First of all, thanks Ken! I’m gonna be honest, I’m not the biggest fan of photo competitions … for various reasons: Usually it’s just all about spreading the word or making some money … and unfortunately that’s the main goal behind a lot of these competitions. Also, the winners are very often selected before. I mean, I understand that people see photos differently but sometimes I think that the judges don’t even look through all of the submitted images. And not to forget, most of the time there’s not a real “challenge”. Sure, there are different categories (like portrait or landscape, etc.) but honestly … that gets boring, don’t you think?

“Capture the Colour” is different (at least I hope); there are actual judges, who really know what they’re doing. The judges are well-known travel bloggers/photographers:

• Blue Judge: Ken Kaminesky
• Red Judge: Daniel Nahabedian
• Green Judge: Abi King
• Yellow Judge: Dave & Deb Bouskill
• White Judge: Christine Gilbert

You can read more about the competition and find out how to enter at the competition page. So anyway, since I like a challenge and I’m a passionate photographer myself, I’m entering … which is what this post is all about. The photos I chose are strong and vivid with lots of heart and soul (at least I think so). Let’s go for it:

Red.

Whether you’re at a market in Italy, China, Bangladesh or Laos … it’s always a colorful & eye-opening experience. And this is why markets are one of my favorite photo subjects.

It’s best to get there early in the morning with all the hustle and bustle and the meat and fish section is one where all the action happen …

Red – Fish at a market in Vientiane, Laos.

White.

As you may know, Austria is my home. It’s a small country in the middle of Europe but it has lots to offer.Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall; all seasons are great to visit … it just depends on what you’re looking for.

The photo I chose was taken in late January and it’s truly Austria at it’s best. The winter months can be tough and harsh but if the sun comes out, nature turns into an amazing winter wonderland. For hours you can walk through unspoilt areas without internet or cell phone reception but you’re rewarded with fresh air and a stunning view. No need for anything else.

White – Winter wonderland in Austria.

Blue.

Africans love bright colours. Cloths, cars, boats, coffins or walls are used as canvases. This blue wall might have not stood out by itself but the little boy washing himself in front of it, made it … perfect.

Blue – Boy and the blue wall in Accra, Ghana.

Green.

The photo below shows a lonely worker in the rice fields neat Lake Logtak in India. At first I thought that he was a poor old bugger because he was the only one working on that day. But after browsing through all of the taken photos from that day, I remembered that he also radiated complete calmness. And this is what the colour Green stands for.

Green – Working in the rive fields of Manipur, India.

Yellow.

Walking through the Viennese woods last fall was a real colour explosion! Red, Orange, Brown and of course Yellow dominated in such a way that it almost looked unreal. You could feel (and see) that nature and its residents were getting ready for a tough winter season.

Yellow – The Viennese Woods in Austria.

My nominations:

Dario Endara – One of the best travel photographers out there.

Yomadic – Nate tells great stories with wonderful images.

The Big Africa Cycle – I love what you’re doing Pete and I love your photos just as much!

Mitchell K Photos – I feel connected to every photo you upload. Amazing stuff!

Ingetje Tadros – Even though we’ve never met, I feel like we understand each other … and of course your images are simply stunning!

Why eggs for Easter?

Well, first of all in the Middle Age, the egg where considered as liquid meat. But during Lent, Christians were (and still are?) not allowed to eat egg … but at the same time, the egg production b(l)ooms during this time of the year. So naturally all of these eggs had to be eaten and therefore the traditions with the Easter eggs emerged…

So anyway, I’m going to be honest … I’m not the biggest fan of all these religious holidays (yet I do enjoy a long weekend) but I still would like to wish everyone a happy Easter! Hopefully you’re enjoying Easter Sunday with family or friends … and if not (because you’re travelling or whatever), I simply wish you a great weekend :)

The cleaning (luckily) has already been done but the holiday preparation has just begun. We’re actually planning a real big one this summer: Pakistan, India, Indonesia and China … or maybe Africa? As you can see, our tickets are not yet booked and we haven’t decided anything. All we know, it that it’s going to be another great adventure.

