Tag: iphoneography

With death comes calm

Rediscovering the greatest moments of my visit to the US, I came upon this week’s photo challenge: serene. Not only was my entire trip a soul-satisfying experience, but it was also full of positive energy that revitalised me from within. Every day that I set out to explore the city on my own, I found calm all around me. Although it was an official trip, my weekend getaways were worthy of a holiday.

This photo was at the National AIDS Memorial Grove inside the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. This grove sat hidden in plain sight, a tribute to all lives lost aid-less, because of AIDS. As soon as I entered, an aura of serene beauty and supreme sadness engulfed me. I couldn’t identify the reason or the source, but seeing the memorial, the flowers, and the words of love left me overwhelmed.

National AIDS Memorial Grove, Golden Gate Park

Transformation is art

This week’s Photo Challenge is about transformation. Like most people, when I first heard that word, I thought of withering leaves and how nature changes. But then I remembered change happens even in unnatural instances.

While at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, I saw creatives from artists all over the world. Each piece on display is a testament to its artist. One particular exhibit, however, was a testament to another person.

Barack Obama became one the world’s favourite politicians during his presidency. And sure enough, the most most of us would’ve seen of Obama is from our living rooms as we lounged on our couches. Or from reading the newspapers. This artist combined the two in a marvellous piece of art, transforming a simple couch into a timeline trophy of the once-president. This couch is covered with newspaper articles about Barack Obama during his eight years as president of the United States of America. Now that’s art worthy of a jaw drop.

Transformation is art - SFMOMA

Testing waters

Although it’s been a while since I got back from my vacation in Portland and Seattle, I’m still a little hung over from the experience. Not only was it my first time in the US, but also my first time travelling solo. Every day and every minute of the trip was an experiment, doing lots of things I wouldn’t have dreamt of otherwise doing. On my last day in Portland, wanting to see as much of the city as I could in one afternoon, I took a stroll down Hawthorne Boulevard towards Mt. Tabor. Eager to reach the top before sundown, I rushed along when a sign forced me to pause. It was the Portland Cider Company. I hesitated, confused between my desire to go in and also worried I can’t go on if I got too drunk.

I entered anyway. I gave myself a chance to experiment with a type of alcohol I’d never had before, and everything turned out fine. Oh, and Mt. Tabor was wonderful, too.

Portland Cider Company

Passing by

Nothing is more fleeting than weather. This year was extra special for me because I was vacationing in Seattle just before the start of October and experienced fall colours for the first time. Not only is the season short-lived, but this photo happened two days before returning home. Everything about it is temporary.

Passing by

Known, but not enough

Seattle is a beautiful city for many reasons. Most people, however, think and know only about the Space Needle. I was no different. I, as any tourist visiting the city for the first time, had the big needle as a major pin in my agenda. But it was only when I got to Seattle that I realised there’s more to the city than just its most advertised monument. I walked along the waterfront park and went up the Pike Place Market. From a vantage point at the market, I caught a glimpse of this underrated beauty of Seattle. The Great Wheel is known well enough, but it often has to peek to garner attention.

Ferris Wheel, Seattle Waterfront