ErinManfrediPhotography
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365 Project: August (31 images)

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  • August 31, 2010; Wan Chai, Hong Kong {ICM Calendar}<br /> Pirates have treasure maps. Drivers have road maps. ITs have google maps. But this is how we do things...

  • August 30, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Laundro-cat}<br /> It finally happened...I busted a lens! And it was the only one I had with me all day. So by the time Merryl and I were arriving back to the flat it was 11:50pm and I still didn't have a photo of the day. That's when we were attacked....by the laundry cat! I've seen him storefront before. He always watches me as I go by. It's kind of freaky, really. But today we must have crossed a line. He full out charged us, shrieking the whole way! I went screaming one way, while Merryl went screaming the other. She ducked into the little cove to our door and managed to unlock it just in time! The last thing I saw before I slammed the door behind us was the attacker barreling down the sidewalk towards us...That has NEVER happened to me before...

  • August 29, 2010; Quarry Bay, Hong Kong {Rwanda Sharing}<br /> The 1994 Genocide is something that still lingers over the country of Rwanda. Although 16 years have past, the country is still healing. My roommates, Merryl & Amanda, went there this summer to work with those in poverty. Tonight at church their entire group shared their experiences of how God is piecing the country back together, one person at a time.<br /> I met a young Rwandan filmmaker there named Yves, who came to tell his story and share his film, called 'Maibobo.' Its raw reality reveals the lives of the children who lost their parents during the genocide who are now living in the streets. It has already won several international film festival awards. <br /> After the sharing, Merryl and I ended up at Starbucks. I had heard about a special travel mug containing handmade fabric by Rwandan artists and was thrilled to find them on such a significant night. <br /> <br /> Maibobo Trailer:<br /> www.filmfestivalrotterdam.com/en/films/maibobo/

  • August 28, 2010; Central, Hong Kong {St. John's Cathedral & The Peak: A Day's Journey}<br /> "All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware." -Martin Buber

  • August 27, 2010; Times Square, Hong Kong {Seriously?}<br /> So my apartment flooded with sewage last week. Long story. Everything is okay now, but unfortunately most of my shoes were ruined, including my Asics. I went to the mall after work to get a new pair so I could run this weekend but my simple search turned into a full out quest AND I left empty handed. Ha! Can anyone tell me why no one sells a 9.5 in this city? Not everyone can squeeze into a 9 and below. At least I got a really cool photo idea. Nice display, New Balance!

  • August 26, 2010; Central, Hong Kong {Half-Mast}<br /> Flags flew half-mast all around the city this week in mourning over the loss of the 8 Hong Kong victims in Monday's crisis.

  • August 25, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Just Do It}<br /> I think sometimes we are too afraid to follow our dream, but if you never take the steps it will remain just that...a dream. So set up shop wherever you have to, even if it's in the most unlikely of places. You might be the catalyst for someone else...

  • August 24, 2010; Wan Chai, Hong Kong {When in Rome...}<br /> I knew I moved to the right city when I discovered that having a Canon SLR camera slung over your shoulder on your way in to work was just as normal as carrying a cup of Starbucks coffee. Who knew Hong Kong had so many photographers? I have been watching them, trying to figure out their secrets. They usually travel in groups of three and are loaded with amazing lenses. I've noticed that they like to hang out on the overpasses in the afternoons, photographing the cars go by. It's definitely a popular vantage point. So in lieu of becoming an aspiring HK Photographer, I thought the overpass deserved a 365...

  • August 23, 2010; Central, Hong Kong {Mid-Levels Escalators}<br /> Hong Kong holds a Guinness World Record for the longest outdoor covered escalator system. It consists of twenty escalators and three moving sidewalks. When measured together they stretch 2,600 ft long with a vertical climb of 443 ft. Put in place to pedestrianize the area, the escalators help move the 55,000 daily commuters up and down the mountain. They run downhill from the apartments to the city in the morning and uphill for the rest of the day. The entire route is lined with restaurants and specialty shops, which makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable!

  • August 22, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Waterfront}<br /> Sunday night at the harbour.

  • August 21, 2010; Mong Kok, Hong Kong {Tung Choi Street}<br /> There is an entire market in Mong Kok dedicated to fish because the Chinese believe that aquariums bring good luck. It is called Goldfish Market and it is amazing! Brilliantly colored exotic fish and turtles and coral line the streets as crowds of people window shop with their Pearl Milk Teas and Asian delicacies.

  • August 20, 2010; Central, Hong Kong {Life}<br /> There is something beautiful about living in a city. I think it is all of the crossing of paths and conversations and dreams in a place that is bright and colorful and grandiose.

  • August 19, 2010; General Santos, Philippines {HK Bound}<br /> Driving to the airport to head back to Hong Kong with so much to process from the last nine days.