So for this trip (wherever it may take us), I was thinking of buying myself a couple of new things. And since I love online shopping, zalando.at is a platform to spoil myself … for example with a new pair of nice trekking boots :)

So anyway, zalando is hereby allowing me to give away two AWESOME vouchers. One 100 € voucher and one 50 € voucher! Not bad huh? Be a part of our raffle and have a chance in winning.

How to participate in the “50 € voucher” raffle:

We all have some things that we can’t live without – especially when travelling … We want to know three items that you can’t live without while travelling. Tell us either by …

• … commenting below …
• … commenting on our facebook page …
• … or by twittering your answer (but don’t forget to also post the article link and @cookiesound – otherwise we unfortunately can’t include you). This could look like this for example: “I’m packing my suitcase and I’m bringing: Camera, notebook and a water kettle. http://bit.ly/Hj7Iiz via @cookiesound“

How to participate in the “100 € voucher” raffle :

If you want to have a chance in winning the 100 € voucher from zalando, fill us in on why you need these three item so badly when travelling. Tell us either by …

• … commenting below …
• … or commenting on our facebook page.
• Please no twitter because we want to read more than just 140 characters :D

Both winners will be announced on Friday, 11th of May 2012.

Good luck!

1. It’s Monday and my first day back at work.

Enough said right?

2. Dear Miss Maier, your bank account needs a fill up.

Since the last three weeks of my life consisted of buying Christmas gifts, a little vacation, eating, sleeping, and of course more eating, my bank account looked more than blank. And since I am a conscientious person, I wanted to make the “-” on my bank account into a “+”. Some of you might think that that was my second downer today, but nooo, just wait for it. So before I drove to the office, I stopped at the bank, hopped in to give my hard-earned money to one of these bank-sharks (or bastards as I like to call them). With the luck I already had, I was sure that there would be no damn parking spot available and of course I was right. So, I decided to just stop in the “absolutely no fucking parking” zone. For exactly TWO minutes! I came out of the bank, with no cash in my pocket and the lovely view of a police officer writing me a goddamn ticket! Seriously? I tried talking to the police woman (who was obviously also having a bloody Monday) but no chance this time. 60 € gone down the drain. Why don’t you super-smart police people try catching the thieves who get away with tax fraud in the amount of millions … or better, billions!?

3. I totally did a “Kevin alone at home”.

For those who have seen “Kevin Home Alone” a bunch of times, you might already know which part I’m talking about. After all the crap that has happened, this topped it off again (literally) left me crying in the streets. My 9-5 job isn’t exactly the most fulfilling. But anyway, that’s another story. Back to the actual subject: By now you know that my bank account shows a gigantic zero … and that’s the same with my fridge. My waist hated me but I couldn’t resist all those goodies that mum left behind before she flew to Southeast Asia. So, I had no choice but to go out to by milk, vegetables, bread, butter, cereals and all the other crap you don’t really need. Coming out of the supermarket, I was loaded with groceries. And because I wanted to stretch my legs a little, I decided to leave the car behind (bad, really bad idea). After 50 meters of walking, the bag ripped apart and that was it for me. I didn’t know whether to scream or cry. I did both…

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

So here goes: Please, please just get me out of my misery and let this day come to an end. It’s been far too long already!

A big thank you to all our readers, friends and family for the likes, tweets, comments, input & support with Cookiesound. You guys truly rock!

Merry Christmas to all of you – where ever you are.

Since I’m one of these western people who has to adjust to this tightly planned time management because of work, etc. (even though I’m not a big fan of it), I admire other cultures who have found a different way of living and dealing with time. There is a really good saying in Africa, which I would like to state here: “Africans have time, Europeans have watches”. Says it all, doesn’t it? Anyway, now I what to tell you a little bit about these great cultures:

The Nuer of Africa.

