Calaidescope World

An Organised Mess

There's a dog show in Alabang Hills this weekend, and they're holding a photo contest, too. Of course, I want to join! Unfortunately, I can't find all my rolls of film with pictures of dogs in them. I do, however, have scanned CD copies of those rolls of film. So I decided to go through my photo CDs in the hope of finding decent picture of Max, Tyler (Julia's German Shepherd), and Bailey and Chachi (Papa and Tita Vicky's bulldogs) that I can enter. Instead, I found pictures that Papa took of me back in November 2002 that I had forgotten about, like this one.

Like who doesn't enjoy walking down memory lane armed with photographs? Doing so is either a cool trip or like opening a can of worms. I remember the day this shot was taken. Papa and I took his Boxster out to San Francisco and he dared me to drive down the Crooked Street. Are you kidding? And just burn the clutch and ruin the transmission because I can't "hang" to save my life? I think not. And then drive to the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge? No. Not without an automatic car. I'm too paranoid for that. And with his car! So instead of how much fun I had during those 3 weeks in Northern California, this picture just reminds me that I'm a horrible driver. Not necessarily a "lady driver". Just a really bad driver. And to think there's not a single car visible in the frame.

I remember the week before this picture was taken, too (just goes to show that a picture/painting says more than words). I remember enjoying the long, wet drive around Bodega Bay (where Fatherhood worked at the time, and where I thought I would die driving) and wherever the Russian River is. That drive freaked me out, but it was great, especially when I realised there was a 6th gear while we were on the freeway. I guess driving in Bodega Bay is about as challenging as driving up Marcos Highway or Kenon Road. Up the narrow, tree-lined road with a minimum 100 meter drop to my right: 2nd gear. Straight-away: 3rd gear. 4th gear. Sharp right turn: 3rd gear. Straight-away: 4th gear. Sharp left turn downward: 3rd gear. 2nd gear. Zig-zag: 2nd gear. 3rd gear. Deer crossing: 1st gear. Stop. Another zig-zag. "Carla, look at the view!" "What view? I'm looking at the road!" Gyaaaah! Lord knows if I will ever master the double-clutch.

I have to learn how to catalogue my photos properly. I guess it's like organising my memories...or my life, for that matter (these are the days I wish I had Professor Dumbledore's Pensieve!). Time to really start telling a story worth hearing/reading. It would be nice to put together a coffee table book or something-to-that-effect with pictures and text of my and my friends' and family's travels (travails?). Perhaps a trip to the Town Centre to find a good CD booklet for my photo CDs, a decent photo album for the pictures that I printed (most of which are at least 3 years old and currently stuffed in a shoebox), and a binder for my film won't hurt. Getting into a car like I'm a race car driver can wait.

posted by Calai @ 5:26 PM