  • August 18, 2010; General Santos, Philippines {Barangay Labangal}<br /> There is another Muslim squatter community lining the ocean shores of GenSan, called Kulasi. We have 108 malnourished children from this area enrolled in our Kids Against Hunger Program. The local pastor informed me that on Monday only 50 children showed up to receive their food and on Tuesday only 80. The reason the children are not showing up is because they have to work in the market selling cans/fish and collecting garbage in order to survive. It is heartbreaking to know children have to make those kinds of decisions. It just shouldn't be.<br /> <br /> But the time I spent there was precious. As we walked through the slums, we gathered quite an enthusiastic crowd of children who led us through the twists and turns of this very unique village on stilts. They dances and sang the whole way...

  • August 17, 2010; General Santos, Philippines {Upper London}<br /> Yen and I drove to the outskirts of GenSan to a Muslim squatter community called Upper London that had just been relocated by the government. This is the inside of one of their houses.

  • August 16, 2010; Lake Sebu, Philippines {Tiboli Tribe}<br /> It is a scary thing when God asks us to hand over our dreams. For me, it was a ripping out process. One that was long and painful and exhausting. And even dark at times. But God does not do anything aimlessly. He has a plan for us and invites us to follow. He doesn't promise that it will be safe or easy or comfortable. But he does promise that He won't leave us along the way.<br /> <br /> I drove up into the mountains of Lake Sebu today, in Southern Mindanao, on an assignment to photograph the Tiboli People. We went as far as the car would go and then trekked the rest of the way, up and down mud hills and streams and fields, until we entered the village. From the moment I arrived until the time I left, God proceeded to give me back my dreams that I so desperately tried to hold on to for so many years...for I was the first white person to travel up into the mountains to this village to photograph an indigenous people on an island that is known for its persecution and hardships. This was my very heart. And it wasn't until then that He was ready to give it to me. I couldn't have dreamed this for myself, for this was way better than anything I could have imagined. And that, my dear friends, is life with God. It is a giving up of our itty bitty dreams in order to walk into the vast oasis of His. So don't be afraid when God asks you to hand over your dreams. Life is waiting on the other side.

  • August 15, 2010; Dumaguete, Philippines {Buko Pie}<br /> Lilian and I spent the afternoon at the Children's Shelter and had the privilege of eating lunch with Tatay Johnny and Nanay Brenda. They shared their life story with us over Nanay Brenda's amazing Filipino cooking. They are so wise. I wish I had a recorder! After lunch, we joined the girls for Bible study and sang our favorite worship songs. Before I knew it, it was time to catch my flight to Manila. I said my good-byes and Nanay sent me away with this very special gift, well known in Dumaguete, which was still warm from the oven.

  • August 14, 2010; Dumaguete, Philippines {Miracle Baby}<br /> Flor took me to the public hospital today to visit one of her youngest Special Medical Cases, Ehjey, who is eight months old. He has had several complications since his first surgery, including a near death experience when a family member accidentally diluted his powdered milk with pure kerosene instead of water. But here he was, alive, smiling and reaching up to touch his mother's face. I stood there next to him in that crowded hallway lined with patients and nurses and visitors; his is little body hooked up to all those tubes. He just keeps surviving. And as I prayed over him, I knew God was there. His hand is over this child.

  • August 13, 2010; Somewhere in the Mountains, Philippines {Ticket No. 758494}<br /> "The journey, not the arrival, matters." -T. S. Elliot

  • August 12, 2010; Bacolod, Philippines {She Smiles Again}<br /> I don't remember every time I was hugged. I don't remember every time my parents kissed me. I don't remember every time my family and friends told me they loved me. I don't remember because there are too many to count. <br /> <br /> I met a woman a few weeks ago who does remember. She remembers because she was never hugged. She remembers because she was never kissed. She remembers because she was never told she was loved. It wasn't until she was admitted into ICM's Tuberculosis Recovery Shelter that she encountered love. It was here that she received her first hug and she was overwhelmed. The love that the staff and visitors has shown her is changing her life. The first time I met her was vastly different than the second. For today, instead of sorrow, I saw joy. Instead of fear, I saw hope. And instead of tears, I saw a smile. Love can do amazing things...

