Spring 2005 Photo Archive
Finals London
27 April 05
This is the final week in for me London. Featuring: final Political Science exam, final show I went to (Sam Prekop at the Bush Hall), and the final Indian meal I'll eat. That panoramic shot of us studying up before the test may not be one of my best, but it's easily one of my favorites.Lord's Cricket
26 April 05
Cricket is a crazy game. At first I didn't want to like it. But I got a chance to watch one half of a match (it took close to three hours) a the Mecca of Cricket, Lord's. The more I observed, the more I was drawn in. You can try to compare it with baseball, but it's nothing like it. You would have to remove the foul lines, take away two of the bases, and throw in another batter. That would be a good start.DJ Format at the Mean Fiddler
23 April 05
Not really knowing what to expect, I got a pleasant surprise from DJ Format last Thursday night. He took the stage with two Canadian MCs, Abdominal and D-sisive. At first, I took a look at all three of these guys andamp; wondered how they were up stage and not stuck behind the counter of a Blockbuster. I think everyone was aware of their own social background, as the show was extremely white-kid-from-the-suburbs-friendly. That's not to say it wasn't entertaining. Format's got some good hooks, and Abdominal knew how to keep a crowd interested. The set only lasted about an hour or so, which was appropriate. Afterwards, Format spun some break-beats for about a half an hour. The instrumentals Format played solo was much more involving than the hip hop, so I'm interested in seeing how well his stuff holds up through the headphones.London City Limits
16 April 05
I have only two more weeks in London. I'm still stretching out my familiarity with the area by going to a couple new places on the outskirts of the city. Aside from the couple shots in Bloomsbury, there's the Tricycle Theatre, around in Chelsea, and the Charlton match against the Bolton Wanderers.Stratford Butterfly Farm
10 April 05
While in Stratford, with a couple spare hours at my hand, I walked over to the butterfly farm that was right next to my hotel. Not only did it provide a hot and humid haven from the blustery winds outside, there were butterflies, everywhere. I found myself flinching constantly as they fluttered past my face. The farm also hosted a fantastic huge bug exhibit featuring a black widow spider, those creepy walking stick insects, and a tarantula as big as my fist. Very exciting.Stratford Upon Avon / Warwick Castle
10 April 05
Shakespeare's stomping grounds for a day. The group saw two productions of the Royal Shakespeare Company. We were greated with one hell of a cold snap while there. Flurries in April are not what I had in mind. We then stopped by Warwick Castle for a couple hours, at least the sun came out.Oxford
9 April 05
This weekend features a jaunt over to Oxford. Continuing with the solid tourist-performances of the past couple weeks, all the local monuments and places of interest were spotted: Carfax Tower, Radcliffe Camera, Trinity College, River Cherwell, the track where the 4 minute mile was broken, and Christ Church College, where a couple scenes from the Harry Potter movies were filmed.No signs of Billy Clinton could be found, but as an international student, his presence could be felt in the air.
Sites of Paris
6 April 05
More Paris shots: Arc de Triomphe, Musée d'Orsay, Notre Dame, Sacre Coeur, Gard du Nord. All seen in a couple day's time. Enough of this tourism.Paris with Friends
5 April 05
I've never been one to pull out my camera and push my friends together and make them smile for the cute picture. Instead, I'll point and shoot at inopportune moments, when they wouldn't expect it and consequently they won't like it. This act is either regarded with annoyance or interest. I apologize. At least I come away with some fun pictures. Paris was full of 'em.The Lourve
4 April 05
No trip to Paris would be complete without a trip to the Louvre. Sadly, the trip's itinerary called for only a couple hours in the world's largest musuem. You could spend a month in there and still not see everything. But our group did the run of Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, and some Rembrandts. I was more impressed with the building itself, a former palace accented with I.M. Pei's modern work. After reading The da Vinci Code, seeing the locale helped visualize that first chapter.Eiffel Tower
3 April 05
For the past two days I had the pleasure of going to every-mom's-favorite-European-city: Paris. Of course, lots of pictures were taken. In the short while I was there, I tourist-ed through all the big sites. And like any good tourist, I couldn't put my camera away while at the Eiffel Tower. Shots at twilight, night, the next day, from below, inside, above, far away.Paris at night from far above
3 April 05
While up on top of the Eiffel Tower, I took the opportunity to capture the incredible view. These shots weren't just the point and shoot kind. To get a good long exposure, I had to set the camera on the ledge of the railing. Factor in the high-attitude gales, cold air, and the strobe lights going off, and you'll get an idea of how ridiculous it all was. Nevermind any notions of vertigo (I've got nerves a la Steven Segal). But these were definitely worth all the trouble.Family in London
28 March 05
Seven weeks marks the longest time I have gone without seeing any member of my family. But the fam did fly in this weekend to come see all the fun stuff I've been doing. In the few days we were together, I felt like I past by every tourist attraction possible. We're an efficient family.Barcelona: Everything Else
26 March 05
MNAC, the beach, the market, a couple bars, Catedral, in another park. So ends my week in Barcelona. Back to London.Barcelona: Gaudi's City
23 March 05
One of the defining characteristics of Barcelona is the work of Antoni Gaudí. His surreal architecture may be found all over the city. When you first walk past one of his buildings, you don't know what to make of it. But walking around in them is quite a marvel. In one day, we past by three Gaudí locations: Casa Milá, the temple of Sagrada Familia, and Park Guell.Barcelona: Part One
20 March 05
The past week was my spring break. Last Saturday I headed off to Barcelona with three crazy ladies: Gwen, Jenny, and Monica. We spent seven days in the city, where I was contastly taking pictures. The next couple entries will all be from that trip.We left Saturday from Stansted airport. Our hostel was located in Barcelona's gothic quarter, Barri Gotic, right in the heart of the city. So that first day we just walked around the city, getting a lay of the land. To the Parc de la Ciutadella, in front of the Gaudí fountain, on the beach, through Barceloneta, past Moll de Bosch i Alsina, under Mirador de Colón, and eventually we found Gaudi's Casa Batilló later that night.