The Nuer are nomads of the south Sudan. For them, time is not measured by objective measurable units but they orientate themselves by the recurring environmental changes like wet- and dry season. These standards might not be accurate but reliable.

The Nuer and their cattle in southern Sudan. Photo credit © Ngari – Norway / flickr.

The Aymara of South America.

For the Aymara, who live in the Andes, the past lies ahead and the future lies behind. Huh? Well, the Aymara say that with your eyes you only see what’s in front of you and therefore that is the known – the past. Behind (where you can’t see) is the unknown which therefore is the future. Also the  linguistic evidence gives another explanation: The Aymara language recruits “nayra,” the basic word for “eye,” “front” or “sight,” to mean “past” and recruits “qhipa,” the basic word for “back” or “behind,” to mean “future.” So, for example, the expression “nayra mara” – which would mean “last year” – can be translated as “front year.”

The Aymara in Bolivia. Photo credit © Juan Karita.

The Papuan of South East Asia.

For the Papuan in New Guinea not only the present is present but also eternity. Following their believes, the human is unseparable of the world of their ancestors. The closer this connection is – for example by sleeping on your ancestors skull – the larger is your wellbeing.

An Asmat tribal man sleeping on a human skull. Photo credit unknown.

The Aborigines of Australia.

The natives of Australia don’t believe that occasions are strung together. Instead they interweave past, present and future to a single spiritual purpose: The connection to the “Dreamtime”. For the Aborigines this is the origin of all living beings. It resembles a mirror of all that was, is and ever will be.

Aboriginal dancers in Australia. Photo credit © Penny Tweedie.

The San of Africa.

The San Bushmen are one of the oldest peoples on our planet. As hunters or gatherers, some tribe members are still crossing the Kalahari desert today. Humans who live like this, don’t need a precise calendar or timer. They don’t divide day & night into minutes or hours but specific occasions like regular rituals or the daily hunt.

San hunters in the Kalahari desert. Photo credit © Ariadne Van Zandbergen.

The Tibetan of China.

Buddhist people, like the Tibetan don’t feel that time is a linear stream of expiring events, in which the “being” has a beginning and an end. They rather believe in a circulation of life, death and reincarnation until they break into the nirvana. How each and every one is reincarnated depends on their way of living.

Tibetan monks. Photo credit unknown.

My personal opinion.

Well, what can I say? We could really learn something from these cultures. I think that we westerners are simply too focused on time & its meaning in our lives.

I mean really, what is time anyway? There are so many expression like “time is running out” or “the clock is ticking” & I hate them because it’s a burden to our way of living. I see it everyday with my friends or family. One might think: “Damn, I’m turning 32 next month, and I still don’t have any children…my clock’s ticking.”, or someone else’s thought might be focused on this:  “I’m 26 years old, and by now I should know what I really want out of my life…my time is running out and I have to get a grip.” I do understand that time is important (and I get that we can’t just stop focusing on it – why should we?)…but (again this is a big but) I also think that shifting down a gear from time to time wouldn’t be such a bad thing for all of us.

1. Vietnam.

School uniforms are compulsory all throughout Vietnam. Kids are proud to wear it, though it’s expensive for most of the parents especially if they have more kids attending school. Beside the uniform, you also have to pay the school fees, so parents are really forced to make money if they want to give their offspring a good education.

Girls in a typical school uniform in Vietnam.

2. South Africa.

As in many other former British colonies, all the South African private and public schools have a uniform.

Not only does the school uniform look really nice in South Africa, but this boy is simply the cutest.

3. Indonesia.

Every student has to wear a school uniform in Indonesia. A typical school uniform consists of a white shirt and red pants or skirt. Private schools sometimes have their own uniform and they might look a bit different from these…

The school kids in Indonesia love it when you take their photo.

