From the monthly archives:

September 2009

Graffiti Photo Journal

by Elena on September 22, 2009

IMGP3147 Graffiti has been around for quite some time, perhaps since the Ancient Greeks and Roman Empire (doesn’t it seem like the Greeks and Romans invented and did just about everything). While some may view graffiti and other forms of art in public space as ‘vandalism,’ it is a valued form of expression for many others. When cities work in conjunction with artists, the art becomes more than a few tags on someone’s wall.

Walking around Montreal, in particular downtown or the Plateau, it is inevitable to pass many murals. The city of Montreal encourages, or at least allows, artists to display their talents outside of art galleries for all to see. Similar to the way the city handles other forms of artistic expression, such as Tam Tams, Montreal does not discriminate.

I’ve heard people describe Montreal as a ‘boho’ city, and for lack of a better description, I’ve used ‘boho’ a few times myself. The modern appropriation of the word bohemian would have us believe that everyone walks around in open sandals, flowy, floral skirts, and with, how shall I say, a lax concern for personal hygiene. Loaded stereotypes aside, historically a bohemian is an artist, and adventurer who strive for their romanticized beliefs, and in this Francophone/ Anglophone city, that spirit lingers.

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NY Times Writes About Asbury Park

by Elena on September 13, 2009

Image via: Matthew Weinstein for NYTimes

Funny enough, the same day that I decided to post my Asbury Park photographs, the New York Times Travel Section publishes an article about the Eclectic Renaissance of Asbury Park. This goes to show that the travel powers that be concur, Asbury is back.

Asbury Park Casino In the casino, this map displays many of the changes that will be taking place on and near the boardwalk.

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Jewel of the Jersey Shore Asbury Park

by Elena on September 11, 2009

Image via: Shorpy
Throughout the 90s and 2000, Asbury Park has seen better days. Once known as the jewel of the Jersey Shore, the famous beach town changed from a popular summer getaway to a forgotten, ghost town, on account of economic hard times, corruption, and the riots of 1970. Still the mystique of Asbury Park has never been forgotten, frozen in time, inspiring Bruce Springsteen to make his album Greetings From Asbury Park, and talk about psychic Madame Marie in 4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy). Still many more artists keep coming back to play at venues such as the Stone Pony.

The past couple of decades, driving through Asbury Park has garnered a completely different image than the old picture of prosperity (ie the black and white photograph above of women in petticoats and men in full suits). You were more likely to pass buildings with shattered windows, garbage strewn on the street, and bars blocking doorway entrances, rather than the a busy boardwalk full of joggers, shoppers, and out of towners. Asbury Park was crime ridden, run down, and dirty, left to decay after the hard times.

Image via: Keith Meyers/The New York Times
Despite the hardships of the past, each coming year it seems that Asbury is gaining a breathe of fresh air. I visited Asbury this summer and from just two years ago the changes are drastic. You can see from my post of Greetings From Asbury Park that more people are returning to this one time vacation destination. The new restoration projects, as well as the new stores that will be opening on the boardwalk, have some people excited and others groaning. After all, if a bunch of overpriced cafes serving $6 cups of ice coffee start popping up, some worry that Asbury may loose some of its authenticity.

Unfortunately that is what happens when a place starts to become ‘popular’ once again. Suddenly the Starbucks of the world want to put up shop. As for me, I’m torn. The juxtaposition of such old favorites as the Stony Pony and the Wonder Bar, next to the new trendy cafes on the Asbury boardwalk makes for a more interesting, and I hate to say, convenient visit. More than anything, although Asbury may be a ‘diamond in the rough,’ a ‘hidden gem,’ an ‘up and coming destination’ (insert any other trite, travel writing cliche here), now the city is given the opportunity to be what it once was, hopefully without loosing its unusual Jersey Shore town charm.

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A Different Perspective of Asbury Park

by Elena on September 11, 2009

My cousin Fernando, who inspired me to appreciate Asbury, took these pictures below. I love the way our differing posts show how a photographer’s perspective affects the outcome of the photographs (not to mention the effects of a muggy day versus a bright sunny day). The same images take on a completely different feel, depending on who is behind the lens.

Greetings From Asbury Park

by Elena on September 10, 2009

My cousin forced me to see Asbury with different eyes. He loved Asbury Park, even at a time when I would roll my eyes at the suggestion of spending an afternoon there laying on the beach. Before talks of development and building restoration projects, he was a fan of this beach town because of its conflicted history, not despite of it. Another perk is that it is less crowded than other favorites along the coast, although that is quickly changing.

