Day 202

When I began studying photography in grade ten, I didn’t carry my camera around with me all the time. It was only as my passion for photography began to develop that the world transformed in front of my eyes and beauty began to present itself in places I’d least expect to find it. It took a few unexpected moments of beauty to pass me by when I didn’t have my camera to realize that I needed to carry it around with me all the time. I quickly became obsessed with capturing moments and things of beauty, perhaps because I was so fascinated with the new way I was seeing the world.

When I attended the photographic workshop a couple months ago, someone had asked Bryce Bennett when (or if) he ever puts down his camera. At what point does a photographer stop to enjoy a moment without being behind a camera or feeling as though they have to capture it? Bryce had said that it took him a long time to realize that he could not spend his life behind a lens. When he chooses to leave his camera behind on an outing, he leaves it knowing that he cannot capture everything and that’s okay.

I began thinking about this. I too understand this pressure, this need to capture and document everything I am experiencing. In the past seven months my camera has almost always been tucked away in my bag whenever I go out and this has never been a problem. But while I was in Greece, I began feeling that my need to document everything was getting in the way of actually experiencing what I was capturing.

Yesterday I read Kerry Clare’s “Georgia Coffee Star”, winner of the U of T Alumni Short Story Contest in 2009. The passage below made me think even more about finding the balance between capturing moments but also experiencing some of them without my camera and being okay with that.

“Thomas had viewed so much of their six weeks in Asia through his lens, he might as well have watched it on television. He was utterly incapable of experience, preoccupied with documentation at a level that was disconcerting. Frustrating. Even when his seascapes all just blended into one, he’d argue memories did the same. Which memories didn’t do, Mo was sure. Or at least when they did, they were supposed to, fading and blending all part of a memory’s design.”

I have often taken a picture of a subject, and it is only when I look at it on a computer screen that I see it’s intricate details, its overall beauty. Sometimes it's as if I'm seeing the subject for the first time. This saddens me, for I would have liked to have noticed and experienced these things at the time.

During my last few days in Greece, my camera had run out of memory. I was getting tired of lugging it around and stopping every five seconds to document another moment of beauty. I was not ready to leave my hotel without a camera so I bought a small disposal camera and carried that around with me for the last three days. I have decided that this is the best compromise and the best balance of being able to experience things as well as documenting them. When I have room to take 1,000 photos it is much harder to stop and take in what I am capturing; instead, I find myself capturing the moment or subject through a series of photos.

The last three days in Greece I had only twenty four photos, so one chance to capture a subject. Instead of briefly looking at a subject and then capturing it I was forced to study it, decide if it was worth documenting and really take in its full beauty (or lack of beauty). Out of the 1,000 photos I took during those nine days in Santorini, this one, taken on my £4 disposal camera, is by far my favourite. I can connect with the photo because it brings me back to the overall feeling, smells and sounds of this precise moment, the moment I stopped to finally experience the beauty I was witnessing without being tucked behind my camera lens.

Day 200

Day 200. Nineteen days of London left. Excuse me?

This week was pretty spectacular.

Tuesday I took a road trip to the small sea side town of Essex with a friend where we walked along the beach for a good two hours!

On Thursday Pona and I went to Westminster Abbey, a coronation church since 1066. There are seventeen monarchs buried in the church and the original tombs, stained glass windows and paintings were so beautiful.

Friday was another spectacular day. It started with me learning how to drive in an abandoned parking lot/field. It took a few high pitched squeals and almost crashing my friend's car in a ditch the first minute I got behind the wheel (we both screamed really loudly) for me to get the hang of it all, but once I did, I really enjoyed it! I'm now kicking myself for not taking any lessons/taking the second part of my test during my time here.

I then met up with Pona at the Shakespeare Globe theatre to see a production of Macbeth. I have never been one for Shakespeare, despite the fact that I've always wished that I could be one of those intellectuals who sat around drinking coffee with some other really smart person while comparing all of his plays and rambling on about what a genius he was. Sadly, I will never be one of those people. But I have to say, I actually really, really liked the play (this could possibly be due to the fact that there were lots of fit men prancing around without their shirts on...is it sad that I was only half listening to what they were saying because I was too busy focusing on their torsos?) The theatre itself is beautiful-it is outdoors with seats in a semi circle around the stage.

Pona is an actress with the Canadian Opera Company and was recently a part of the production Carmen. The person who conducted the show is now the conductor of The Pearl Fishers playing here in London and invited us to see the dress rehearsal. It was so amazing! The sets were beautiful, the singing was breathtaking (I've always wished I could sing) and it felt really neat to be seeing the show before its official start date.

