie_detail.asp?iNID=25293

yes, that is me in one of the pictures.

best,
jim

i recently wrote in an email to a friend that i should spend less time making delicious things to eat, and more time on making amazing photographs. believe it or not, i am actually doing both making delicious things and photographs. i just haven't posted any of the pictures because i'm not sure how to deal with them yet.  i will when i find some rhyme and reason in their collectiveness.  i promise.
i made pumpkin pie this weekend. i also made pancakes. i also made some really great macaroni and cheese.
speaking of delicious and rich food, i decided to go back to the gym today. jesus, i felt like i was going to have a heart attack. i went a few times in early january, but i wasn't feeling so hot, so i took it easy. before that i hadn't been there since... the end of october. i am bad. i do run a bit though.  not great distances, but a few miles a pop.  you know, to keep the blood flowing.  if i'm going to keep eating cookies and pumpkin pie, i'm going to have to go to the gym more often, or i'm going to get large. at the moment i'm not large. despite some increased grayness and a smattering of age, i look pretty much the same as i've looked for the past several years.  i'm just a bit softer.  kind of like my brother in baking, the pilsbury dough boy.  under the beard, poppin' fresh and i share a similar complexion as well.  it's easy to remain pasty and white during the long wet and dreary dutch winter.  genetics helps with that, too.  
i think that is all i should say.
okay. bye.

best,
jim

TurboOriginally uploaded by jimturbert

YEAH, TURBO!!!

As shitty as 2010 was, it was not entirely bad. Here are the highlights of 2010 in reverse chronological order:

1) Christmas at the Bos household.

It started a bit rough with a shitty train ride, and then got a little rougher when I had a confrontation with an asocial dutchman in the street in front of the Bos residence. After that it was all gravy. I let all my frustration flow into that horrible dutch guy driving the Mercedes, and I felt like $1,000,000 for the rest of the week.

2) Early December trip to US/Winsted.

It's nice to go home. It was also nice to see my crazy old Grandma, even though she's wicked senile and is not nice to Marleen. I started a new photo project while I was there, too. Part of that project involved getting in touch with old friends. It was quite enjoyable. On top of that, Dave, Kassie, Andrew, Sarah, and Sandra came to visit us there. It was super cool, though a little weird.

3) Paris trip.

Marleen and I went to Paris in late August. I had never been there before. I'm glad we went. The city is beautiful, and shockingly enough, I was not mistreated by the French people. I had been unfairly discriminated against in France before, but now the people of France have redeemed themselves. I'm sure they'll be pleased to hear that I have forgiven them.

4) Our first American visitors came.

Giuliana Funkhouser was the first to visit in July. In August, Sarah and Andrew visited.
I was beginning to think no one would ever come here to see us. I was wrong.

5) JAPAN

Marleen and I went to Japan in April. It was a full on crazy vacation. I found it exhausting, but I would totally do it again.

Look, I'll show you >>> http://www.flickr.com/photos/jimturbert/sets/72157624529602108/

I'm sure there were a few more notable moments, but that's all i can come up with right now. Next year the list will be much larger. It's gonna be awesome.

Sincerely,
Jim

Space, originally uploaded by jimturbert.

Happy New Year.
Yeah, I know, it's a bit late for well wishing, but it's still early in a new year. I can guarantee that this year is going to be better than last year, for me at least. 2010 was a fat ball of shit, and 2011 is going to be like fresh pancakes on Sunday morning. Speaking of fresh pancakes on Sunday morning, I just ate some. I make good pancakes. You should come over for breakfast sometime.

Marleen is doing pilates in the other room. I can hear the lady on her DVD telling her to use her powerhouse. I'm going to go use my powerhouse in the shower.

Best,
Jim Turbert

Look, I made a B-shirt.

Look, I made a B-shirt., originally uploaded by jimturbert.

Here is a B-shirt in the wild. In Connecticut.

