NOBODY

A wordpress.com site that shows the interesting life of a no person

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Tag: culture

  • Pursuing Photography: Tough Journey or Rewarding Career?

    I met a photography master.

    The sad master

    One month ago, I was having lunch at a Vietnam Style restaurant near the public library. The food wasn’t bad, but something caught my attention.

    I saw a man that bore the resemblance of the local photography maestro I saw in a documentary video.

    “Is he the photography maestro that turned into a taxi driver? “, I thought.

    (For people who don’t know me, I have a special skill – I am extremely good at recognizing human faces. )

    Not wanting to make any mistakes, I waited and kept observing the gallant man sitting in front of me.

    After a while, I was very sure he was the person I was looking for. I stood up and walked to his table. He was shocked when I mentioned his name.

    “Are you Dick Chan? I watched the documentary and I love your work very much! The one in the Chai Wan fire station. “

    He looked extremely nervous. It seemed like he didn’t like to be called as a photographer.

    “Yes. I took the photos from the little window of my small studio. But I rarely do any photography job anymore.”

    Sensing the awkwardness in the air, I returned to my seat. When he left the restaurant, he greeted me, and his large figure disappeared from my sight.

    The cruel facts of being a professional photographer/videographer

    1. Many people underestimate how much work it takes to become a professional photographer

    In the eyes of outsiders (including myself before writing this post), photography is an easy job that only requires expensive equipment, a fancy portfolio, strong networking skills, and experience. They believe that anyone can make a living with a SONY A7 III (including a flashlight) or IV after 3 to 6 months of “training.”

    With this mindset, clients without prior experience often set very low rates to hire a photographer. Without any knowledge or idea about quotations, novice photographers use these opportunities to build their portfolios; sometimes they even lower their rates to get the offers. Soon, the novices discover that they don’t enjoy photography anymore, as there are so many changes and demands from clients.

    In one sentence: when you turn your hobby into work, it is not fun anymore—unless your “hobby” is “work.”

    2. Professional photography and videography are for tough people with excellent physical strength, especially videography

    Cameras are heavy. Lenses are heavy. Everything is heavy in this industry.

    According to my own experience, some photographers bring a suitcase to a professional photography event (usually, they will include a small chair if they are short).

    Apart from the weight of the tools, without good physical strength, a photographer won’t be able to endure long hours of shooting or deal with the accidents and drama happening at the events. An experienced video producer told me that he made a lot of documentary videos when he was young, but he can’t do it now that he is old.

    “Documentary production is extremely exhausting.”

    Also, one point is overlooked by many people: the post-production process requires photographers/videographers to spend long hours in front of the monitor. Obviously, this will cause significant damage to their eyesight, but the changes suggested by clients will also drive photographers crazy.

    (Still, we haven’t mentioned delayed payment in the industry, but it exists in other industries too.)

    In my case, since I knew that if I became a videographer, my eyesight would get worse (I have eye floaters already), I decided to treat it as a hobby only.

    3. Actually, photographers don’t earn a lot of money in Hong Kong.

    Out of boredom, I used Apify to collect data from a Facebook group designed for hiring freelance photographers. Then I asked Gemini to calculate the average hourly pay of each job. Here is the result:

    Although the platform itself might be biased regarding the hourly rate, I was surprised by the result. On the surface, $257 HKD (equal to $32.79 USD) doesn’t seem too bad. However, if we include the time needed for adjusting the light and color of the photos, the actual rate is lower than $257.

    Meanwhile, a photographer won’t work like a 9-5 worker every day. Even if you become a photography assistant, the hourly pay is quite low in Hong Kong. Veteran photographers in Hong Kong say that apprentice photographers can’t even make enough money to support themselves for the first 10 years of their careers.

    No wonder people say it is a perfect career for nepo babies in Hong Kong. OH, I nearly forgot how pricey professional cameras are (but you can rent a professional camera).

    Wait… You may wonder: Should I still pursue my dream and step into this field? To be honest, if you are not scared by my words and are strong, healthy, have good eyesight, and don’t need to worry about money

    go for it!!!!!!

    Even though it is going to be very tough, you will see a lot of interesting things and people on this journey. During different events, I could see a lot of photographers, and they were like black panthers waiting for their prey in the corner. Their adaptiveness and concentration in the setting left me in awe.

