6348af93   
   From: takin&kanoknuan@stuck-in-a-wheelchair.org   
      
   "LarbGai"  wrote in message news:   
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   > "A Life Lived Through Pictures" Report by Ross Fairchilds   
   >   
   > In the world of international photo-journalism, one could easily be   
   > convinced that a life of danger and chaos, as well as constant travel   
   > to global hotspots, could weary a man to such an extent that his   
   > passion for his chosen profession would be difficult to maintain. From   
   > living out of 2 star hotel rooms, to being interrogated by various   
   > militia and rebel groups on just “exactly what they are doing in this   
   > country”, it is a lifestyle many could not envisage themselves   
   > embracing, let alone actually enjoying. One man, however, seems to   
   > break both the usual stereotype and mould of a ‘regular’   
   > photojournalist, and in this interview at least, he is not afraid to   
   > admit it. Dressed casually in a neat pair of flawlessly ironed cream   
   > trousers and a smart black designer-label cashmere sweater, Stephen   
   > Kramer cuts an imposing figure as he sips on an iced tea while re-   
   > telling a swashbuckling tale to me of a recent encounter in a deep,   
   > remote region of northern Thailand. Whilst the mere thought of being   
   > trampled by a herd of marauding elephants is enough to send shivers   
   > down my spine for the next 2 lifetimes, Kramer speaks as if he were   
   > out for a casual walk in Central Park on a bright, sunny New York   
   > afternoon. What is even more telling though is the fact that for the   
   > best part of the past decade, Kramer has dedicated his life to   
   > partaking in these sorts of experiences in regions throughout South-   
   > east Asia. Whilst any normal being craves for the basics of life such   
   > as food and shelter, Kramer seems to not so much as crave, but totally   
   > enjoy the notion of living life on the edge and not knowing when one   
   > breath taken may in fact turn out to be the last. As he awaits the   
   > next stage of his career which will see him venture to the small   
   > island-State of Singapore on a lucrative contract, Kramer sits in the   
   > luxurious surrounds of the Kimasabi Hotel on the outskirts of Tokyo   
   > city, reflecting on where life has taken him. As with any job or   
   > career, Kramer declares, “there are the highs and lows which go with   
   > it, and my role as a photojournalist is certainly no different”. When   
   > I ventured to ask Kramer to name some of the highs and lows he   
   > personally has encountered over the years, he contemplates for a   
   > moment as in deep thought, and then quips, “well you know, even though   
   > there have been times when I thought to myself what the heck am I   
   > doing here, not knowing whether I would live to tell the tale, I   
   > wouldn’t change a single thing I have done or step I have taken”. From   
   > college Professor in an exclusive Japanese educational institution, to   
   > successful entrepreneur and many things in between, Stephen Kramer   
   > embodies the notion of the age-old saying, ‘Life is there to be   
   > lived’. Combining an extremely busy professional life with that of a   
   > loving husband, Kramer also somehow finds time to dabble in various   
   > hobbies, many of which he has mastered himself through self-teaching.   
   > A competent craftsman, scuba diver and martial arts combatant, Kramer   
   > says having “outside interests” are vital to keeping a well-balanced   
   > lifestyle as well as a healthy mind, body and aura. As he elaborates,   
   > “I don’t think I could be content to just rest on my laurels in terms   
   > of my professional career, regardless of what I have achieved. To me,   
   > the life-long process of learning new things is something which   
   > excites me and also allows me to pass my knowledge and skills onto   
   > other people, should they require it”. In my closing question to   
   > Kramer I ask him if he thinks he would like to take a step back and   
   > maybe unwind somewhat after such a hectic lifestyle, and God-forbid,   
   > maybe even consider retirement. It is then Kramer stares at me deeply,   
   > my gaze flinching somewhat from the intensity of the eyes of a man who   
   > has seen and experienced more than most. Yet he still retains immense   
   > humility which one could be forgiven for expecting to be non-existent   
   > in a soul who has experienced the extreme depths and intense highs   
   > from all that life has to offer those who are willing to take the   
   > risk. Kramer, who has taken more than his fair share of risks, then   
   > gently rises from the hotel foyer sofa, and in his renowned articulate   
   > and humorous way quips, “you know, sometimes people ask me if I have   
   > ever taken the perfect photograph, and well my reply to them is   
   > simple, I say no, I have not. You see, I believe perfection is the   
   > most difficult, possibly even impossible, goal to achieve and I am   
   > striving in various aspects of my life to attain that objective. In a   
   > professional sense, even though I have gained respect from my peers in   
   > many parts of the world in terms of my work, I find it difficult to   
   > comprehend that I have yet gained or experienced ultimate perfection,   
   > despite perhaps many colleagues stating or thinking otherwise. To me,   
   > the more hurdles and challenges I am faced with in both my personal   
   > and professional life, the stronger, smarter and better I become". As   
   > I leave the Kimasabi Hotel I cannot help but think that Kramer,   
   > regrettably, maybe is one of the last of a dying breed of adventurers   
   > who are not content to just play it safe and float along life’s river.   
   > It is with this thought, and the final sight of Kramer helping to   
   > guide an elderly woman up the hotel’s opulent winding staircase, that   
   > I come to the unsettling conclusion that I am one of those very people   
   > who have been content to just drift along here in the States,   
   > unwilling or unable to relish each minute as if it were my last. The   
   > realization that there are people like Stephen Kramer left in the   
   > world gives me some comfort at least that for aspiring young artists   
   > and photographers there is still reason to be inspired; and for the   
   > rest of us mere mortals, we should feel blessed to be able to sample   
   > the work they have dedicated their life to bringing us, regardless of   
   > the countless sacrifices they have made along the way.   
      
      
   **LOL!!! I take my hat off to 'Khun' Brian Anasta......  he was on top form when he wrote that one!!!   
      
   An absolutely brilliant p*ss take on Steve 'Kombat' Kramer, who as we all   
   know was one of the most arrogant, conceited and pompous buffoons to have   
   ever posted on Usenet!   :-)   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)