Best,
Jim

Am I correct to assume that new technology is generally supposed to improve upon old technology?  I'd like to take this time to complain about one example of technology falling flat on its face and sucking.  I'm talking about fluorescent light bulbs.  Not the long tubes, but the ones that are supposed to be super energy efficient replacements for the normal incandescent light bulbs that we've been using in our houses for the past 100 years.  Since normal light bulbs are getting harder and harder to find (in the Netherlands, anyway) we've purchased a few lately.  One is in our bedroom, and one is in a desk lamp in the computer room/office/whatever you want to call it.  The one in the office buzzes.  Originally this one was in the bedroom, but we moved it to the office because the buzzing was highly annoying.  The buzzing is still annoying, but now it's drowned out by the annoying buzz of the computer, so it is not noticed as much.  The bulb that we put in the bedroom is a different brand.  It does not buzz, but it takes  5 minutes to get up to a reasonable brightness.  When you flip the light switch, nothing happens.
I WANT MY LIGHT TO GO ON IMMEDIATELY.  
Thomas freaking Edison's light went on immediately, and that was over 100 years ago.  Some green scientist needs to get his ass in gear, and fix this shit.

Another thing that I'm not keen on about fluorescent lights is that they use mercury.  Yeah, they are more energy efficient, but mercury is poisonous, and almost no one disposes of their fluorescent bulbs properly.  

I will be sad when my beloved incandescents are no longer available. 

Sincerely,
Jim

The pain.
In a few short weeks I will be visiting the U.S.  Specifically, I will be visiting CT.  Unfortunately, I will not be spending much time anywhere except for Winsted, CT.  I'd like to hang out in Boston a bit, and I'd also like to go to NYC, but that will not happen on this trip.  ( here's the painful part)  Since I will be flying into Boston, my plan is to rent a car, and drive to Winsted or have my sister pick me up.  On the way home I plan on stopping at Blue Ribbon Barbecue to feast on glorious beef brisket.  I can almost smell it.  I've been thinking about it all day.  Do you know what it is like to be a mail man who can't get his mind off of brisket?  I can't imagine that you have any idea how painful it is.  There are some nice things to eat here, but nothing that the dutch have to offer compares to delicious beef brisket (they do have fantastic cheese though, and oliebollen!!!  So good.).  The worst part is that I have to make dinner now, and I know that nothing I make will compare to the treacherous thoughts in my head.
The pain.
I also want to get good hamburgers and steaks while I am home.  Maybe some Mexican food.

That brings me to the next thought in my head.  It is a far less torturous thought, and it doesn't (necessarily) involve food.  I'll be in Winsted from December 4 until December 14.  If you grew up with me, and are currently living in Winsted or the surrounding area, would you let me know if you are interested in being a part of a photo project?  Even if you didn't grow up with me, and somehow stubbled upon this blog, feel free to contact me as well.  That would be awesome.
fanmail@jtfanclub.com

Best wishes,
Jim Turbert

I guess this post is going to be about the immune system.  I read an article the other day suggesting that having symptoms and getting colds is the sign of a strong immune system.  The logic is that if your system is working properly it is actively fighting off contaminants, thus producing symptoms; sneezes; runny noses; sore throats.  I guess that makes sense, but I have always considered my immune system to be rock solid.  I made this assumption because I don't get sick.  While working in a school for 7 years I had a few colds, but I only got really sick once.  Since living in the Netherlands (for two years) I didn't get sick at all until a few nights ago.  I'm not even sure the sickness from last week counts because I'm certain it was food poisoning.  Could someone with a medical background give me an answer?  Is my seldom having cold or flu symptoms a sign that my immune system is not doing what it is supposed to be doing?  Why is the logic of my initial assumption about the strength of my immune system false?  Is my overall health based on luck?  If it is based on luck, could I transfer some of that luck to other areas of my life, like say, buying lottery tickets?  Perhaps the article I read was designed to make people who often get sick to feel better about themselves.  Do you have any thoughts?

