A few weeks ago I updated my flickr.com profile concerning my frank and honest comments. I consider flickr.com to be a site for photographers, no matter their seriousness, and intend to treat other members as such. Therefore, I stated in my profile, I am going to be blunt, honest and forthright in my critiques of your photographs. I’m here to evaluate real photography, not “ooo” and “ahh” all over somebody’s cute kid pictures.
I treat photography seriously because, for me, it is serious. I really want to give it my all and try and make it in the business of photography. Only recently have a come to the conclusion that I love and honestly want to try photography, throwing myself into the craft with all I’ve got. But quite honestly, all of life should be treated in this way.
Shouldn’t we give everything our best? Shouldn’t we approach each new idea, pursuit, and love like its the first, last and only thing we’ll ever do? If anything is worth doing, it’s worth our best. I realized that I’m wasting my time if only doing half the effort I’m capable of, only attempting something halfway. If you really want something, really love something, really want to do something, then go for it, completely and all the way.
As I get further into photography, taking more photographs, evaluating my own more critically and being enlightened by the industry’s best, my taste has matured. I have become increasingly critical of photographs, looking at them in a completely new light from before. My inspiration: Magnum Photos, the best photography in the world. If you get the chance, I do suggest you pick up a copy of the Magnum catalog in your local library. It’s a thick book with a multicolored cover and MAGNUM in large, white letters on the front and side. I spent the better part of 3 hours pouring over its photographs, couldn’t pull myself away. Truly the best.
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Friday, February 09, 2007
Pick pocket THIS! Gypsies, humility and begging
My pic for the day:
I just posted on mugging, so I figure what the hell? Why not ad pick pocketing advice to the mix? Living in Rome, I see Gypsies ALL the time, as in everyday. I get asked for spare change on almost a daily basis, but have yet to give anything out yet. I think about them a lot, but have to be careful how I handle beggars.
I realized just how horrible begging was when I visited Prague. I had seen a lot of poverty in Peru, Thailand and Poland, but it was more of an accepted living condition than a state of poverty or homelessness. People in Peru were poor, yes, but they were happy and content. They didn't spend a lot of time on the streets begging for loose change. They worked the fields.
Not to say there's not extreme poverty there, there most definitely was, but in a different way. In Prague, I remember walking off one of the main stretches in the city and onto a shopping avenue. I almost stepped on this guy on the ground. He was kneeling, body prostrate and limp in front of him, his face planted in the pavement. He had stretched out his spindly arms, a dark brown from soot, towards the passing crowd and held his hat in his hands for loose change.
I gave that guy change. I realized that even if he was a scam, even if he got up and got into a car at the end of the day (there's a lot of that out there, more than we realize) and had a place to stay for the night, or if he was a drunk, it didn't matter. The sheer fact that this man was willing to place himself in front of all these people, in this filth, with his face in the pavement that thousands of people walk on daily, made it worth whatever change I had in my pocket. I remember feeling the same way about a man in London who had on a coat in the subway, but nothing else. He was barefoot a week after Christmas in a stairwell in the subway, without any pants on. That is poverty.
I have always been rather cautious of beggars, I think, because I'm sensitive to being taken advantage of by others. Something in my mental makeup has made me severely cautious to people manipulating me, and it's the reason why I'm so cautious with friendships and relationships. I can be really scared sometimes.
But over the summer, a friend of mine showed me how to give with a pure heart. We were downtown in Rockford over the summer just walking around when a guy stopped us on the street and tried to sell us some drugs or something. Tim asked him if he wanted money, and the guy said yes. So Tim walked into one of the nicest restaurants in Rockford with this bum and bought him dinner. I've never been so humbled. That's humility and selflessness in action.
Since then, I've approached beggars with a different attitude: I can't enable them, but I can provide for them.
When I moved to Milwaukee, I found it interesting how beggars would target me instead of my roommate. I may just look like a sucker, but I figure there had to be something that set us apart. We're almost the same height and build, so it had to be presentation.