There is something intriguing about going to a place that has fallen off most people’s radar. Off the beaten path, some people call it, when you decide to explore somewhere not in the travel guides. There are many perks to this philosophy, for one you avoid the crowds and you get enjoy an experience a place few others have.

Move Over Busker

by Elena on September 9, 2009

Well the rest of my life lay in front of me
I was pedaling down the road
When I saw nell gwynne and her oranges
And I’ll have one of those
She said move over busker, don’t bang your drum
Move over busker, your time will come
-Paul McCartney

After posting about street performers, I perused through my photo collection and picked out some more of my favorite busker photos.

In the southern Spanish city of Granada there is a rich amalgamation of three very different cultures, histories, and religions: Islam, Catholicism, and Judaism. Home to the Moorish palace La Alhambra, Granada has a flavor that sets it apart from the rest of Spain. The Mirador de San Nicolas (lookout point) faces the magnificent Alhambra, and I highly recommend to anyone visiting this small city to go here just before sunset. The lookout is located in the Albayzin, a neighborhood with small winding streets and white-washed houses with colorful gardens. Set upon a hill, the Albayzin is a perfect location to view the old palace.

At Mirador San Nicolas there are always people singing and playing guitar. The group we saw this particular day really epitomized every stereotype I was looking forward to: the raspy voices (most certainly due to years of heavy smoking), the incredible strumming of the Spanish guitar, the rhythmic clapping, and the melodic improvisation of flamenco singing. Those c

ouple of songs, played to accompany the sunset, were enough to send a chill down my spine, and toy with the idea of quitting my day job in order to sit around these hills, smoke cigars, and learn to play flamenco guitar. Flamenco performers near Alhambra
No one else could wear a mullet and a white turtleneck cutoff and still look as badass as this man right here.

One of my favorite things to do in Mexico, or in any place for that matter, is to roam around the local markets. They are full of life and delicious food. I also find that they are a great way to see the people of the city go about their daily routine. I took this picture in Tepotzlan, Mexico around the time of the Day of the Dead. You can see a bushel of marigolds in the foreground of the photograph. These neon orange flowers are prevalent around this time, when people use them to decorate altars and pay homage to those who have passed. Right after I took this shot, the guy in the bright yellow shirt chased me down for a small tip and some friendly flirtation.

Just outside of Vancouver, about an hour or so on bus, you will find Capilano Park, home to the 450 ft long and 240 ft high Capilano Suspension Bridge. When we finished crossing the bridge and exploring the park we noticed a 3 person band getting ready to play. They weren’t buskers in the traditional sense, (look at the name tags) but rather park employees. Nonetheless people gave them tips after they sang some Elvis, Johnny Cash, and other crowd favorites.

Barrio La Boca in Buenos Aires is known for its brightly colored facades, its Italian immigrant population, and a slightly dodgy reputation. If you ignore the obvious tourist traps and souvenir shops, you can almost imagine the immigrants painting the houses bright colors, in order to give life to this rundown part of town. Nowadays it has become somewhat commercial, but you can still enjoy the tango performances at one of the many cafes.

Grauman’s Chinese Theatre is exactly what you picture it to be, tacky, commercial, over the top, and just a bit uncomfortable. My discomfort is mostly due to an overzealous Elvis impersonator who got a little handsy. Nonetheless there is probably no other place you can see Jack Sparrow, Elvis, Zorro, Spiderman, Minnie Mouse, Jessica Rabbit, and even Chucky (you know the maniacal, homicidal plush toy that made you fearful that your toys would come to life in the middle of the night) all in the same place.

Olvera Street in Downtown Los Angeles provides quite the contrast to the massive structures that crowd around the business sector. The performers, street vendors, restaurants, and cafes serve as a taste of Mexican culture a small tribute to a community with such a large population in this city. It is small and unassuming, but I tend to love areas such as these. I really enjoyed the fact that I could get a peeled mango on a stick, a massive dulce de leche stuffed churro, and agua de jamaica at one of the nearby vendors. The headdress of the performer below was amazingly massive, and from what I can tell there are many performances such as this one taking place nearby.