Best
Jim

Last night I was kneeling on the floor of an empty retail space in a mall scraping double sided tape residue that had been soaking in some petroleum based substance.  While I was doing this hundreds of people were walking by.  Some of them stopped to stare.  Children pressed their faces up against the glass to see what I was doing, but most people just ignored me and walked by.  I felt like a zoo animal.  Seriously, this is what I did last night.  It wasn't a dream.
Spending Friday night engaged in menial tasks involving toxic materials is the sort of thing that makes one take stock of his life.  Clearly, I am not doing as well as I could or should be, and clearly I have made some questionable decisions.  I am not an unintelligent man, and I have a reasonable skill set, so why do I find myself in my current situation.  I'd like to know how far back I'd have to go to answer the question, "How did I get to where I am?"
The easiest answer is that I moved to a country where I am not a native speaker, and my language skills are far less than perfect.  In fact, they are unacceptable for most forms of work dealing with other people.  Most toddlers speak Dutch better than I do.  So, why did I move here?  The best answer I have is that I wanted a change of scenery.  I had been working my old job for seven years, and I was sick of it.  As good as the job was, I was just not into it anymore.  I thought that changing things up a bit would reinvigorate my brain, and make me a happier person.  2008 was a difficult year for me.  My uncle whom I was very close with was diagnosed with lung cancer in late 2007 and died in early 2008.  This really messed my head up.  I think I'm still messed up from it, but that's another story.  His death made me think of all the normal cliche stuff about how you never know when you are going to die.  You know, stuff like, "You could get hit by a bus tomorrow!"  It also made me thing about exactly what the hell I was doing with myself.
Sometime leading up to the summer of 2008 I got it into my head that I did not want to work at the school anymore.   I can't remember if it was before or during our vacation that I told Marleen that I was not going to go back to Wellesley in the fall.  She was surprised.  She had heard me bitch about my issues with work a million times, but I had never insisted that I didn't want to go back.  As luck would have it, Marleen was able to set up a job interview in Holland during our summer vacation.  She got the job, thus enabling us to financially support our relocation, and the decision was made.  I felt good about it.  Things seemed to be falling into place in an orderly and fortuitous pattern.  I envisioned a fresh version of myself taking a little time off, and then stepping into a new position as a photo assistant or a technical advisor for someone who does interesting work.  Alas, that was not to be, and here I am, again asking the question, "How did I get to where I am?"
Should I have not gone to art school?  Should I have been more assertive in high school?  Should I have gone left instead of right?  What was the decision I made that sent my life hurtling toward the dismal present?  I know I should not have jumped as eagerly into the international move as I did, but I thought that such adventure was one of the things my life (that could end at any second) was missing.  If I were more rational, I would have started searching for a new job instead of looking for an international escape hatch.  Since it is impossible for me to go back in time to view the critical moments in my life, I will end this trifle with the conclusion that my current situation is largely due to a lapse in rationality that started around the spring of 2008.

So yeah, I have a ton of work ahead of me because I may have made a bad decision or two.  The good news is that I have a knack for fixing things.  I've never tried to fix a broken life before, but I enjoy  challenges.  The other good thing is that I am not too proud to do shitty jobs if I have to.  I am willing to do almost anything, barring sexual favors and nudity, for money.  If you have a shitty job for me, let me know.  I'll do it.  If you have an awesome job for me, let me know.  I'll do that, too.  I'm a good employee.  Real good.

Best,
Jim

until last weekend i had never been to paris before.  i had made a few brief stops in paris on the train to provence, but i had never been in the city.  now that i have spent a whopping three days in the city of lights i can report that i liked it.  it's beautiful and the food is delicious.  well, much of the food is delicious.  on our first night i ordered something called an andouillette.  i knew it was a sausage, but i was not aware of the details.  since the french are obviously known for their cuisine, i was certain that i wanted something decidedly french.  when i took my first bite i was shocked and surprised by how strong the flavor was.  it wasn't bad.  it was smokey, rich, and very distinct.  then i chewed.  and chewed.  and chewed.  you see, andouillette is a sausage made from coarsely chopped bits of stomach and intestine.  wikipedia says, "their strong smell can be reminiscent of feces and may offend people unaccustomed to the dish."  mine didn't smell like feces, but i got sick of it very quickly.  marleen suggested that i order something else, but i insisted on not being a wuss, and i ate the whole thing.  i didn't want to be the foolish tourist who couldn't handle the local cuisine.  instead i was the foolish tourist who forced himself to eat what was paid for.  it was quite a chore, but no one was injured.

speaking of cuisine, i watched a BBC program about the normans last night.  i sought this program out because i was told by another bloke named jim turbert (i know of three including myself) that turbert is a norman name.  anyway, it is because of the normans that the english language is so diverse.  in 1066 england was conquered by normans who had settled in northern france (normandy) for a long time, and they brought the french language with them.  when they took over, thousands of french derived words were added to the english language.  interesting, eh?  i thought so.

our paris goals were not to see as much as we could in a short period of time.  we wanted to relax, and see some stuff, and not stress out if we couldn't see all of the splendors of the city.  so , we did not go into the louvre.  we thought that would not be relaxing.  we did hit several of the outdoor attractions including the eiffel freaking tower.  i've wanted to see the eiffel tower forever, and it was not disappointing.  we went inside to enjoy the fantastic view, but walking around it and staring at it from different angles was more rewarding.  its awesomeness is magnified by the fact that there is nothing remotely as large in its proximity.  giant skyscrapers are impressive, but imagine how insane it would be to see the empire state building standing alone in a field rather than in a city block surrounded by other large buildings.  shit is crazy.  the eiffel tower is super cool.

