what Fixer is

What is fixer?

fix·er

ˈfiksər/ 

noun

1.     1.

a person who makes arrangements for other people, esp. of an illicit or devious kind.

2.     2.

a substance used for fixing a photographic image.

A lot of definitions about “fixer”, and here below are conversation in www.lighstalkers.org about what “fixer” is:

When traveling to a place you are not familiar with, especially places that can be potentially dangerous a fixer is someone who knows the area (where to go, more importantly where not to go), the culture, the people, has connections and can get things done that an outsider may not be able to accomplish. Fixers are not necessarily also translators, but it helps if they are.

For example, you can have an itinerary of topics you want to work on, communicate that to the fixer and he/she can usually get the ball rolling on where and when you can work on those topics while you are in country. I have a particularly good relationship with a fixer that I use in Haiti and he always meets me at the airport when I arrive, makes sure I’m set up at the hotel, negotiates good rates, etc. in addition to helping me find content and take care of logistics.

You can go somewhere without a fixer, but you can be much more effective and efficient with one and in some cases they can save your life and/or keep you from getting robbed or harassed. I would very highly recommend using them. And chances are if you need one where ever you are going, you can ask on here and someone can recommend one.

by Edward Linsmier  Saint Petersburg, FL, United States

A fixer is your eyes, ears, mouth, your security, guide sometimes driver and most of the time translator. A fixer is your best-friend. If you do not trust your fixer with your ideas, how can you trust him or her with your life? Your fixer is the one who connects the dots for you. 

by Lesli Petit-Phar , Feeport, Bahamas

Fixer are often times the life blood of photographers. I cant speak their praises enough. I have encounter some pretty amazing people over the years but one that really sticks out is Faseeh Shams from http://www.mediasystemsi.com/ The guy put some really amazing stuff together for me and kept me so safe i owe him my life. 
by Don Mirra  San Diego, United States 

My stomach churns when someone calls fixers “Taxi Drivers”. Usually people calling them taxi drivers are some low key journalists who have never worked for a respectable organization with a respectable budget and who can never afford to hire a “real” fixer. Also, a photographers fixer is almost a translator/taxi driver and for TV and print reporters, it is usually a more professional fixer, who is also a freelance journalist.

A fixer is someone, when given a specific brief, manages to organize everything, stories, interviews, access etc!

And no, we are not street thugs and most of them do not know how to drive too! (I do). We do of course will watch our client’s back but we are not body guards.

If you want someone to drive around, find a driver. If you want someone to take a bullet for you, hire a bodyguard. If you want a “partner” for your story, who will do everything to make sure you get a great story, even if it means driving you around in a bicycle, take a hail of bullets or face an unruly crowd, then hire a “Fixer”. 

by Uday Sripathi , Mumbai, India

Fixer is a person that makes you and your work comfortable in that place which is unfamiliar for you. Yes some time its provides facility of Driver and also vehicle..
I had work with some people and give then that facility. In some unknown cities of country i had also arranged another for then, 

by S.A.Qureshi | Islamabad, Pakistan 

indonesian food is the best

The recognition on the delicacy of Indonesian food is shown by the CNNGO survey. The CNNGO is a website specialized for tourism that belongs to the international news network, CNN.

Interestingly, three kinds of Indonesian cuisines are on the list of the CNN’s best street food in the world. They are rendang, nasi goreng, and sate. More interestingly, those are categorised as the top 20 of the most delicious. As for rankings, Rendang tops the list, nasi goring is on the second, and sate is on the fourteenth.

About 35,000 people have voted West Sumatra’s Rendang as the number one food in the world. Guess which food came in second? Nasi goreng! Or fried rice which is also Indonesian cuisine.


Satay, another staple Indonesian dish, also stood proud at No. 14. 



In July 2011, CNNGo came out with its own “World’s 50 Most Delicious Foods.” In that list, Thailand’s Massaman curry topped the culinary hierarchy, followed by Italy’s Neapolitan pizza and Mexico’s chocolate.



That list apparently incited “impassionate debate” about the site’s selection, so CNNGo let its readers vote what they thought should be the numero uno food. The vote, which held for two months, was done through a Facebook poll.



Based on the top 10, Thailand may boast that it has the most dishes. But bow down, world, for rendang has been crowned the king!



CNNGo’s Readers List (September 2011)


1. Rendang, Indonesia 

2. Nasi goreng, Indonesia 

3. Sushi, Japan 

4. Tom yam goong. Thailand 

5. Pad thai, Thailand 

6. Som tam, Thailand 

7. Dim sum, Hong Kong

8. Ramen, Japan 

9. Peking duck, China 

10. Massaman curry, Thailand

For a complete list, go to: http://www.cnngo.com/explorations/eat/readers-choice-worlds-50-most-delicious-foods-012321

According to sbs.com.au, Indonesian cuisine is the most immensely diverse in the world. Every region is has its own unique and taste. With 12,000 islands, there are many regional specialties, but wherever you are in Indonesia, the foods are amazing and friendly to any taste of nationality. Most meals, including breakfast, are based around rice. Literally meaning "fried rice", nasi goreng is considered the national dish of Indonesia and can be found everywhere from street hawkers carts to dinner parties or restaurants. It is a meal of stir-fried rice spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, tamarind and chili and accompanied by other ingredients, mainly egg, chicken, prawns or salted dried fish.

Sambals are also a cornerstone of the cuisine and these chili-based condiments may be either freshly made or store-bought. There are many types of sambals, all of which combine a variety of chili peppers with different combinations of spices, fruits or vegetables.

Indonesians believe in giving a "kick start" to their palate with the heat of chilli and the sour crunch of pickles, so meals generally comprise rice, sambal and pickles with small amounts of meats, seafood or vegetables, often in curry form. People eat either with their right hand or with a spoon and fork.

Some of the intense flavour in Indonesian food comes from very sweet and sour ingredients – such as the thick sweet soy sauce called kecap manis, which is used in countless dishes. The sour notes in the cuisine come from tamarind and lime and the aromatics from shallots, ginger, galangal, pandan, turmeric, lemongrass and lime leaves.

Two foods adored by Indonesians are tempeh – fermented soybeans usually found in block form that are high in protein and fibre – and krupuk, or deep fried crackers, made from prawn, seafood or vegetables, which are eaten at the start of a meal.

Because of the humid climate and volcanic soil, tropical fruits, vegetables and spices are found in abundance. Dried spices such as coriander seeds, cardamom pods, cinnamon quills, cumin seeds, cloves and nutmeg are used every day in many dishes and each curry has a number of dried spices as well as fresh herbs.

Desserts are some of the most exuberant in South East Asia, especially the favourite "ice cendol" which features shaved ice, tropical fruit, coconut milk and pandan flavoured "worms" made from mung bean flour.