#four1seven

Jackie&Derek

My 1st wedding shoot. A huge shoutout to Jackie & Derek Billing for entrusting me with the filming of one of the most important days of their lives. 

-Nate

This past weekend I spent my nights on the air mattresses and couches of people I didn’t know yet. This wasn’t Airbnb. These were the people that share the same curiosity and passion I do. 

This weekend in Denver was the location for US-Brazil Connect’s Workshop for our summer program in Brasil; and upon returning home the only thing I could think about is heading down there to start working with these kids. 

I really got to see everything to start to click together at the workshop and it felt damn good.  All of the work my team and I have done had culminated in this workshop...and this is only Phase I. Seeing the Fellows from the other 30 or so sites around Brasil really made this thing feel real. If I could describe it, it would be like a slow, steady drum beat that goes, increasing in rhythm and intensity at every moment. This workshop was that first bass drum hit. 

I am so grateful for my team. These people have shown me the utmost level of hospitality and made my Denver/Workshop experience phenomenal. We are a group of ambitious, crazy, and intellectual people. I cannot wait to see what we accomplish. 

for my friends & family:

I could not have done this trip without you, literally. I express my sincerest gratitude to you all. To find out I have the support system I do for something like this is truly humbling. I cannot thank you enough. I wish I could bring you on this journey with me. However, I can bring you along {virtually}. I will be posting updates every step of the way and will be including your names in various excerpts of my journey. So, follow the blog and be on the lookout for your names!

I enter Brasil July 26th

I leave Brasil July 26th

31 days.

Hence, the name of my page dedicated specifically to this trip: 31 Dias no Brasil / 31 Days in Brazil. Read up! 

I cannot wait to see what’s in store. 

I finally got it to upload!  Oeste. Enjoy.

Since it's an hour long and in HD, you may want to let it buffer for 5-10 min to get a head start.  

For those who still want a hard copy, let me know.  Please, give me your thoughts and feedback (what you liked, what you didn't like, etc). 

So, since at least 10 major record labels/corporations have made my documentary virtually unavailable to view on youtube/vimeo, I have decided to make hard copies of my documentary to send out to those who want to view it for Free 99 (that means absolutely free).  A number of you are already on my list to send out a hard copy, but if you feel you may not be on that list  or you want to make sure you're on that list...please let me know and I will make sure to send you one (so via Tumblr, Facebook Message, Twitter DM, e-mail, cell phone, note attached to a pigeon).  It's the perfect documentary for summer.  I've put a lot of work and cash into this thing and want to share it with people who I think will enjoy it, so if you're reading this that means you may be somewhat inclined.  Send me a note and I'll reach out to you and make sure you get a copy.  If you don't know what it's about, read this...

@natekang or [email protected]

This post is related to the video below. If you haven't checked it out yet, peep it before reading this. 

I'm a shoe person.  I love shoes.  I grew up in a culture where shoes were a daily topic of conversation (one brand of shoe in particular).  Having the newest shoes around gave you some sort of status: if you had the new Jordan's you were considered cool or in style, if you didn't well you were just like everyone else, and if you had some Shaq's you were poor.  When the new Jordan's would be released, shoe retailers across the country would be met with mayhem:  people rushing to front doors, camping out, fighting, bringing weapons. All for a pair of overpriced shoes. On one side It's very materialistic and shallow and at times very sad to see how far people will go get their hands on a product. That's the consumerism side.

On the other hand, shoes are a way for people to express themselves, to show their pride, to find their identity.  The person rocking their Kobe's instead of buying the Lebron's to show love for the Mamba.  The girl customizing her shoes to match her blue and orange school colors. The kid who writes "RIP" on the tongues of his Nikes in memory of his late best friend.  These are all ways that people can express their story, who they are, what they stand for. 

For this, I believe that every shoe has a story.  Each Nike shoe made in a sweatshop tells the story of a child shedding blood and sweat at work trying to support their family.  Every pair of Tom's that goes to children in underdeveloped countries gives a story to the kid who never had one. The sweaty hiking boots you brought with you orate the trip when you climbed the Swiss Alps.  Every pair of shoes in existence trace back to a memory in some way.  If you found a pair of your shoes right now I bet you could relate them back to a specific time in your life.  Here's a story of mine:

About two years ago I bought this pair of shoes from Macy's for $20.  They were called 'American Rag.' I didn't even need them.  I just decided to buy them on a whim because I 'needed' a pair of walking shoes, you know, shoes that you really don't care if you scuff or get dirty.  I never thought I would wear them as much as I did.  Those shoes went with me everywhere.

They've traveled with me: they got lost with me in the Frankfurt Airport, they walked with me on the beaches of France, they've stepped foot on the stone floors of a castle built in the 1500s. They've been spilled on so many times, been stepped on by multitudes of people, slipped on bacteria ridden college house basements.  They've walked a lot of miles. They have been my "Ride or Die" kicks; they've been through everything and they're still living. I'm not gonna lie I'm a little attached to them but who doesn't have a pair of their go-to shoes. They're a little worn down, a little seasoned, but they have plenty more to go before the good man takes their sole...(hah get it). They hold a lot of memories.

Yeah, it may sound stupid that I'm blogging about shoes and I might be wasting my time but just think to yourself for one moment about how much of a role those things composed of rubber, canvas, heart, and soul play in our everyday lives.  For the ugly-feet people, our shoes bless us every day! It's a small thing, it's never really thought about, but it's one of those little nuggets of life that helps us to remind ourselves how blessed we are and how wonderful this world really is. Embrace it. 

much love

4.17.