so yeah, we'll probably go back to paris sometime.  i suppose i have to go inside the louvre to do battle with the masses of crazies who want to snap digital pictures of the mona lisa.  i suppose i should also go inside notre dame.  there are lots of things we didn't do, but our trip was relaxed, and everything we did was quality except for the andouillette.

goodbye,
jim

goddamn.  while delivering mail a few weeks ago i was both rained on and hailed on.  it was not awesome, but i was invited in for a cup of tea.  the hail started, and i ducked into someones bike shed to cover myself (and the mail).  i figured it would last a few minutes, and i would continue.  kids inside the house saw me, and started pointing.  then their mom invited me in for tea.  it was lovely.  we conversed in dutch as much as i could, and then i went back out into the rain once the hail subsided.  fortunately, the sun came out for the last part of my route, so i warmed up a bit.

another postman related note, one of the people on my route is named hermanus hoogendonk.  i know it is juvenile to make of someones name, and it is not my intention to make mister hoogendonk feel bad, but to me (and probably most americans) hermanus hoogendonk sounds like the hapless victim of a villain in a fairy tale.  i wonder what jim turbert sounds like to him.

when i was a child i was made fun of because of my last name.  i got into quite a bit of trouble because of it.  older kids would tease me, and i got to the point where i didn't want to take it anymore, so i attacked them.  i was a pretty big kid, so the older kids weren't much bigger than me, but i was waaaay less coordinated than them.  it wasn't pretty.  fortunately, by the time my reflexes caught up with my large body i wasn't in the habit of attacking people for teasing me any longer, otherwise i would have gotten into far more trouble.  so please, hermanus, don't attack me.  i am not making fun of you.   my intention is to make my readership, as small as it is, aware of your name so they can better appreciate naming diversity.

tomorrow i'll tell you about my recent trip to paris.  it was delightful.

best,
jim

I don't particularly enjoy the act of baking, but I truly enjoy the end product.  Eating delicious baked goods is one of the greatest things in life.  I realize that pancakes aren't really baked goods, but since living in Holland, I've been making pancakes every weekend.  I have only baked one pie, but two cakes have been baked, a few batches of cupcakes, a handful of banana breads, and countless batches of cookies.  Seriously, I've baked so many cookies since living here, I could open a bakery.  It is entirely unhealthy.  

For awhile I was obsessed with pudding as well.  My first batch was banana, then I made several batches of butterscotch.  I ate some really great butterscotch pudding while visiting my friend Ed in Minneapolis a few years ago.  It was so good.  My butterscotch pudding was good, but not as good as the stuff from Minneapolis.  I was using the recipe from "The Joy of Cooking."  It was bit more jelly than I wanted it to be.  I wanted smoother and creamier pudding.  My banana pudding was pretty creamy, but Marleen is not as partial to bananas as I am, so I didn't revisit that one.  My friend Ronan is both lactose intolerant and allergic to gluten, so I made him a coconut milk based pudding with a corn starch thickener once.  It was quite good, though a bit rich, and more jelly than I would have liked.  As I mentioned before, I prefer a creamier pudding.
If I were asked, I would say that my best pudding was a rich, creamy, and delicious chocolate pudding.  I've made it a few times, and the texture is perfect, and it is super tasty.  Each time I made pudding I was hoping for a giddy excited reaction, but instead my creations were met with indifference.  This isn't a direct quote, but once Marleen said something along the lines of, "Chocolate mousse is so much better than pudding."  

THE AUDACITY!!!

Despite the somewhat uncalled for and ungrateful chocolate mousse remark, my baked goods are typically well received.  Marleen always eats them.  Other visitors seem pleased when eating them.  Most importantly, I always enjoy eating them.  Life is much better with delicious baked goods or other desserts.  I'm not sure if I'm going to make anything this evening,  but I assure you that I want to.  

Best, 

Jim  

This is an AP photograph.  I don't know who the photographer is, and I'm using it without permission.  I assure you that I am making no money by posting this here.

I was watching the news last night, and I saw clip of Fidel Castro.  The first thing I thought was, "Shit, he looks old."  The second thing I thought was, "Shit, he's wearing a Nike tracksuit.  That is awesome."  I find it quite amusing that the president of a nation that is not allowed to trade with the US is flaunting the fact that he can buy any damn tracksuit he wants.  He's a saucy bastard.  