  • August 11, 2010; Bacolod, Philippines {Barangay 40}<br /> Barangay 40 has a reputation for its dangerous activities, where gangs gather and drug deals are made. But something else filled the streets. Laughter. Of children. The contrast was gripping. I saw for an instance, both corruption and innocence. In the midst of darkness, there was light.<br /> <br /> August 11, 2010; Bacolod, Philippines {Why Me?}<br /> Laila and I were asked by a local pastor in Talisay to visit the house of an ICM Uplift recipient. Upon our arrival, we met a beautiful Christian woman who led us to the bedside of her emaciated husband. His jaw was gaping open and he's been unable to close it for 11 years! He looked just devastated, especially with the NG feeding tube running through his nose to his stomach. But he didn't care. We were his first visitors in months and he wanted to communicate. So this frail man, who once served in the Filipino Coast Guard, scribbled something in English on his chalkboard and turned it around so I could see..."Why me?!" His desperation was apparent, for he did not share the same faith as his wife. This photo was taken at the end of our stay. As the pastor closed in prayer, he invited the man to receive Jesus as his savior. Through a series of grunts and head nods the man confirmed that yes, he wanted to receive Jesus, and that he was sincere about his decision. We left that house one saint more. I walked away from that experience impressed by two things: One was the patient love of a faith-filled woman for her husband, who slipped his spit bucket under his drooling mouth while he prayed to receive Jesus. Two was the overflowing love of our Heavenly Father for this precious man in all of his suffering. This kind of love is raw and true.

  • August 10, 2010; Bacolod, Philippines {Riverside Slums}<br /> I cannot imagine the loss of a mother, let alone three, but this is the reality for 13-year-old Jomary. After the passing of her own mother, followed sequentially by her stepmothers, she looks after six younger half-siblings while her father works long hours to support his family. From the outside their situation appears hopeless, but God in His mercy has brought along side them a kind-hearted man who helps meet their immediate needs. Through this provision, they not only have enough food to eat but Jomary is able to continue her education in the 6th grade. What a difference the laying down of ones life can have on another...

  • August 9, 2010; Central, Hong Kong {10/40 Window; Such a Time As This}<br /> "You never quite know where one path is going to take you. How one experience parts itself into other things. So don't be afraid to take an opportunity that comes your way even if it's not the one you think you've been looking for. Through that opportunity you meet new people, which changes the way you look at the world. It could shoot you into a totally different direction." -Doug Ross

  • August 8, 2010; Central, Hong Kong {Pay It Forward}<br /> Three things impacted me today: One, this crowded corridor full of people. Two, this piece of artwork of individual triangles that makes a masterpiece. Three, the movie Pay It Forward. And it is just like God to weave them all together into a brilliant idea that can actually change things.

  • August 7, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {The Village}<br /> There is a little store called The Village a few minutes walk from my flat that is an oasis of calm in the center of the Kennedy Town. It is like stepping into a portal that transports me back to one of my favorite places of inspiration in America, Anthropologie. I made friends with the owner, Beatrice, who lived in the San Francisco for nine years and brought back some west-coast influence. Her store is unlike anything else I have seen. It feels like home. I told her that, which made her smile. I stayed for tea and read for a while, just soaking up the feeling, the smell, the familiarity. This little place is an answer to a prayer I prayed on January 2!

  • August 6, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Snapshot}<br /> Friday night stroll by the harbor with John & Merryl.

  • August 5, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Merryl & John's Photo Transfers}<br /> There is something special in a handmade gift. I think because in some ways it is either a reflection of ourselves or a piece of us; or maybe both.

  • August 4, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Banana-Walnut Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies}<br /> Christening our new oven with a batch of cookies to celebrate Matt's last night in Hong Kong before he heads to the USA.

  • August 3, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Mundie's Masala Chai}<br /> I recently made friends with the owner of an Indian Restaurant down the street. I stopped by to grab dinner on my way home and ended up staying for tea. To my surprise, it was masala chai! I couldn't believe it. I have been on a citywide search for chai tea since I arrived in Hong Kong and it has been around the corner the whole time. And it is homemade from several Indian spices, and brewed just perfectly. I smiled the entire 200 steps home!

  • August 2, 2010; Kennedy Town, Hong Kong {Corner of North}<br /> There is a colorful little flower shop on the corner of my street that I pass by several times a day. On my way home from work, I stopped in to pick out a few to help brighten up my room, and to introduce myself.

  • August 1, 2010; Rua de Sao Paulo, Macau {Sometimes Guardian Angels Drive Trishaws}<br /> Our spontaneous boat trip on the South China Sea to Macau turned out to be quite an adventure. Peter got deported for not having his passport (funny story), so Olivia & I were on our own with a guidebook of the city and a couple Hong Kong Dollars. We stepped out of the terminal into a new country with less than four hours to explore. That is when we met Simon, the trishaw driver. He was a direct answer to our prayers. Simon drove us around the island explaining the sites, while telling us little pieces about his life. All of the money he earns as a trishaw driver goes towards his children's education. You should have seen the smile on his face when he talked about his family! It was one of those contagious smiles, that makes you smile, too. I really valued our time with him because we got to see everything through his eyes...but mostly because I know God crossed our paths on purpose.

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