Today I went to visit my nanny & grandad (who are visiting from Canada) in Surrey where I saw my second and third cousins and my great aunts and uncles (it's all a bit confusing). I always enjoy listening to all of their stories from when they were younger and their memories of my sister and I.

So here's to 200 days of London, and the nineteen days ahead. I'm ready to make the most of them.

xx

Greece, Day 196

Day 1

Pona and I arrived at Gatwick airport at 1.00 in the morning. We were both so tried but so excited! There were people all around us sleeping on blankets & huddled in groups. As I am not one for pulling all nighters, I ended up sleeping on the cold airport floor, using my bag as my pillow. Concrete floors get pretty cold & uncomfortable after about an hour, but by that time (4.30 am…yay) we were able to check in. Pona and I were so giddy it was ridiculous!

The minute I stepped off the plane, I knew I was in Greece; there were small white washed buildings scattered everywhere, water on all sides and a huge cliff in the distance. Pona and I were dressed for London weather (sweaters, jeans, scarves) and the first thing I did when we got to the hotel was change into SUMMER clothes...I was pretty excited. I was struck by how traditional everything was, how everything was exactly how I had pictured it. We had a small balcony outside our room

and all we could see were white homes with blue shutters, laundry hanging outside of windows. The architecture in Greece is so simple, yet so distinct and bright. The noises were very distinct as well. Sitting on the balcony, I was surrounded by noise of outdoor radios, clinks of cutlery and squeals of children. The air smelt of Greek food and sea salt, a good combination if you ask me!

Day 2

Pona and I were both struck with how relaxed everyone is in Greece; the heat makes everyone slow down. We sat and ate breakfast for two hours on a patio and just watched the world go by…it was pretty lovely!

We then took a bus to Oia (I was amazed at the simplicity of the bus system. There are only about four greyhound buses to take you to different parts of the island and the timetables are printed on a single piece of paper, hung up on the wall in the bus parking lot). We travelled up a cliff and the view out the window was so amazing.

Oia was just how I pictured it-hotels and houses perched on the edge of the cliff looking out onto the sea. The main path was made of marble and the white buildings were almost blinding.

Sunsets in Oia are supposed to be truly breathtaking and unique, so Pona and I decided to wait to watch it set. It was a bit of a fail because it was really cloudy and we were quite disappointed! There is an area built of stone perched really, really high above the village where people gather everyday to drink, eat and watch the sun set.

We could see the whole village and because everything is open (I love the walls that have doors in the middle of them, yet no roof) we could see everyone in the whole town who were walking outside.

Day 3

Today was a truly amazing day. Pona and I walked down the hundreds of steps down to the port to catch a boat to the Volcano. As the boat got father away from Fira, the village got smaller and smaller; seeing it from far away made me realize just how high it is perched on the cliff.

See the zigzag at the far left of the photo? Those are the steps that people use to get from the town to the port (most people use donkeys because there are hundreds of steps).

We climbed the volcano that created the island of Santorini

and the views from the top were breathtaking.

We then got to the hot springs which were amazing. We had to swim around the boat and all of a sudden the water got really warm, as if there was a line down the middle of the sea…it was bizarre!

We then made our way to a very, very small island called Thirasia.

It was quite amazing to see this island, simply because it was in the absolute middle of no where. It opened my eyes in a way to, as naïve as this sounds, the world- that people live on tiny islands, thriving off tourist business. What a way of life!

We then took a boat to the port of Oia, where we suntanned for a very long time. There was no one around and it was so beautiful and calm. There was one restaurant, the owner sitting on the patio. I wondered how much business he got daily (probably next to nothing) and thought again of the different ways people live their lives.

Day 4

Today we went to Kamari Beach, a black sand beach. The sand gets SOO hot and I could see waves of heat coming off of it! The water was so blue and there was a huge cliff to our right.

Pona and I found a spot under some umbrellas,

stayed silent for about five minutes and then looked at each other and went, “this is pretty much the life.”

Day 5&6

We did some more beach relaxing both of these days. On day 6 we tried a new beach called Perissa Beach and we both liked it better than Kamari. The sun beds felt like actual beds…Pona and I felt a little guilty about all the relaxing we were doing so on day 7 decided to climb up a cliff……

Day 7

Ancient Thira sits on top of a huge cliff near Perissa Beach. The ancient homes and cemeteries were dug up by archaeologists in the late 80s. The buildings date back to the Hellenistic era (just before the Roman Empire emerged). The walk was uphill and was supposed to take less than an hour. Pona and I felt so accomplished walking up the cliff! We met some people near the middle who told us to be really careful near the top as the wind was really strong. We were almost to the top but had to stop because the wind was too strong. There were no barricades along the edge or anything, so we decided to turn back. The views from where we climbed to were spectacular!