4. Senegal.

Since Senegal is a very poor country, school uniforms are not a must for everyone. If families can afford it, it usually just consists of a blue shirt and black pants. Otherwise you might just wear something blue to “fit it” as seen in the photo below.

Typical school life in Senegal.

5. Cambodia.

Uniforms are now fashionable in Cambodian schools. Before, students would usually wear a white shirt and a skirt or pair of pants in blue or black.

A white shirt & pants was all you needed before…

6. India.

Schools uniforms are almost universal in India, from primary to higher-secondary level.

Kids on their way to school in Diglipur on the Andaman Islands.

7. Ghana.

All children have to wear school uniforms in Ghana. Recently, there have been public programs through which poor families are offered financial help to buy uniforms. Over 8.000 school uniforms have been distributed by the government to needy students.

Walking home on the beach is quite nice…

The sun is shining, air flickers over the pavement, and with every single move sweat breaks loose. As soon as it gets hot, the sport-performance literally melts. A route that we normally reel off easily suddenly becomes more difficult and seems to be endless.  Believe me; I’ve been there…many times. You’re head turns tomato-red; you breathe heavily and sweat stains are all over your cloths (yummy). A positive thing: At least sweat shows that we’re doing something. The sooner you start sweating the better (and fitter are you) because then our body tries to keep a constant body temperature.  Anyway, try not to stress your body too much during high temperatures. It has enough to do with trying to keep itself cool anyway.

First tip: Ideal Timing.

Ambitious summer athletes should be smarter than the sun. Don’t go running during your lunch-break but wait until dawn or use the early morning hours for your active drive. Red area on the thermometer: 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit). As soon as the mercury passes this mark, doctors advice against exhausting exercise. Why: The hotter it gets, the more ozone concentration is in the air. Exhaust fumes and fine dust increase stress even more.

Second tip: Dress code.

“Less is more” is the motto during summer. Be sure to buy the right equipments with special UV-protection. Black is a “no-go” (even though it might conceal those nasty fat pads better) – light colours a hit.

Third tip: Sunscreen.

The sun can literally be a burner. It’s not enough to just apply a bit of lotion. As a rule of thumb, it’s best to apply one teaspoon full of sunscreen on your face and nine teaspoons on for the rest of your body. Sweat or water washes away the UV-filter, so if you decide to run a marathon (and you’re not exactly a marathon world champion), you should apply a new layer of sunscreen every two hours.

Fourth tip: Pool rules.

Water rats are often distracted. Whether you’re snorkelling in tropical waters, surfing the waves in Tahiti or just swimming in the local open air pool it’s important not to forget about sunscreen. Also, UV rays occur during shade. Umbrellas or trees only absorb 70% of those. So if you’ve ever woken up with a red nose and didn’t get plastered the day before, you might consider putting on some sunscreen when sitting on the beach with friends next time…

Fifth (and last) tip: Filling station.

Sweat-inducing summer sports raises our liquid need. Our body loses up to one liter of water and also minerals like sodium every hour! This raises the risk of muscle cramps. A look on the scale before and after the training (hell I wouldn’t want to step on a scale if I had to…) helps to know your own body’s water consumption. If you’re thirsty, it’s almost too late. Thirst is an indicator of dehydration.  Headaches and dizziness are even more alarming! Start drinking (mineral)-water before you decide to go for a run. If you hate water (how can you hate water? It’s 90 % of our body so you should love it J) you can also use fruit juices but diluted. ¼ juice, ¾ water if the rule here. If you’re really really crazy enough to work out for more than one hour, isotonic drinks are a good alternative because they compensate your mineral loss.

Personal end note:

If I look around in the subways, trains or just for fun wait outside a McDonald’s, it’s simple to say that 90 % (at least in Austria) of people need to do something. And no, by that I don’t mean order another burger! Get out there and move your ass people! Life is far too short to just sit around.