Drug 2 - Sibik

This is another druggie sibik, 35, who has been taking drug for almost
twenty years since he was in prison. I photographed his drug scene, but i hope to go back as well.
He is sick because the drug caused some problems with
his blood circulation. His legs are swollen, also when
he had a problem with his blood circulation on his finger years ago
because of the drug, he cut his finger by himself like yakuza instead
of receiving treatment at hospital. Since then, he has been keeping
the finger that turned like smoked scallop on his shelf. He is actually friendly and
inteligent person at least when not desparetely in need for drug.

Drug&AIDS - Sasha

I followed several drug addicts and/or HIV/AIDS patients last week. I'm still trying to figure out whether i can make a drug&AIDS in one essay. Anyway, i will try to continue to follow those people. Here is Саша (Sasha), 55, who has been a drug addict for decades after he spent some time in prison when he was 17. He said everything seemed shattered when he was in prison and started taking drug. Since then, he has been with drug. He said he regrets and wants to start over his life. He was infected with HIV about 7 years ago when he used unwashed needles. He said the number of needles were sold at once, and a lot of his friends who bought the needles at the same time were infected with HIV. "Everyone died except me. I don't know why i'm still alive." He said drug now became a medicine for pain killer - he has skin cancer, gustric ulcer and hepititus beside HIV. His HIV has reached the third phace, but he is still working some random jobs for money. There are not so many older drug addicts in Ukraine as many of them started around the confusion in the chaotic time after the Soviet's collapse.

Drug&AIDS 1

AIDS is still a big problem in Ukraine. The number of patients is still increasing. The causes of the spread of the disease are the needle sharing and sex. Many people in the extreme poverty endedd up taking drug or becoming prostitutes, and thus the helpless and vicious circle sets in. No money, but they want drug. Then, they don't care if they use risky old needles or new ones. This issue has been reported for years, and there are some international and domestic efforts to change it. But again, the numer is still increasing. I hope to continue this project for a while.

Я Приехал в Донецк из Букурешта

I came to Donetsk from Bucuresti a month ago after a long two-days trip by train. I'm still distant here, but I will get closer sooner or later.

Published!

I have not been shooting at all these days. It takes some time to get it started in a new foreign country unless you have a good contact or know the language well... But, I will probably start something within a week or two. I feel like I should keep updating blog even though i don't have new photos. So, I'm posting some photos recently published. For the fishermen stuff from the Delta, I was fortunate to have those pictures published on "Romanian" and "Japanese" versions of National Geographic. Japanese one hasn't come out, but it will next week or so.

New Temporary Home Base

Without too much thought, I came to Донецк, Украина. I wasn't really sure how long I was going to stay. And, I still don't know. But, I left my apartment in Bucuresti because I didn't want to pay 350 euro every month. I found cheap Russian school here, and the agent found an apartment for me. There is an internet cafe nearby, so i can work and make a living. The living cost is a lot cheaper than Bucharest, and I can also learn Russian - here people speak more Russian than Ukrainian. Russian is pretty hard, and i have been busy with learning Russian, translating and trying to meet contacts for projects. It's certainly different here. Romania and Ukraine are neighbors and were both under the communists' rule. But, mentality and cultures are pretty different, yet similar in many ways. Anyway, I guess Донецк will be a new temporary home base for a while.