Day 8

Today was amazing. We went to Red Beach, a small beach backed by a huge cliff of volcanic rock. The winds were really strong today again and the tide came up all the way to the cliff. The waves were as big as me! I felt so lucky today to be standing on that beach, surrounded by miles and miles of turquoise water and the crunching sound of the waves as they curled over. The beach itself was tucked away and there was this moment when we rounded the corner of the cliff where I sucked in my breath, taken by the beauty of it all. It felt so much more beautiful because of the fact that it was tucked away and private. It was then that I felt overwhelmingly lucky to be there, to be tasting the salt of the water on my lips and listening to the waves crash on the rocks.

Day 9

Today was such an amazing last day. We started out at the market, looking down all the small lanes we hadn’t been down before. We then made our way to the Port by walking down all the stone steps. Walking down those steps made me feel as if I was in a completely different world-the view for one thing, but also the fact that there were donkeys lined up along the stone (Pona called them “Beasts of Burden”…it was a little sad) and old men herding them up and down the cliff.

The donkeys are actually really intelligent-they know where to step, not to trample or kick people, when to stop and when to go. There was one blocking the way and I TRIED to talk to it instead of pushing it out of the way like everyone else, when Pona said, “You do know that you’re talking to a donkey…”

We took a donkey on the way back up and it was an incredible experience! Once I calmed down and realized that my donkey was really not stupid and knew what it was doing, I was able to enjoy the amazing view beside me.

I wondered today what Santorini would be like if it wasn’t touched by tourism. I think it would hold even more magic-it would be so surreal to any outsider. Riding the donkeys up the cliff today made me realize that they are not just there for tourist fun, they are there because that is the traditional way people get around.

We then hopped on a bus to Oia to see the sunset properly this time. It really was amazing and I am so glad that we went back to see it again. It was an amazing sight to see all the people lined up around the village, taking photos and enjoying the view.

The world really is a beautiful place, filled with interesting people, eccentric traditions, lovely smells. I feel so fortunate to have witnessed small moments of beauty on this trip, to have been to places not everyone can say they’ve been to. I just can’t wait to see even more of what the world has to offer.

Back in London! Day 191

Santorini was everything I had hoped it to be and more. I have about 1000 photos to sort through, so I will be posting a lengthy blog/photos tomorrow!

This Week in Photos

My friend from Canada arrived on Monday! Strangely, her arrival made me incredibly homesick but it is really nice to have her around. When I picked her up at the airport, it was weird to think she had been in Canada only hours before.

Photos I took this week around London:

The Tower of London:

(Pona and I saw the Crown Jewels but couldn't take photos. They were very sparkly!)

Buckingham Palace

(because the flag was at the top of the poll, we knew the Queen was home. I kept on expecting her to pop out for a moment and wave.....................that didn't happen, in case you were wondering).

Oxford Circus in the evening:

We take off for Greece tomorrow (we won't be anywhere near Athens). I'm excited!
Apparently there is still a problem with the volcanic ash so our flight could actually get cancelled, so PLEASE cross your fingers for us!

Happy Mother's Day! Day 180

I love my mum!

Day 179

This week has gone by so fast...I haven't even blogged once.

I will be posting two new blogs tomorrow! x

Leamington Spa, Day 173

It is the beginning of May (ummm...MAY?!?!)

Suddenly my departure date has appeared along the horizon of my mind and doesn't seem so far away. The thought of coming home is really nerve racking. Though I'm aware that people have changed, I'm still hoping that everything can go back to how it was before I left. And though this sounds dramatic, I'm hoping that I haven't been forgotten, that I will be able to fit back into my friends lives with ease.

This weekend Samantha and I went to visit my aunt Louise and cousin Poppy in Leamington Spa, a town a couple hours away from London. I feel fortunate to have been able to travel to many different parts of England during my time here. I love how each town and village I have visited has been different in its own way.


Leamington Spa reminded me of a bigger version of the fictional town Stars Hollow (from the show The Gilmor Girls). We seemed to be surrounded by people who had been plucked out of a catalogue and everything was just so peachy. We passed this amazing sweet shop that all the small children hung outside of:


Beside it was milkshake place and I actually laughed (rather rudely) as this young couple strolled into it hand in hand. It just seemed like such a stereotypical-small town-place to go for a date.

We walked around the local park (I don't know if the photos do it justice but it really was quite stunning):


I've noticed that towns and villages in England make a lot of effort in preserving their own history and originality. In many cases, all the stores are housed in original buildings and I think this is what gives each town a distinct vibe.


I'd definitely like to move to Leamington Spa...I seem to say that about every single place I visit, I know.

My friend Pona from Canada arrives TOMORROW. And Greece is in eight days! AH.