I began to change the way I looked, how I walked, and how I acted on the street. I know it sounds silly, but something as simple as looking like you know where you're going, not making eye contact, and walking briskly does wonders for avoiding bad situations. Most of all, just looked ticked, like you're irritated at everything you see. The downside is that no one is going to ask you for directions, but then again, you want people to leave you alone.
The only time I've been stopped by a gypsy was the 2nd day I was here when I let my guard down. Your face says everything. People on the street make a living off of begging, so they get really good at figuring out where the money is and who's giving it up. You don't have to be rich to be a target, you just have to be easy to read and look approachable.
It may sound ruthless to avoid beggars, but there's a flipside: no pickpockets. Generally, the casual pick pocket is going to avoid anybody that might be wise and is aware of their surroundings. Stick your hands in your pockets where you can feel your wallet (of course, all the really valuable stuff, like your passport, credit card, etc will be in your money pouch, tucked away safely inside your pants) and make yourself into a bad ass. People will leave you alone.
One more thing on pickpocketing if you're traveling in Europe: read Rick Steves. He has a lot of info on how to avoid bad situations. Gypsies will grab you by the arm to get your attention and bully you into buying something, people will guilt trip you, create distractions, women throw babies into your arms while they rifle your pockets. Italian children are infamous for mobbing tourists with little cardboard signs with things written on them, pushing them in your face and cleaning out your pockets while you read. Gypsies are smart.
In France, as you approach the Arc de Triomphe in the underground tunnel, watch out for the woman and her rasta friends that speak perfect English. She's very convincing and sounds like she's got something important to say, but she's really just selling a bracelet made from string. Another tactic is to run up to you, tie a bracelet to your wrist and then insist on you paying for it. I prefer to walk off and say "merci!" with a big smile.
Pickpockets also orchestrate attacks. Beware of bottlenecks and tight areas where lots of people congregate close together. Someone in the front of the line may "get into a fight" or "drop something", stopping the queue. Suddenly the person behind you "bumps into you" and your wallet is gone. The bus is also a great place to get robbed. Always wear your backpack in front of you on the bus, it's easy to slip a knife into your backpack and empty it out when it's behind you. Be extra careful at main bus/train stations, they're a great place for crime and not always well patrolled by police.
Places to be extra careful in Europe: Warsaw and its train station, Istanbul, Prague late at night(LOTS of drugs being sold, can get dangerous).
I just posted on mugging, so I figure what the hell? Why not ad pick pocketing advice to the mix? Living in Rome, I see Gypsies ALL the time, as in everyday. I get asked for spare change on almost a daily basis, but have yet to give anything out yet. I think about them a lot, but have to be careful how I handle beggars.
I realized just how horrible begging was when I visited Prague. I had seen a lot of poverty in Peru, Thailand and Poland, but it was more of an accepted living condition than a state of poverty or homelessness. People in Peru were poor, yes, but they were happy and content. They didn't spend a lot of time on the streets begging for loose change. They worked the fields.
Not to say there's not extreme poverty there, there most definitely was, but in a different way. In Prague, I remember walking off one of the main stretches in the city and onto a shopping avenue. I almost stepped on this guy on the ground. He was kneeling, body prostrate and limp in front of him, his face planted in the pavement. He had stretched out his spindly arms, a dark brown from soot, towards the passing crowd and held his hat in his hands for loose change.
I gave that guy change. I realized that even if he was a scam, even if he got up and got into a car at the end of the day (there's a lot of that out there, more than we realize) and had a place to stay for the night, or if he was a drunk, it didn't matter. The sheer fact that this man was willing to place himself in front of all these people, in this filth, with his face in the pavement that thousands of people walk on daily, made it worth whatever change I had in my pocket. I remember feeling the same way about a man in London who had on a coat in the subway, but nothing else. He was barefoot a week after Christmas in a stairwell in the subway, without any pants on. That is poverty.