    Most importantly, rarely could I find the same kind of passion and energy in the eyes of a white-collar worker, regardless of their position or salary level.

    PS: Now I have a new hobby, or you could say a calling from somewhere unknown 😂. I want to learn everything about freelancers, the freelance market, and the gig economy. I will share insights and latest trends in the market. Hope my audience will not disappear. 😂 I will continue posting my photos and life updates on this website. Hahaha.

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  • Day 30: Change of directions

    I am back.

    How it feels to find a satisfying job in Hong Kong

    Latest Update:

    • Recovering from wisdom teeth removal surgery
    • Caught a cold
    • Attended three interviews and completed two written tests (one was super long)
    • Met up with a friend
    • Edited a short video

    Although I’m still waiting for feedback from the hiring managers, I’ve realized that reality is forcing me to change my plans.

    Originally, I was mainly targeting community-based organizations. However, some of the recent interview experiences made me reconsider. The first one went okay, even though the written test was quite complicated. But the second and third ones didn’t go well at all.

    Both hiring managers appreciated my skill sets. However, after watching the video I made and edited myself, one of them asked:

    “Do you appreciate yourself for the fact that you survived alone in Laos for six months as the only person in the department?”

    “You have very strong self-learning skills. But will you be bored by admin tasks? Like filling in Excel forms with numbers all day…”

    “No problem,” I replied.

    Towards the end of the interview, she looked at my expected salary and said, “You wrote HK$20,000 (about 2,553 USD). Is this negotiable?”

    When I shared the questions from the third interview with my friend, she couldn’t stop laughing. For example:

    “You are accompanying a group of wheelchair-bound members to a restaurant. If the escalator was out of service that day, what would you do?”

    “I will enter the mall or restaurant from another entrance.”

    “What if they don’t have a second entrance?”

    “Then I’ll just move to another restaurant.”

    Another question was: “If a member complained that someone else ate three shrimps from the basin cuisine, what would you do?”

    My answer: “I would tell them there’s abalone and other more expensive food available.”

    The interviewers burst out laughing. The whole interview felt quite strange. The written test was even more ridiculous — I had to draft a notice informing the center that it would be closed due to urgent electrical maintenance.

    After these experiences, I’ve decided to pause applying for community-based roles for now.

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  • Day 20: A call for interview

    “Freedom”

    Freedom == Money?

    I am still coughing and sneezing all day long😷. Since I am still consuming anti-biotics after the wisdom teeth removal surgery, I decided not to take any pills. (I probably got a cold on last Saturday). But there is a piece of good news. I received the phone call from the HR of a large NGO that focus on mental health in Hong Kong. Hope I will get this offer💪.

    At night, I listened to a podcast recorded by a woman who had suffered from eating disorder in Hong Kong. Although I have never had eating disorder, I found her story very shocking and sad. It is hard to believe that some people assume that being a professional dancer is a stigma in the 21st century🤡.

    Time to rest😪.

    (kaff…kaffkaff… kaff…kaff.kaff.kafff.kafff.kaakakffff)

  • Why I didn’t spill the beans? The myth behind cheating

    This is my personal reflection—no judgment on others’ choices

    Cheating is either nonexistent or everywhere—there’s no in-between.

    by unknown

    Cheating is like pushing down a domino.

    Growing up in a traditional Hong Kong family, no one had ever taught me what was “Cheating”. I learned this term from the newspaper, local soap drama, and stories told by the adults.

    Since I was in surrounded by adults who emphasized the importance of morality, long ago I had been educated that “cheating” was an unforgivable sin.

    Whenever my mum saw the characters in the soap drama cheating on his or her partners, she would say,

    “OMG! They are cheating. He is a bad guy!”

    And it explained why my attitude towards cheaters are quite negative.

    Confusion in disguise

    Despite I had never approved this behavior, a question had lingered in my mind for a long time:

    Why won’t the cheater’s friend or family members inform their partners the truth? Why?

    When I was reading the news or stories, I saw people was worrying that destroying their relationship with their friends, or it can fire back.

