A is for Answers

I received an email last night from the lovely Random Hiccups at Slave to the Ordinary with the following questions.

What is your comfort food? You know the one food that you crave until you reach home?
This one is a hard one to answer because food is something that is near and dear to my heart--and my gut. Everywhere I go, I make sure I eat everything and anything that's available to me--especially local ethnic cuisine. It's one of the best perks of travelling. But, you're right, there comes a time during the trip that'll make you wish you had that special something that can't be found anywhere. In order to answer this question--being the food nut that I am, I have to segment into categories:

Snack: ketchup flavored chips, cool ranch Dorito's, or pork rinds.
Breakfast: Sausage Egg McMuffin!!! Ohh yeahhh, I'm Lovin' it!
Lunch: A thick and juicy 1 pound American style hamburger.
Dinner: My mom's home cooked meals. Stir fries, soups, barbecues, and the best noodles you'll find between America and Shanghai.

When you saw a moose did you call out to it trying to make him your pet?
Are you kidding me? I was scared shitless and ran for my life! After my buddies and I got to a safe distance we all began to moon it. Hey, we were drunk campers. But honestly, how many people can ever say they mooned a moose?

What's the strangest talent you have?
I'm both left and right handed. I can take a dump on command. When I am shooting I can hold my breath for minutes upon end. I see dead people.

Have you ever eaten a crayon?
Who hasn't? It's too bad they don't start making them flavored by colors: Yellow=Banana, Orange=oranges, Purple=grapes, Green=lime, etc.

Where were you this time last week?
I swear, officer. I didn't do it!

How would your alter ego describe you?
Who, Ron? He's a women living in a mans body, a cross between Michael Jackson and Jacky Chan, an Evil Knievel wanna be, a rude and obnoxious bastard that can't stop writing. Other than that, he's cooh.

You can have dinner with any three people in the past or present who would it be and what would you eat?
Bill Cosby- Jello
Anthony Bourdain- Singaporean Shark Head (my favorite)
Homer Simpson- Beer. Just beer.

We all have moments that define us. Explain the most life defining moment of your life.
A few months ago I wrote about an experience I had while I was in Afghanistan. I told the story of what I had seen while embedded with the Canadian military. That moment defined me as a person. It made me realize that I was human--that I was more than just a man with a lens. When I went to Afghanistan during that time, I went for the adrenaline rush--nothing else. But after that moment, I became a different person. I used my camera to change perceptions, give a voice to those less fortunate, and start the process for change. Now, my personal goal thru my work is to learn and grow, to challenge myself, stretch my limits and foster an appreciation of both the world at large and the office chair waiting for me back home.

You are an incredible writer, why photography and not writing?
I've never considered myself to be much of a writer. I am the worse when it comes to grammar and spelling, punctuations and run on sentences. But thank you.

Some of my friends often tell me to slow down and smell the roses--you know the saying. But little do they realize that I DO smell the roses--just in a different way. It's hard when you cherish "time" so much. Time to me is of the essence. I love capturing it, making moments stand out so others can cherish the same feelings I felt thru my experiences. Photography and cinematography allows me to do that. Writing ads a deeper meaning--it helps to guide the story. I think writing and photography go hand in hand--it's a perfect marriage.

Describe your greatest love.
My greatest love is of my family. It sounds very cliche, I know. But when you come from a history as painful and dark as mine, it's easy to understand why.

I'm fortunate because I've had the chance to see many parts of the world, and because of that, I've come to believe that my ultimate love is that of people. I just love people. I love human nature for all its good and bad, beautiful and ugly, pain and reward. Every one of us has the ability to enrich each others lives and together--become stewards of the bounty around us.

My friend DUTA from Places of Character had this to ask:

What kind of camera do you use while on assignments?
For Corporate video productions I use a Sony EX1 XD-CAM camera. For network television, I shoot with the Panasonic line of P2 High Definition cameras. The equipment I use varies depending on budget and location.

For Still Photography, I use a Canon 5D and 40D with a variety of lenses (70-200, 28-105, etc). For my point and shoot photo's, I use a Canon G10.

I'll be dedicating the next few days to questoins. If you have an inquiring mind, please feel free to leave me a note or shoot me an email at sarorn@hotmail.com