Wednesday, January 28, 2009

"A certain shopkeeper sent his son to learn about the secret of happiness form the wisest man in the world. The lad wandered through the desert for forty days, and finally came upon a beautiful castle, high atop a mountain. It was there that the wise man lived.

Rather than finding a saintly man, though, our hero, on entering the main room of the castle, saw hive of activity: tradesmen came and went, people were conversing in the corners, a small orchestra was playing soft music, and there was a table covered with platters of the most delicious food in that part of the world. The wise man conversed with every one, and the boy had to wait for two hours before it was his turn to be given the man's attention.

The wise man listened attentively to the boy's explanation of why he had come, but told him that he didn't have time just then to explain the secret of happiness. He suggested that the boy look around the palace and return in two hours.

'Meanwhile, I want to ask you to do something.' said the wise man, handing the boy a teaspoon that held two drops of oil. 'As you wander around, carry this spoon with you without allowing the oil to spill.'

The boy began climbing and descending the many stairways of the palace, keeping his eyes fixed on the spoon. After two hours, he returned to the room where the wise man was.

'Well,' asked the wise man, 'did you see the Persian tapestries that are hanging in my dining hall? Did you see the garden that it took the master gardener ten years to create? Did you notice the beautiful parchments in my library?'

The boy was embarrassed, and confessed that he had observed nothing. His only concern had been not to spill the oil that the wise man had entrusted to him.

'Then go back and observe the marvels of my world,' said the wise man. 'You cannot trust a man if you don't know his house.'

Relieved, the boy picked up the spoon and returned to his exploration of the palace, this time observing all of the works of art on the ceilings and the walls. He saw the gardens, the mountains all around him, the beauty of the flowers, and the taste with which everything had been selected. Upon returning to the wise man, he related in detail everything he had seen.

"But where are the drops of oil I entrusted to you?' asked the wise man.

Looking down at the spoon he held, the boy saw that the oil was gone.

"Well, there is only one piece of advice I can give you,' said the wisest of wise men. "The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never to forget the drops of oil on the spoon.'

The shepherd said nothing. He had understood the story the old king had told him. A shepherd may like to travel, but he should never forget about his sheep."


Just a passage from the book I'm reading, The Alchemist, that stuck with me.

Monday, January 26, 2009








New Years in NYC's Chinatown

Thursday, January 22, 2009






Fire at Mt. Sinai hospital, 01/21/09

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

101 posts







A few snapshots I found yesterday while crossing the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg Bridges for the NY Post.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Sunday, January 18, 2009







Abyssinian Baptist Church, Harlem, 01/18/09





Just a few things I've shot lately.
I started with the New York Post about a week and a half ago. It feels great to be back with steady work at a daily paper. I kind of missed running around the boroughs shooting the day to day features and press conferences. It makes you feel really connected to the city and gives you a chance to meet people you wouldn't otherwise, if not for the excuse of a camera. I almost forgot how much I love this job.

Sunday, January 11, 2009