Photo Journal — My December 2020
The last month of an unprecendented year, I share a selection of some of my favorite photos from December 2020 and the stories behind them.
Photo by James Shih
Filming During Covid
I’ve done my share of different kinds of jobs throughout the years and a new one that I can add to my belt is Covid Compliance Officer (CCO). This is a new position that has been created in the film and TV industry after film productions were allowed to continue in Los Angeles County. In general terms, the new position is in charge of making sure that everyone on set are following health and safety guidelines that are in line with county precautions and safe filming measures. For example making sure cast & crew: keep six feet apart, frequently sanitize their hands, wear proper face coverings, and more.
This can get tricky, especially when cast have to take off their masks and interact closely with each other in front of the camera and crew have to work closely together when moving gear behind the camera. That said, my job as a CCO is to serve as a walking human reminder for people to follow the COVID compliance guidelines whenever possible and make sure it does not impede on the work.
Photo by James Shih
Remnants
This photo is from Bombay Beach which I visited earlier this month and I’ve already talked at length in this article here. I just like this photo and it makes me think about what we’re leaving behind as we move into the new year. Many people are saying how they hate 2020 and are glad that it will go away, but I personally have nothing against the year itself. I do have issues with racial injustice and to how certain groups have responded to the pandemic. But the year itself and the time I’ve spent through it, I’m grateful for. I’ve tried things I wouldn’t have normally tried if not for the lockdowns and I’ve also discovered shows like Terrace House that have made me think upon my own life and where I want to go.
Photo by James Shih
Switzer Falls in the Angeles National Forest
On another one of my LA day trips, some friends and I made a trip to the Angeles National Forest. Just north of Los Angeles (30–45 minute drive), the Angeles National Forest offers a quick getaway from the city that is much closer than Joshua Tree National Park yet also offers beautiful sights and refreshing hikes. In the picture above is Switzer Falls, a small waterfall that feeds into this lagoon. When we went, we first missed the trail that leads to the fall. One has to make a loop around the actual waterfall and climb up in elevation, you’ll be able to see falls below, but then walk down a path that slopes down into a trail that leads to the water.
A weird thing that happened was that while my friend and I were enjoying looking at the waterfall, a trio of people decided to take a shortcut down (highly NOT recommended) and one of them dropped their phones in the water. Being the slight daredevil that I am, I decided to help them out and dove into the water to find it for them. The water is not clear and it was freezing. After spending a good unsuccessful 20 minutes in the cold water, even though my body had acclimated, I could feel a numbness in my toes. Not a good a sign. We called it quits and I got out shaking. It wasn’t until I had fully dried off and dressed, hiked back to our car, and then went to a restaurant to get hot noodle soup did I finally feel normal.
So the lesson is: don’t spend too long in cold water or you might get hypothermia. It’s not worth it, especially not for the latest iPhone.
Photo by James Shih
Plant Based Vegan Diet
This month I experimented with a plant based, vegan diet. No meat, no dairy, no eggs, no animal products (except for a little honey) for a total of 31 days. Another one of my pandemic experiements. Why? I have psoriasis, an autoimmune disease that causes skin plaques and discoloration of the skin. I had done some research online and wanted to try certain diets that had helped previous sufferers of psoriaisis. I had already run the gamut of keto, carnivore, and vegetarian, with varying levels of success and failure, so I decided to give vegan a try.
Please note, I’m not a medical professional, and these kinds of diets are not for everyone. It’s best to consult with your primary care physician before you try any kind of diet. Each person’s body is different and you may have pre-existing conditions that can have adverse effects when paired with certain foods.
For the vegan diet, I mostly prepared my own food, which you can see above: a tofu vegetable pasta that I made. I also tried vegan junk food like fries and the Burger King Impossible Burger (don’t judge me). I definitely do feel better when I cook for myself than when eating junk food (even if it’s vegan, it’s probably not good for you). However, for my body, I noticed that I wasn’t feeling as energetic as I normally was when I had some meat in my diet. Also, I wasn’t feeling as satiated or satisfied with my meals either. My skin did seem to improve a little, but the cons give me hesitation about if I wanted to keep this lifestyle longer.
I came across this TED talk about how there’s no one diet that fits everyone and it really depends on how ones body responds to each type of food. This is something I want to research more in the New Year and see if maybe there’s a way I can keep some meat in my diet without worsening my skin.
There you have it, my December 2020 in review. It was a great learning experience and I’m looking forward to see how I will grow in the new year.