I have always been rather cautious of beggars, I think, because I'm sensitive to being taken advantage of by others. Something in my mental makeup has made me severely cautious to people manipulating me, and it's the reason why I'm so cautious with friendships and relationships. I can be really scared sometimes.
But over the summer, a friend of mine showed me how to give with a pure heart. We were downtown in Rockford over the summer just walking around when a guy stopped us on the street and tried to sell us some drugs or something. Tim asked him if he wanted money, and the guy said yes. So Tim walked into one of the nicest restaurants in Rockford with this bum and bought him dinner. I've never been so humbled. That's humility and selflessness in action.
Since then, I've approached beggars with a different attitude: I can't enable them, but I can provide for them.
When I moved to Milwaukee, I found it interesting how beggars would target me instead of my roommate. I may just look like a sucker, but I figure there had to be something that set us apart. We're almost the same height and build, so it had to be presentation.
I began to change the way I looked, how I walked, and how I acted on the street. I know it sounds silly, but something as simple as looking like you know where you're going, not making eye contact, and walking briskly does wonders for avoiding bad situations. Most of all, just looked ticked, like you're irritated at everything you see. The downside is that no one is going to ask you for directions, but then again, you want people to leave you alone.
The only time I've been stopped by a gypsy was the 2nd day I was here when I let my guard down. Your face says everything. People on the street make a living off of begging, so they get really good at figuring out where the money is and who's giving it up. You don't have to be rich to be a target, you just have to be easy to read and look approachable.
It may sound ruthless to avoid beggars, but there's a flipside: no pickpockets. Generally, the casual pick pocket is going to avoid anybody that might be wise and is aware of their surroundings. Stick your hands in your pockets where you can feel your wallet (of course, all the really valuable stuff, like your passport, credit card, etc will be in your money pouch, tucked away safely inside your pants) and make yourself into a bad ass. People will leave you alone.
One more thing on pickpocketing if you're traveling in Europe: read Rick Steves. He has a lot of info on how to avoid bad situations. Gypsies will grab you by the arm to get your attention and bully you into buying something, people will guilt trip you, create distractions, women throw babies into your arms while they rifle your pockets. Italian children are infamous for mobbing tourists with little cardboard signs with things written on them, pushing them in your face and cleaning out your pockets while you read. Gypsies are smart.
In France, as you approach the Arc de Triomphe in the underground tunnel, watch out for the woman and her rasta friends that speak perfect English. She's very convincing and sounds like she's got something important to say, but she's really just selling a bracelet made from string. Another tactic is to run up to you, tie a bracelet to your wrist and then insist on you paying for it. I prefer to walk off and say "merci!" with a big smile.
Pickpockets also orchestrate attacks. Beware of bottlenecks and tight areas where lots of people congregate close together. Someone in the front of the line may "get into a fight" or "drop something", stopping the queue. Suddenly the person behind you "bumps into you" and your wallet is gone. The bus is also a great place to get robbed. Always wear your backpack in front of you on the bus, it's easy to slip a knife into your backpack and empty it out when it's behind you. Be extra careful at main bus/train stations, they're a great place for crime and not always well patrolled by police.
Places to be extra careful in Europe: Warsaw and its train station, Istanbul, Prague late at night(LOTS of drugs being sold, can get dangerous).
On how NOT to get mugged in Rome
I was in the library late last night looking at photo books, admiring pretty Italian women, typing emails and didn't get home until 10:30ish. I ate dinner and tried to go out, but my phone died, thus killing my social life for the night. I opted to stay at home with a bottle of cheap Sicilian Syrah and read a book until I fell asleep.
I woke up two hours later to the door slamming and someone yelling "I GOT MUGGED!" over and over while screaming and running into the apartment. At 3 a.m., I don't care if the president's been shot, I don't want to get up. But my roommate went back outside, which made me really worried. Going after the guys who just mugged you is rarely a good idea.
