In response to Sylvain LANDRY, SL-Week 23: Narrow.

I am most impressed with the way Landry injects meaning to the word “narrow” with the interpretation,

“It must feel the weight.”

I have never thought of “narrow” as a feeling before.

Inspired by Landry’s unique and insightful perspective of “narrow,” I ransacked my stash of photographs like never before. At the back of my mind, I kept running over the thought – feel the weight.

***

First, join me as I slide down the cave river. You have to lie down all the way, on your back, shoulders touching the bottom of the boat.

Great! We passed the entrance.

Now comes the section of the cave that truly could make you feel a little claustrophobic.

Look up! The sharp rock edges are piercing the darkness all around. You will get scratched or caught by the daunting cave with a little slip.

Lie down.

We made it through, and it was open-air and wide open seas peppered with rocks now and then.

***

Second, join me on an adventure the most beautiful terraced fields of rice padi in Bali.

I always respect the rice plant for being able to stand up so tall and so straight in spite of its slender body.

If I were Alice in Wonderland, would I risk going down that long and narrow path between the rows of rice padi?

Would I meet the pocketwatch-rabbit? Or the Cheshire cat?

How about those poker card-men?

Maybe…

*

*

*

*

*

*

A farm dog?

***

I very much wanted to walk in the padi field like the dog, but I restrained myself for I would ruin the farmers’ work because I am much heavier than the dog.

But I was curious to see what goes on down there, so I did a bit of a trapeze down the narrow bunds separating each square of the field.

Once there, I squatted down and twisted my arms in a strange fashion so as to hold my camera steady for that “Alice in Wonderland” shot while still struggling to balance on the soft and muddy bund.

What are the awkward things people would do to get the desired photograph?

[Photos 1 & 2: Taken at an island offshore from Phuket, Thailand, December 2011.]

[Photos 3 & 4: Taken at Bali, Indonesia, 24 December 2014.]