I'm feeling pretty saucy too.  Actually, it's more smokey than saucy.  I grilled food on our porch tonight, and now I smell like delicious barbecued chicken.  I assume the entire apartment will smell this way for days.  It was worth it.  

We just had our first American visitor (some of you readers may know G. Funkhouser).  It was fun.  I'd do it again.  While she was here, I learned that it costs €6.50/day to rent a bike in Rotterdam.  I would have lent her one of our bikes, but she is significantly smaller than Marleen and I.  I also learned that Magnum Gold is both tasty and shiny.  We will be having more American visitors throughout the month of August.  By the end of the summer Marleen and I plan on being the hostesses with the mostest.  Maybe you should come visit in the fall.

Yours truly, 

Jim Turbert

when i am on, i am on.  when i am on, i am generally successful in all endeavors, and i feel unstoppable.  my biggest problem is that i love down time.  i fully embrace it, and once i'm in it i never want it to end.  if i am not fully involved with a project, sitting around and doing nothing becomes very appealing to me, and thus i become the opposite of unstoppable.  well, the opposite of unstoppable is stoppable, so i guess i just become stopped, halted, frozen, numbed.  i've been stopped for awhile now.  i'm working quite hard to get the ball rolling again, but it is a very heavy ball, and i am out of shape.  

when i moved here, i had expectations that were not met.  historically, i've always been able to quickly and easily find work.  this was not the case when i came here.  i've had a few insignificant small jobs, but the best thing i can say about all of them is that they were better than nothing.  i never assumed that i would not be able to find a good job doing something interesting, but i underestimated the importance of having the right connections, having a degree other than a bfa, and speaking the dutch language.  the system seems to work a bit differently here, and my stellar recommendations from home seem to be worthless.  in fact, no one ever asks to see them.  as far as art is concerned, my ideas have not been overflowing.  i didn't know what to do for many months.  occasionally i made some attempts, but the results were unremarkable.  lack of meaningful employment coupled with repeated rejections and an artistic block nurtured a feeling of despondency that i haven't felt for many years.  this despondency still has sway over me, but i am fighting.  i must revitalize the juggernaut.    

i'll keep you posted about my progress, and like i said before, i'm going to post some new photos very soon.  very soon.

best,

jim 

p.s.  if you are in ro-town, go look at the olafur eliasson exhibition at the boijmans.  i could sit there and look at it for hours.  seriously.        

Boats, originally uploaded by jimturbert.

i have so much to say, yet i write so few blog entries.

i'm a mail man now, and believe me it's not as glamorous as is sounds. in the US, you have to take a test to become a mail man, and they reward postal workers pretty well. in the netherlands, postbezorgers are barely paid, but the prerequisites are easily attainable.
1) one must possess the ability to understand an address.
2) you need a bicycle that is sturdy enough to carry mail.
3) you must be able to lift 25 kilograms.
check, check, and check.
for the past three weeks i've been walking around in the sun listening to music, and passing some time. sure, i make very little money, but it is far better than nothing, and it hasn't substantially rained here for my entire postal career. does this mean that i am getting lucky? should i buy a lottery ticket?
i think i'll just apply for some more jobs.

best,
jim

p.s. i will be posting some new pictures SOON. not this week, but maybe next. stay tuned.

Mt. Ventoux, originally uploaded by jimturbert.

I know a lot about many aspects of photography. If you asked me a question I could probably answer it. Last weekend I was France photographing a charity event. If you are reading this, then you have obviously looked at my website, and you know that there are no event photographs on the site. The reason for that is that I don't normally take photographs of events. In fact, I don't think that event photography is my strong suit. Does the fact that I am good at one or some aspects of photography and less skilled in other make me less of a photographer, OR does engaging in fine arts projects that end up costing me money rather that earning it make me less of a professional?