It turned out he had come home from the bars late, alone, at 3 a.m. He was drunk and was on the phone with a friend pacing back and forth in front of our apartment complex door. The guys came from either side, asked him for directions, then told him to give them his passport. He said he didn't have it and tried to get inside, and the two men pushed him against the door and put a knife to his throat. I don't think they had any real intention of hurting anyone, but pretty scary nonetheless. They took his wallet, 3 credit cards and his phone, plus the 10 euro he had on him.
When they went to run, my roommate managed to grab the one guy and slug him in the face, probably breaking his nose(he's an amateur boxer). He had blood on his shirt from hitting him. I managed to get him in the apartment, call his parents and cancel everything, and then calm him down.
Now, I've only got two more continent to hit up before I can claim I've been all over, and I've been through Europe, North America, Australia and some better parts of Asia. I've never been mugged or even pick pocketed. But in case you should ever be in a foreign country, there's few things you should know.
1. Don't advertise: no one needs to know how much money you have on you or where you keep it.
2. Never go anywhere alone, especially late at night.
3. Don't get yourself in situations where you are not in control (i.e. don't get too drunk that you can't tell what's going on and/or make stupid decisions)
4. Avoid carrying all of your valuable information on you at once(like passport, credit cards, IDs, tickets, etc.). It's better to split them up to reduce your losses. If the hotel has a safe and you can trust them, use it. Be cautious of leaving things in your hotel room in the open. Close the shades so no one can see inside.
5. Don't yell things in English at proper football(soccer) games. Most of the locals won't know what you're saying and will assume the worst. In Krakow, Poland, there are two teams that play once a season. The rivalry is so fierce that after the game, the crowds meet outside with 4x4s, chains, knives, etc. and someone usually dies. No joke.
6. Always ask for help, but be cautious of those that openly give it on the street.
7. Use your head and research your destination/flight/hotel/location before you go.
8. Don't be stupid: If 3 guys in a dark alley ask you for your camera and produce a knife to convince you, give it up. It's not worth your life. Better to insure your valuables before you leave.
Check out any one of Rick Steve's travel guides for more travel tips/info. He's full of wisdom and ideas on how to travel safely and avoid bad situations.
My roommate was lucky they only pushed him on the pavement. There's a dark alley near our apartment they could've pulled him into, it could've been much worse. Say a prayer for him and don't worry about me, I'm being careful!
I woke up two hours later to the door slamming and someone yelling "I GOT MUGGED!" over and over while screaming and running into the apartment. At 3 a.m., I don't care if the president's been shot, I don't want to get up. But my roommate went back outside, which made me really worried. Going after the guys who just mugged you is rarely a good idea.
It turned out he had come home from the bars late, alone, at 3 a.m. He was drunk and was on the phone with a friend pacing back and forth in front of our apartment complex door. The guys came from either side, asked him for directions, then told him to give them his passport. He said he didn't have it and tried to get inside, and the two men pushed him against the door and put a knife to his throat. I don't think they had any real intention of hurting anyone, but pretty scary nonetheless. They took his wallet, 3 credit cards and his phone, plus the 10 euro he had on him.
When they went to run, my roommate managed to grab the one guy and slug him in the face, probably breaking his nose(he's an amateur boxer). He had blood on his shirt from hitting him. I managed to get him in the apartment, call his parents and cancel everything, and then calm him down.
Now, I've only got two more continent to hit up before I can claim I've been all over, and I've been through Europe, North America, Australia and some better parts of Asia. I've never been mugged or even pick pocketed. But in case you should ever be in a foreign country, there's few things you should know.
1. Don't advertise: no one needs to know how much money you have on you or where you keep it.
2. Never go anywhere alone, especially late at night.
3. Don't get yourself in situations where you are not in control (i.e. don't get too drunk that you can't tell what's going on and/or make stupid decisions)
4. Avoid carrying all of your valuable information on you at once(like passport, credit cards, IDs, tickets, etc.). It's better to split them up to reduce your losses. If the hotel has a safe and you can trust them, use it. Be cautious of leaving things in your hotel room in the open. Close the shades so no one can see inside.
