Welcome to yet another episode.
Photos taken on: 25th September 2022
Published: October 3, 2022
It was a wonderful day in the month of September – a lazy Sunday. Sunday is always a Funday here in Australia and when it is springtime, it’s doubly so. After slight rains over the last night, the morning was delightfully fresh, bright, sunny and very comfortably warm. Days are getting bigger now. By the time its 9am in the morning, the sunlight is almost at its peak. It was a perfect day for exploration, and I was ready to jump into my passion since those sunbathed early hours.

During my journey so far into the project, there are multiple lessons that I learned. And some of the lessons, which I previously discussed, are 1. getting out of comfort zone, 2. being resilient and also 3. being lucky. In fact, in every undertaking there are many things we learn as we get through. Some of them we consciously know about and many perhaps we are not even aware of. The above three is what I am aware of so far. And today, I am going to give you a perfect example of this third one – being lucky. Although you might argue as what “lesson” can you actually learn from something that is totally out of your control, such as luck, I would rather insist that having a positive outlook – optimism or success consciousness – is what makes success possible in the first place. Without this success consciousness, perhaps, success would never be possible. The idea is whatever you are conscious about – success or failure – you attract only those forces into your life. So, success consciousness, optimism, luck or even faith; whatever term suits you best is up to you to decide, however, I would rather call it luck.
In photography one thing repeated itself – at least for me – many, many times in the past – being at the right time, at the right place to capture the right moment. And while doing this project, along with being at the right time, and at the right place, I happen to learn yet another lesson: to be present right next to the right person!

When approaching random people, we often get discouraged by how they react. Although I was never abused or insulted, I was, however, rejected many times – sometimes with a silent look, sometimes with a grimaced face, sometimes with avoidance by going around me and of course, sometimes when my prospect would turn me down usually because of urgency – “Sorry, I have to go to a meeting”. We are emotional beings and needless to say, out of those rejections we get upset, we get emotional, we get hurt, we get demotivated, we lose our momentum, we lose our ability to reason. We fail to say that this is not the end!
There have been a few days so far when I went to the city and approached many people, but all refused – I came home empty; didn’t even turn my camera on. Previously I have never been so dedicated for this project so when I see those setbacks, I feel demotivated. I get impatient. I feel the urge to approach more – even more. Looking back, I can see now I am making at least ten times more approaches compared to what I did even six months earlier but despite such sheer numbers, some days no one joins – no one says “yes” – no matter how many you have approached.

While I was at the station, usually I wait for the train for the next few minutes of its arrival and today I did exactly the same – walking lazily around the platform and slowly heading towards the rear end. And there I saw her sitting on the bench also close to that rear end. Her white top caught my eye. It popped against the dark brown bench along with its grayish backdrop. She was waiting too for the train to come along. I cannot remember how long was left but just about five minutes or so – no more for sure. It was apparent that she would be boarding the train that will be here very soon. However, it still appeared to my mind that I might get “lucky” by asking her for the photo. Although I am very attuned about the time while approaching – are they busy, going somewhere, looking anxious etc. – this time however, I made my decision, rather purely based on luck!

And hence, despite my reluctance, I made one more approach! And lo and behold she happily consented. The train is about to enter the station and I asked – “would you mind taking the next one?” Once again, she said “yes”! What a coincidence – I thought!
Sometimes days go by, and no one says “yes” but other times when someone is just about to get on board, abandons her journey to hang around a random stranger whom she had no knowledge of even minutes earlier.
Another very peculiar thing I noticed is this: in many days it happened to me that the very last person I approached right before I would call it quits for the day said “yes”. Had I not made that very last approach I would not have met at least five people so far! Was I simply lucky in all those cases? – I ask myself. Luck is fickle – we all know. Your radiant streak of luck someday shines, some other day fades. But it is all about luck alone? I am rather divided on this. Bear with me for a moment and I will explain.

So, here is Seika from Japan hailed from Osaka and now living here in Sydney for last four months.
“It’s quiet big city” (Osaka)
“Did you grow up in the village or did you grow up in the city?”
“In the city”
“And you like Sydney as well because it’s city”
“Sydney is similar to Osaka?”
“Yeah…” “It’s really similar.”
“Is there lot of like European or Asian people In Osaka or not many?”
“Some Koreans but mainly Japanese”… “95pc Japanese so yes”
“Do you guys like do things together… you know like in here… you have like parties… where people go… you know… like you go to a bar there are lots of different people… you got Blacks, you got Australians, you got Asians. Is it the same in your culture as well?”
“Yeah”
“Koreans have their own bars?… Do they mix and mingle and came and talk to you?”
“Some people are mix” … “yeah”
“I heard that Japanese people are… a bit like they are very… they like their own community… do you guys open to other people as well or…”
“Some people are open” …

I heard a lot about Japanese tea ceremonies – a gathering to socialize with family, friends, and associates. Many people say Japanese are some of the most gentle and friendly people on earth. And since this project, I met a few of them in the past who were indeed very gentle and sociable. Yet, like every other culture there is a significant role of luck involved into the cultural traditions. Number four (4), for instance is considered very inauspicious and means death. Same goes with number nine (9) – it means agony. Many hospitals in Japan don’t allow to have a level four (4) and level nine (9) in their facility because of its cultural significance.
“Did you had any dream… like you want to be something… What dream did you have??”
“I wanna travel around the world.” – she replied.
“Yeah, where you wanna go??”
“I wanna go Tennessee”
“In the US?” … “why?”
“I like country music”
“Can you sing?”
“No” she replied smiling

Since she seemed very shy which is typical of Japanese people, at the very beginning, I asked:
“Do you have any hobbies?”
“I like going to the beach”
Later, I asked about her high school crush.
“Did you have a crush? … when you were young… like a high school crush?”
With a blush on her face, she went on …
“One direction” … “boys’ band… five guys”
I love beaches too. She mentioned of her plan to visit Palm beach where also I have been a few times. Some of my very favorite memories I had so far was, however, of La Perouse where I have been with my friends spending a whole day taking photos and having fun while enjoying the generous sunshine along the way while watching the waves crushing onto the shores and the foamy water running over my feet letting the sand loose from under, as the water recedes. Some fun memories, some chit-chat, some banters and finally, it was time to say goodbye with a big hug.
I have been living in this suburb for some time now. As I walk down the footpath, I see many of my neighbors coming from the opposite direction. I was in fact right next to them in the narrow footpath, but I never made an approach. Being at the right time, at the right place, right next to the right person (perhaps) too, but without taking initiatives however – without making an approach – it seems like you almost certainly never get lucky!
