I’ve been publishing photo galleries regularly on Travel Wire Asia (www.travelwireasia.com) of late.

Here’s the link to a few of these:

In pictures: Burma’s Buddhist monks

In pictures: Burma’s many modes of transport

In pictures: The stunning beauty of New Zealand’s South Island

In pictures: Maluku Islands, Indonesia – Part 2

In pictures: Maluku Islands, Indonesia – Part 1

Alternatively view my profile and all other posts at this page: http://www.travelwireasia.com/author/jolane/

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Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com

I read “Tuesdays with Morrie” some time ago about a former student visiting his professor who was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).

For the last six months I’ve been visiting a friend in hospital dying from AIDS on Saturdays after lunch. It became a routine: bike ride, market, Rudy. There is little that is honourable, decent or dignifying about AIDS and watching the slow deterioration in this friend has been agonising.

Like in the story, I enjoyed immensely the time we had together, even though Rudy was no philosophiser on life. His face would light up when he saw me, he’d whinge and complain about family members to me in confidence and we’d go downstairs in his wheelchair so he could smoke away to his heart’s content. Yes I took him – why should he have been denied a few simple joys in his last months? A nip of Baileys and a good dose of chocolate were our other great shared joys. Read more

I just spent the morning creating a photographic post of images of the south island in New Zealand for Travel Wire Asia – a site I blog for on travel. It’s not yet published but I’ve added the same gallery of shots here.

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Langkawi is an archipelago of about 100 islands off Malaysia’s north west shores. Here are a few images of the sandy beaches, irridescent paddy fields and natural beauty of the place from a trip there last week. The tough job of the week was to write a short guide to Langkawi and get some shots.

Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com

I have been quite concerned by images of people celebrating the death of Osama bin Laden, and even comments by world leaders who said they “welcome” the news.

It is unpleasant to see anyone rejoicing at the death of another human being, no matter what they have done.

I try not to make a lot of political comment on this blog as it is about Visited Planet photography but my website does have a mission of educating, equipping and encouraging and so I wanted to post this excellent quote I received via Facebook that reminds us how important love is in the world. Thanks to Sharolyn Newington for sharing it.

“I mourn the loss of thousands of precious lives, but I will not rejoice in the death of one, not even an enemy. Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.”  – Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here are some good positive images of love in places where there is struggle and difficulty; showing how powerful it still shines even in the darkness of life where there might be poverty, greed, oppression, exploitation or plain hard work.

Women embracing in a village that had been displaced by the government's creation of National Parks. India.

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