5. Don't yell things in English at proper football(soccer) games. Most of the locals won't know what you're saying and will assume the worst. In Krakow, Poland, there are two teams that play once a season. The rivalry is so fierce that after the game, the crowds meet outside with 4x4s, chains, knives, etc. and someone usually dies. No joke.
6. Always ask for help, but be cautious of those that openly give it on the street.
7. Use your head and research your destination/flight/hotel/location before you go.
8. Don't be stupid: If 3 guys in a dark alley ask you for your camera and produce a knife to convince you, give it up. It's not worth your life. Better to insure your valuables before you leave.
Check out any one of Rick Steve's travel guides for more travel tips/info. He's full of wisdom and ideas on how to travel safely and avoid bad situations.
My roommate was lucky they only pushed him on the pavement. There's a dark alley near our apartment they could've pulled him into, it could've been much worse. Say a prayer for him and don't worry about me, I'm being careful!
Wednesday, February 07, 2007
On Mass with Vatican higher-ups, or the time I snuck into St. Peter's
So some friends asked me if I wanted to go to Mass this morning at 7 am. It was early, but hey, what the heck? I'm in Rome! Of course I want to go to Mass. Plus, I want to start doing daily mass on a regular basis.
So we showed up just as they were shutting the night time lights off. As my friend Gretchen mentioned, it's quite beautiful at night. St. Peter's square is especially beautiful at night after a good rain. I highly recommend it.
Anyway, we made our way to the front of the Vatican to the main altar, because that's where Mass would logically be, right? We knew something was wrong when we sat behind 100 or so priests, followed by another hundred that sat behind us. Feeling really awkward in my khaki cargo pants and blue sweater, I realized I was the only man in the crowd without a collar. Of course, my awkwardness can't compare to my friends Esther and Gillian, who were the only females in the crowd save the nun singing.
Eager to know who was saying Mass, we tried our best to blend and avoid dirty looks from security while waiting for Mass to start. When it finally did, a man in white who looked like at least a Bishop or Cardinal walked to the altar. I did a double take and realized it was Cardinal Bertone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Bertone). I had just been introduced to him the night before when I read Time Magazine's interview with the Vatican Secretary of State. Basically, if there's a #2 at the Vatican, it's Bertone. He's the Pope's right hand man, diplomat and runs the Vatican and the Church when the Pope is unable, away or ill.
So here I was, sitting in a crowd of 300 priests( who I towered over), clearly at the wrong Mass, receiving communion from the number 2 man in the entire Catholic Church. As in this guy directly influences, in part leads 1.1 billion people.
After Mass, security finally became aware of our presence and ushered us out. We also had to gloat at the 300+ people behind us(where we were supposed to be) and behind gates with the rest of the laity.
Unbelievably, we snuck into an exclusive Mass said by the second most powerful man in the Catholic Church who gave me communion. I'm still reeling from this whole experience.
At the end of mass, all I could do was put my head in my hands and laugh, because God's sense of humor is truly divine. I had just read the interview with this guy the night before, and here I was standing next to him. Only in Rome.
So we showed up just as they were shutting the night time lights off. As my friend Gretchen mentioned, it's quite beautiful at night. St. Peter's square is especially beautiful at night after a good rain. I highly recommend it.
Anyway, we made our way to the front of the Vatican to the main altar, because that's where Mass would logically be, right? We knew something was wrong when we sat behind 100 or so priests, followed by another hundred that sat behind us. Feeling really awkward in my khaki cargo pants and blue sweater, I realized I was the only man in the crowd without a collar. Of course, my awkwardness can't compare to my friends Esther and Gillian, who were the only females in the crowd save the nun singing.
