Tag: travel

by jad

Japan Trip: Osaka Morning

After a very long flight and dicey layover in Tokyo, we arrived as bleary-eyed time travelers—August 1st never happened, you guys!—very late at night in Osaka. Thankfully, Christine had had the foresight to suggest that we book a single night right next to the airport so we could find our bearings before venturing out into Osaka proper the next morning, which I’m very grateful we did. I was not ready to tackle the tangle of Japanese trains just yet; plus, the breakfast buffet was out of this world. Waking up to this view wasn’t too shabby either. We spent a … Continue reading “Japan Trip: Osaka Morning” →

by jad

Japan Trip: Every Vibey Moment

We’re back in Seattle and I’m pretty groggy, but I wanted to post something from this Groundhog Day of a transpacific Friday. I took these before our flight today; the last time I was in this airport, I spent the night on this observation deck because my flight was too early for public transport. Today was a lot easier. This really is a rare airport that’s actually pretty pleasant to spend a couple of hours in, if you ignore the fact that there doesn’t seem to be much air conditioning in the building. I think they wanted to keep that … Continue reading “Japan Trip: Every Vibey Moment” →

by jad

Imago, Ergo Sum

Many years ago, I had a conversation with someone who said they’d been receiving messages from beyond the grave—not just any grave: she said she’d been in touch with Chester Bennington of Linkin Park fame. I don’t remember how and why this came to pass in her life, but she’d said that I probably wouldn’t believe her so I didn’t press for answers. She seemed to feel to be genuinely heartbroken about his death and had found some purpose for others like her. She said he wanted them to know that he was okay. I remembered this story as we … Continue reading “Imago, Ergo Sum” →

by jad

You’ll Never Do That

When do you know when something’s shifting? I feel like any time I’m consciously working on a change, it slips into a new normal that doesn’t feel like much of anything—it’s the unexpected and unanticipated that actually makes a difference. So when do you know that it’s actually happening? And if it’s not, how do you know it’s time for something new? It’s so easy to get stuck in a routine out of force of habit and even easier to forget it’s a routine at all when it’s like water to a goldfish or a strong sense of self to … Continue reading “You’ll Never Do That” →

by jad

The Split Cam

I took this photo on the Saturday before Memorial Day, when @shanareadstarot was visiting, and we were on our way to Pike Place. These missionaries were everywhere that day, but this particular trio had situated themselves right next to a group of Falun Gong activists who often protest on this corner, making for a “fun” juxtaposition and the perfect opportunity to test out my deadstock “Split Cam” with “Image Fusion Technology” from the 90s. You can get a sense of how this plastic toy produces the in-camera effect in the next two slides, where I was still trying to figure out how … Continue reading “The Split Cam” →

by jad

Last of Philly

These were taken in my last hours in Philly, just before heading to the airport. Rough and ready because I was literally on the move. I didn’t get to see much of New Jersey, and what I did see was a little eerie and weird. Maybe Mondays are quiet days out in the borderland of Camden. I tried to evoke that feeling with the shots I decided to take. And with that, I say goodbye to Philadelphia. I will “call again.”

by jad

Battleship New Jersey

The scans from my last day on the East Coast, a day I spent on this war machine turned war memorial, just came back as the drums of global conflagration have reached a deafening crescendo, making this eerie space look even creepier. I’ve never enjoyed shows of military might. I don’t rejoice in fire power. I don’t even particularly like fireworks. But I will always cheer when the mighty fall. And I will always mourn the innocent devoured by the hungry maw of imperial expansionism. Do not ask me to take any other sides. When I walked aboard, I was … Continue reading “Battleship New Jersey” →

by jad

Philly on Film

I am absolutely flabbergasted to see these scans in my inbox so quickly. Thank you @uniquephoto for super quick turnaround! I dropped my rolls off on my last morning in Philly (on Monday!) so that I didn’t have to deal with airport security; this is the Kodak Color Plus 200 I’d brought with me, with shots from my first morning there (on Friday). I’m posting them unedited, as scanned, in celebration of this stellar service. (Also, pssst.. dev/scanning 3 rolls is cheaper in Philly than Seattle…) I very quickly realized that one roll was not going to cut it, so … Continue reading “Philly on Film” →

by jad

Welcome to Philly

So I went to a thing this weekend. We weren’t supposed to take photos or post about it, but it wasn’t exactly clandestine either—the halls of this hotel were awash in reds, blacks, and olive green, the unofficial tricolor of this insurgent generation. There’s a lot that I love about the people I’ve come to know through this organization, and a lot that I don’t click with, but that’s fine. These people are big on maximal clarity, which is refreshing in this culture; agreeing to disagree might actually mean something here. So I wasn’t surprised by how impressed I was … Continue reading “Welcome to Philly” →

by jad

How Long, O Lord

These are the last of my photos from Beirut. My time there was both wounding and healing, both frustrating and hopeful. I’ve already moved on to new worries and concerns, as is often the case. Life moves on. But I feel less disconnected than I have been for years. Scenes from Bourj Hammoud on 35mm, featuring “Panos,” the spot my dad would grab a Rum Baba while waiting for mom to get ready to go out when they were dating. Strange alignments between Beirut and Deir el-Qamar that I only noticed once I got my scans back. Here are some … Continue reading “How Long, O Lord” →