Odds&Ends | Passing

1/320s | f5.6 | 27mm | One of the places I would have loved to make a stop at on my one-day trip to the Scottish Highlands.

When I was quite young, I almost died. True story.

Despite constant parental pleas, I deemed it wise to waddle to the deep end of the wave pool at a water theme park. Not knowing how to swim wasn't a deterrent at all; I was either very brave or brainless. Anyway, my bravery and wit (I prefer the gutsy and smart version of my younger-self) weren't enough to outsmart the fake wave. I was pulled underwater and was taking in gulps of chlorine-laced water. Just when I thought I saw a shimmer of white light (or was it a pussycat? These things are hard to tell when you're drowning), I felt a sudden tug and to cut a long story short, I did not die.

A few years later, I was almost mauled to death by a pack of wild dogs. Being no stranger to near-death experiences, this is what I have to say: Miley Cyrus, you didn't have to apologise for posing semi-nude for Annie Leibovitz, one of the greatest photographers ever. Leave the squeaky-clean image to your lovable alter ego, Hannah Montana; go live life however you want and don't apologise for anything you do unless it involves denying me, your biggest fan ever, a free front row ticket to what I'm sure would be your awesome concert.

Marilyn Monroe was probably glad she did The Last Sitting before she died 6 weeks after. My point is, Miley, life passes you by fast; it's OK to stop and pose artistically-nude sometimes.

Disclaimer: All events depicted in this post - even those highly dramatized by the usage of dramatic words like "laced" and "mauled" - are entirely true. And I'm not Hannah Montana's "biggest fan ever" but I have secretly liked the show because it's pretty funny - the show, not the fact that a twenty-something guy likes watching a sitcom meant for tweens who are malleable and susceptible to the Cyrus "eek, she posed nude!" virus, much to the worry and consternation of overreacting parents. I mean, the photo is not at all suggestive. The Queen was wise to not have agreed to the controversial pose in her Leibovitz portrait; imagine the papers/magazines that would have been sold to tell people how morally-corrupt the monarchy is.