Eager to know who was saying Mass, we tried our best to blend and avoid dirty looks from security while waiting for Mass to start. When it finally did, a man in white who looked like at least a Bishop or Cardinal walked to the altar. I did a double take and realized it was Cardinal Bertone (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinal_Bertone). I had just been introduced to him the night before when I read Time Magazine's interview with the Vatican Secretary of State. Basically, if there's a #2 at the Vatican, it's Bertone. He's the Pope's right hand man, diplomat and runs the Vatican and the Church when the Pope is unable, away or ill.
So here I was, sitting in a crowd of 300 priests( who I towered over), clearly at the wrong Mass, receiving communion from the number 2 man in the entire Catholic Church. As in this guy directly influences, in part leads 1.1 billion people.
After Mass, security finally became aware of our presence and ushered us out. We also had to gloat at the 300+ people behind us(where we were supposed to be) and behind gates with the rest of the laity.
Unbelievably, we snuck into an exclusive Mass said by the second most powerful man in the Catholic Church who gave me communion. I'm still reeling from this whole experience.
At the end of mass, all I could do was put my head in my hands and laugh, because God's sense of humor is truly divine. I had just read the interview with this guy the night before, and here I was standing next to him. Only in Rome.
ah, Paris! And nutella banana crepes
I was feeling depressed and a little sorry for myself last week, so I called someone I had met on the plane over here. As I wrote about in my post on rewarding friendships with the opposite sex, I had a really great talk with someone I barely knew. Tina and I have a lot in common(despite our height difference: she's 4'11" and I'm 6'7") and our families are a lot alike.
I randomly asked her if she wanted to go to Paris, on a whim, and she agreed despite knowing me for 4 hours. We had a blast.
I had heard pretty terrible things about the Parisians: anti-American, rude, snooty and mean. All wrong from what I experienced. Parisians don't seem to be any worse than New Yorkers or White Sox fans(vicious, I know), and were really helpful. Our first day there, we did the whole Louvre in 5 hours, every floor, every wing.
I was exhausted, disappointed in the Mona Lisa(Hammurabi's Code is waaaayy better) and happy I milked the museum for all it was worth. While frowning in front of Leo D's greatest work, the Australians from Brisbane remarked "looks nice, mate. Where's the pub?" See the Egyptian exhibit if you get the chance, very worth it.
That night, we found a Lebanese restaurant next to our hotel and had no idea what to order. A woman from Belgium who had been living in Paris leaned over and showed us what to order. I was recovering from an ear/throat infection during all this, but never felt testy around Paris, everyone was very accommodating.
The next day, we visited La Defense, a testament to Paris' design consciousness and architectural genius. Cold, but much like walking through a sand castle contest, trying to figure out which sculpture is the coolest.
Afterwards we hopped the RER(subway) to the Arch de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees(Shahn-zay-lee-zay). Really breathtaking. You have a lot more respect for France's military(but not too much. Did you hear the French army is having a sale on weapons? Pretty cheap, and only dropped twice ;) The walk from the Arch to the De Gaulle statue is well worth it and gives you a good feeling for the city.
Tina and I managed to make it all the way to the Louvre, where we had crepes(apricot) and admired the Obelisk of Luxor. Still a little bewildered at traveling with one another, Tina payed me one of the nicest comments I've ever received: "you know why I like you so much? Because you're not fake, you're just you. Everybody's quirky and weird underneath, but afraid to show it. You're not, and you're just yourself." (but she thought of it in the bathroom. Wonder what inspired her) Very nice of her to say, I was flattered.
Somewhere around this time, we made it to Beaubourg(which I still can't say, it's like "beau-boh" or something) where I interviewed a photographer I met on the internet. You can see his work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/all_the_names_are_already_taken_pfff/
A little scary at first, I know. But explore his portraits, he's excellent and well published for only starting 2 years ago.
He was one of the nicest people I've met and incredibly inspiring. I'm going to blog about him soon.