    I was very naive 👧🏻. So I thought,

    “In the future, if I know anyone cheated on his or her partner, I must tell that person the truth. It’s so easy. Just spill the beans and everything will be fine.”

    The first moment of change

    After graduating from my secondary school, I entered a university where most students were relatively innocent and simple-minded. Most students don’t care about future, money or frame.

    They love playing mobile and computer games only. And I rarely heard about anyone cheating or having a drama over relationships.

    Things changed until I met my former friend, who was pursuing her second degree.

    The victim of victim

    On one occasion she complained about being mistreated by her boyfriend. Then she said,

    “Actually, I have feelings towards my classmate. He is a hot dude. Compared with my boyfriend, he is taller and knows how to flirt with girls. But he is a playboy.”

    I was silent at the moment. But I was overwhelmed with a mixed feelings. As a woman, I had a positive attitude towards fellow women. I thought every woman will be loyal to their partner like what I saw in the past.

    Before that, she told me that her boyfriend pay for her rent and helped her to do the housework. I couldn’t believe that she would betray her boyfriend. Although the dynamic of their relationship was very unhealthy, cheating was not an excuse.

    Ironically, although I found her behavior disappointing, I didn’t become the justice warrior I yearned for when I was young. Even when I encountered the same incident afterwards, I found myself have become the person in the “not my backyard” meme.

    The rational behind my impassiveness

    Sometimes I reflect on the rationale behind my action, and I concluded three reasons.

    1. Fear of trouble/backlash
    2. Disinterest in their partners
    3. Risk to own relationships/reputation

    Reason one is very simple. If I tell him or her the truth, it could get me into trouble very easily. Even though that person is my friend, I can’t predict the consequences. Life is easy during good times. Yet, if it is related to personal interest, that’s a different story.

    For number 2, it is more like a personal preference. I don’t have enough stamina to deal with my daily tasks already, why would I care about my friend’s partners? They are their partners, not mine.

    This is the most selfish reason. It started with human nature. Even if I successfully reported the incident to the victim, they may think I am lying. If they don’t believe in it, they can become mad and you and your reputation may get affected.

    Exceptional case

    Unless the victim is my friend and he or she is going to marry the cheater(s).

    Typing this blog post makes me realize how rational and practical I am. It also make me realize that being a good person is very difficult in the reality. Having the will to save other people is good, but it is an art that requires wisdom and understanding towards human nature.

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  • Creating an Emotional Interview Video: A Personal Experience

    The Pétanque court outside office(This is not the evidence of my sin. I played a game with my colleague during the lunch hour)

    All in a sudden, I wanted to make a professional interview video for my Japanese colleague, who will be leaving Laos very soon.

    A month ago, when I just arrived in a office located in this landlocked country, I met her at my first team meeting. Both of us couldn’t speak in Laos, so English became our common language. Sometimes our accent and pronunciation caused some misunderstanding between us, but that didn’t affect our relationship at all.

    From time to time, we would share our worries with each other. When I told her my crush betrayed and lied to me, she would try to lift my spirit, stating that it was better to loss an unsuitable person than being in a relationship. As women, we understood each other. (No offence, men can understand other people’s emotions as good as women). Apart from matters related to work, we talked about our aspiration, and the reasons we came to work for this international organization. Although our conversation was not deep and did not make us smarter, it was more pure and genuine than the small talk I had had in my life.

    But time flies. Nine days later, she will be going back to Japan and prepare for her exchange program in Switzerland. During this time, she told me her team does not allocate any task for her, so she asked me if is there anything she can help. I wanted to assign some tasks for her. I was confused for I didn’t know how she could help me to finish my tasks.

    In the mean time, my senior colleague was invited me to help him record an interview video. And I was intrigued by this new experience. He set the camera stand on the floor, and he asked some questions to the interviewees. And the girl answered his questions. Then, a few days later, you will see a clean, refreshing interview video popped up on the screen. The whole process looks magical.

    I want to try it as well. I thought

    “Maybe I can shoot an interview video with her? I can make something like my consultant did a few days ago?”

    And I suddenly wanted to have an interview with her.

    New update: She agreed to make an interview video with me. I am going to write a script for her tonight. Hope I will make an interview video that will leave a strong impression on the audience. Let’s see if I can make a video that fits her needs and my expectation. 🙂