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Buskers Playing in Montreal

by Elena on September 8, 2009

Busker is a British term for street performer, so naturally an American like myself is not as likely to have heard it before, let alone use it in conversation. We use the term street performer, but busker sounds just a wee bit more interesting. Buskers can cover themselves in paint, make balloon animals, perform an instrument, sing at a metro station, juggle, eat fire, flip, dance, sketch you as a cartoon; all of this for a small tip.

In New York City I was used to hearing singers in the subway and watching hip hop dancers perform anywhere from Times Square to the fountain in Washington Square Park. Montreal has a different sort of, shall we say, busker scene. Juggling is very popular in Montreal (I have seen jugglers pretty frequently). Of course there is always a person who dresses up for picture happy tourists, like this guy below who I can only imagine is some sort of silver Aztec king.

Place Jacques-Cartier in Old Montreal always has buskers hanging around looking to keep their audience entertained. Bands like this one make strolling around the city much more entertaining, I believe from one of the many universities in Montreal, that made the weekend afternoon.

This busker is quite the regular. I have seen him perform his fire juggling routine many times; even a year after I left Montreal he was still at it, performing for huge crowds by the Old Port. There are lots of pictures of him on Flickr.

Image via: fabio costello
A lot of enthusiasts perform not for money, but merely for the pleasure of performance, such as during Tam Tams. Montreal is a very creative city, so it is natural that its inhabitants would use the public space to display their talents. Expect lots of street performers at many of Montreal’s festivals.

Image via: Rishi Menon

Image via: icarusfire

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It’s Like Riding a Bicycle…

by Elena on September 2, 2009

“It’s like riding a bicycle,” or so they say about something you never forget how to do. Although I wobbled back and forth on the racing bike, a bit too tall for my 5′2 frame, the seller called me a natural. Of course he’d say that, hoping that a few gentle strokes to my ego would coax me into buying his old bike. I realized the saying is true, I didn’t forget how to ride a bike, but they never said anything about riding it well. The test spin was a success, considering I didn’t fall over, break the thing, or cause any bystanders bodily harm. Nonetheless I left the seller disappointed, realizing that the racing bike with its large thin wheels, was too much for me to handle.

I decided to go smaller, so much smaller that I risked the little kid, bike jabs from my friends. Even so I loved it. My girl’s cruiser bike was perfect for a cycling friendly city like Montreal. After a couple self-affirmations and the support of an equally inexperienced friend, we were able to conquer the streets and avoid incoming traffic.

The incredible talents of Montreal cyclists.

Texting while riding.
Talking on their cell phone while riding.
Listening to their ipods while riding (you get my drift). They can handle technology on a bike.
Talking to one another while cycling side by side. Yeah it seems easy enough, but try it before you judge.
Successfully balancing a large quantity of ’stuff’ in a basket at the front or back of their bike.
Successfully balancing another person on the front or back of their bike.
Riding with no hands (in order to text, scratch their head, show off, etc.).
Riding in the pouring rain. (I’ve done this too! It is actually a lot of fun).
While I have not seen it, people tell me that Montrealers continue to ride their bikes well into wintertime and even during snowstorms.

Novice riders like ourselves slowly learn the tricks of the trade.

My old companion is now being ridden around Montreal by a girl from Argentina. May she treat it well.

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The French Don’t Smile

by Elena on September 1, 2009

The French don’t smile.

Americans do!

I’ve been reminiscing a lot lately. Must have something to do with my up and coming birthday. Impending birthdays always seem to make me a little nostalgic. Perhaps I’m longing for my love affair with Montreal (when am I not?) and the carefree days of little responsibility, besides my worries on how to order my crème brûlée in French. Je vais prendre une crème brûlée s’il vous plaît.

In Montreal we had a group that we liked to call Le Bande de Boudoir, created after an eventful cinq a sept at Boudoir Cafe, and perhaps too much Quebecois beer. Since we were all learning English, French or Spanish, and we came from all over the world, it made for some interesting conversation and miscommunication. There were no reservations here, every stereotype on the table. Are all the French snotty and uptight? Of course not, but we sure as hell would harp on it, just as much as we’d emphasize how loud and obnoxious us Americans are. Is it true? Not really, but it makes for more interesting bar talk. It was the the ‘if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em’ philosophy, and it seemed to work. After spending so much time trying to deter assumptions and stereotypes, there comes a point where you can only welcome them.

Possibly one of my favorite pictures of all time. Check out our friend ‘the bartender’ in the background. Somehow he made it into quite a bit of our pictures.