That night, we bought a bottle of wine and some ice cream and sat down with the 3 algerians running our hotel. They were awesome. One is an opera singer and a biologist, all three were going to school for their masters or doctorate, and they had great advice on cheese and what to do in Paris. I made a lot of friends.
I didn't fully wake up on Sunday until I reached Notre Dame Cathedral. If you know anything about the state of Catholic Europe, then you might be familiar with the dire state of France. France is perhaps the worst off of the classically Catholic European countries, and, unfortunately, it's showing. I really got a taste for how far off the deep end France has gone, and how much of its previous Catholic identity has been lost. People don't really go to Mass for Mass, they go to take pictures and leave halfway through. Out of everywhere I've been, this was the worst. Especially when compared to Poland (but more on that later).
However, if there is one place that makes me hopeful, it's probably Notre Dame. This great cathedral is such a magnificent monument to medieval architecture that it breathes Catholicity. Its name, Notre Dame de Paris, means "Our Lady of Paris" and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Few places on earth have taken my breath away: The Sunday evening Mass at the Dominican Church in Krakow, The Vatican, Grand Teton, the Great Barrier Reef. Notre Dame is one of them. God put something extra special in this great cathedral, and it has convinced me that no matter how dire the situation is in the Church, there is always hope. That is what I found in Notre Dame: Hope.
Since taking photography seriously, I have a reputation for stopping in the middle of the street and proclaiming "ooooo, fabulous light." Notre Dame has fabulous lighting. No artificial light is needed, because the sunlight brightens it from the Nave to the sea of intention candles at the back.
I lit one, and plan to start a photo series of lit candles for people I know. Thought it might be cool.
After Notre Dame, I had the eating a baguette, camembert and goat cheese under the Eiffel Tower. We also found some Orangina, a French soft drink that has orange pulp in it. Weird, but just my style. Afterwards, we climbed( as in stairs) to the second floor of the Eiffel tower as the sun was setting. I only had black and white film, but I think the photographs will be quite nice.
That last night in Paris, I interviewed another photographer who is also quite good. You can see his photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughes_leglise/
Make sure to explore some of his black and whites. They're quite brilliant. He's a really nice guy, I was late to the interview and he came back!
I payed 35 euro to watch the Superbowl at The Hard Rock Cafe with some Bears fans, and despite the loss it was worth it. Made a lot of friends and then wandered through paris at 4 am after the game. One of the guys was Bulgarian, but had been living in Chicago most of his life. Thick Chicago accent, great guy, been practically everywhere. Another girl is teaching english an hour from Paris and doing quite well.
I stayed up all night for the Superbowl, but made it back to Rome by noon. Paris is wonderful, and I got a great friend out of it. Thanks Tina!
I randomly asked her if she wanted to go to Paris, on a whim, and she agreed despite knowing me for 4 hours. We had a blast.
I had heard pretty terrible things about the Parisians: anti-American, rude, snooty and mean. All wrong from what I experienced. Parisians don't seem to be any worse than New Yorkers or White Sox fans(vicious, I know), and were really helpful. Our first day there, we did the whole Louvre in 5 hours, every floor, every wing.
I was exhausted, disappointed in the Mona Lisa(Hammurabi's Code is waaaayy better) and happy I milked the museum for all it was worth. While frowning in front of Leo D's greatest work, the Australians from Brisbane remarked "looks nice, mate. Where's the pub?" See the Egyptian exhibit if you get the chance, very worth it.
That night, we found a Lebanese restaurant next to our hotel and had no idea what to order. A woman from Belgium who had been living in Paris leaned over and showed us what to order. I was recovering from an ear/throat infection during all this, but never felt testy around Paris, everyone was very accommodating.
The next day, we visited La Defense, a testament to Paris' design consciousness and architectural genius. Cold, but much like walking through a sand castle contest, trying to figure out which sculpture is the coolest.