I am asked by non-photo/art people all time if photography is my profession or if it is a hobby. I find myself in a bit of a quandary because I make no money with photography, but it certainly isn't a hobby. Calling it a hobby insinuates that i am a dilettante, and that is not the case. My knowledge and experience in most aspects of photography is top shelf, but put me up against a news photographer, a product photographer, or a wedding photographer in their respective areas of expertise, and I am at the very least inefficient. While writing this it occurs to me that photographers are like athletes (especially me - hehe). Most athletes will possess general physical fitness, but most of them excel in one area or another. Take Michael Jordan as an example. He is arguably the best basketball player of all time. He's also a good baseball player and golfer, but he's not really a threat to the pros in any sport other than basketball. Okay, Jordan is not the best example. Maybe pro athletes aren't the best example either, but I think you get my point. Just because someone is a photographer, it doesn't mean that they want to take pictures of blenders, or buildings, or weddings, or whatever. I suppose that after the proper practice and training some people have become photographic decathletes. I'm not there yet. I just think that like doctors and athletes, photographers can have specialties, and that doesn't make them unprofessional or less than adequate - even if their specialties are not lucrative and confusing to their families and acquaintances.

Do any of you know of any texts that discuss the nature of photographers rather than the nature of photography. I think I'd like to read them.

Okay. Bye,
Jim

I wouldn't use the word hate to describe how I feel about 3D movies. In fact, going to a 3D movie can be fun, but I just read this article entitled "Why I Hate 3D (and You Should Too)" by Roger Ebert. It is awesome, and accurately (and better) expresses many of my own opinions and concerns about the shift of the motion picture industry towards 3D.
Don't give your money to the man. While there are notable exceptions, most 3D movies are shoddy conversions of work that has no business being in 3D. Read the article. Rog lays it down for you. He's the man.

Best,
Jim

Broken iPhone Screen., originally uploaded by jimturbert.

after a grueling flight from narita airport to schiphol, and a short and boring train ride from schiphol to rotterdam centraal, i dropped my iphone on the pavement while waiting for a tram to my house. i was not happy, but i accepted it, and i moved on without tears.
when i got home i searched online for iphone repairs. the cheapest i could find was in the area of $180 or € or whatever your currency of choice is. that is unacceptable for a phone that could be replaced for €200 or for free if i signed up for two more years. so, i looked for replacement parts online. i found them on amazon.co.uk, but they wouldn't ship to my dutch address (sometimes amazon will ship to me, other times they won't.). next i tried ebay, and i found a screen replacement for around €21. i got the screen yesterday, and with the guidance of ifixit.com i was able to bring my iphone back to it's former glory. i am pleased with the results.

sincerely,
jim turbert

originally uploaded by jimturbert.

i think the jet lag is gone. the first day back i was awake and out of bed at 4:30am. now i'm getting up at a more reasonable 7:30/8. it's strange to be back in rotterdam. before going to japan i was an out of place foreigner. when in japan i was way out of place, and when i returned home i thought i was supposed to feel settled and comfortable. instead, i'm back to my limbo position in the world where nothing is quite right.
yeah.
japan was very cool, but also very frustrating and tiring both physically and mentally. we walked a lot, and i was dumb enough to bring a giant heavy camera with me, so i had to carry it everywhere. finding our way on the subway system was challenging, and trying to figure out where we were on a map was also problematic due to the fact that there are no street signs.  aside from those difficulties, it was a good time, and i'd do it again. the food was great, the retail experiences were bizarre and interesting, the temples were old, and the people were super nice. they were nice, but most of them spoke very little if any english, and my japanese is limited to good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and thank you. at one point we were in a restaurant, and we couldn't make it clear that we wanted to drink water. we ended up pointing at the stuff in the aquarium. even after that it took a few minutes.

we went to both tokyo and kyoto. tokyo was a mind-blowing sensory overload while kyoto was a far more manageable experience. kyoto is laid out in a grid, and most streets have some kind of street sign, thus making it easy to find yourself on a map. tokyo had lights everywhere, no street signs, and 8 bazillion residents. it was like times square on steroids minus (most of) the disney. if you plan on going to either of these cities in the future do not assume that two weeks is enough time to see everything. it is not. but that is okay. you don't need to see everything. the ride is part of what is appealing about visiting, if you know what i'm saying. if you don't know, let me know, and i'll try to explain it better.

oh, and don't bring an ancient pentax 6x7 with you.  bring something smaller.

best,
jim

I'm not sure I've mentioned this before, but I feel out of place in
the Netherlands, sort of like E.T. Well, I'm in Japan right now, and
I really don't fit in here.
It is fun to visit though.
We're in Tokyo at the moment, but we'll be moving along to Kyoto on
Monday. If you ever plan a trip to Tokyo, do not assume you can do it
in a week.
I don't think I'll post again until I return to Rotterdam, so try to
remember that I am here and alive.

Best,
Jim