Afterwards we hopped the RER(subway) to the Arch de Triomphe and the Champs Elysees(Shahn-zay-lee-zay). Really breathtaking. You have a lot more respect for France's military(but not too much. Did you hear the French army is having a sale on weapons? Pretty cheap, and only dropped twice ;) The walk from the Arch to the De Gaulle statue is well worth it and gives you a good feeling for the city.
Tina and I managed to make it all the way to the Louvre, where we had crepes(apricot) and admired the Obelisk of Luxor. Still a little bewildered at traveling with one another, Tina payed me one of the nicest comments I've ever received: "you know why I like you so much? Because you're not fake, you're just you. Everybody's quirky and weird underneath, but afraid to show it. You're not, and you're just yourself." (but she thought of it in the bathroom. Wonder what inspired her) Very nice of her to say, I was flattered.
Somewhere around this time, we made it to Beaubourg(which I still can't say, it's like "beau-boh" or something) where I interviewed a photographer I met on the internet. You can see his work here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/all_the_names_are_already_taken_pfff/
A little scary at first, I know. But explore his portraits, he's excellent and well published for only starting 2 years ago.
He was one of the nicest people I've met and incredibly inspiring. I'm going to blog about him soon.
That night, we bought a bottle of wine and some ice cream and sat down with the 3 algerians running our hotel. They were awesome. One is an opera singer and a biologist, all three were going to school for their masters or doctorate, and they had great advice on cheese and what to do in Paris. I made a lot of friends.
I didn't fully wake up on Sunday until I reached Notre Dame Cathedral. If you know anything about the state of Catholic Europe, then you might be familiar with the dire state of France. France is perhaps the worst off of the classically Catholic European countries, and, unfortunately, it's showing. I really got a taste for how far off the deep end France has gone, and how much of its previous Catholic identity has been lost. People don't really go to Mass for Mass, they go to take pictures and leave halfway through. Out of everywhere I've been, this was the worst. Especially when compared to Poland (but more on that later).
However, if there is one place that makes me hopeful, it's probably Notre Dame. This great cathedral is such a magnificent monument to medieval architecture that it breathes Catholicity. Its name, Notre Dame de Paris, means "Our Lady of Paris" and is dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Few places on earth have taken my breath away: The Sunday evening Mass at the Dominican Church in Krakow, The Vatican, Grand Teton, the Great Barrier Reef. Notre Dame is one of them. God put something extra special in this great cathedral, and it has convinced me that no matter how dire the situation is in the Church, there is always hope. That is what I found in Notre Dame: Hope.
Since taking photography seriously, I have a reputation for stopping in the middle of the street and proclaiming "ooooo, fabulous light." Notre Dame has fabulous lighting. No artificial light is needed, because the sunlight brightens it from the Nave to the sea of intention candles at the back.
I lit one, and plan to start a photo series of lit candles for people I know. Thought it might be cool.
After Notre Dame, I had the eating a baguette, camembert and goat cheese under the Eiffel Tower. We also found some Orangina, a French soft drink that has orange pulp in it. Weird, but just my style. Afterwards, we climbed( as in stairs) to the second floor of the Eiffel tower as the sun was setting. I only had black and white film, but I think the photographs will be quite nice.
That last night in Paris, I interviewed another photographer who is also quite good. You can see his photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/hughes_leglise/
Make sure to explore some of his black and whites. They're quite brilliant. He's a really nice guy, I was late to the interview and he came back!
I payed 35 euro to watch the Superbowl at The Hard Rock Cafe with some Bears fans, and despite the loss it was worth it. Made a lot of friends and then wandered through paris at 4 am after the game. One of the guys was Bulgarian, but had been living in Chicago most of his life. Thick Chicago accent, great guy, been practically everywhere. Another girl is teaching english an hour from Paris and doing quite well.
I stayed up all night for the Superbowl, but made it back to Rome by noon. Paris is wonderful, and I got a great friend out of it. Thanks Tina!
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