Tag: travel

by jad

Japan Trip: Photography & Expos

Today is #WorldPhotographyDay, a day I’ve marked before, seeing others posting about it, but as it comes this year in the midst of my Expo musings, I thought I should probably read up on it a bit. Every August 19, photographers celebrate the strange and enduring power of this craft that’s become so synonymous with modernity—a medium that’s been shaping how we see, remember, and share the world for nearly two centuries. The date honors a turning point: in 1839, the French government publicly announced the daguerreotype, a photographic process developed by Louis Daguerre, and offered it as a “free gift … Continue reading “Japan Trip: Photography & Expos” →

by jad

Japan Trip: Expo 2025

We made it to @expo2025japan on the second day of being in Osaka, and it was capital H-O-T hot. Waiting in line to get through the gates was one of those existential moments of wondering about our sanity. Thankfully, they’d set up the place with outdoor fans and misters that made the grounds slightly less oppressive than the outside, but only by a fraction of a degree or two. The irony of it all was that this Expo was all about imagining healthier and more sustainable futures, so there was something eerily dystopian about exploring the space as a breathy, disembodied ASMR … Continue reading “Japan Trip: Expo 2025” →

by jad

Japan Trip: Out-of-the-Way

I chose this out-of-the-way neighborhood in Osaka because of its relative proximity by metro to the artificial island where the Expo is being held, with the added bonus of staying several nights in a surprisingly affordable hipster hotel in the area as well. The quaint backstreets here were where we learned that one does not simply order a coffee at a cafe during breakfast time in Japan. There are set menus here and you’re going to get a slice fluffy, pillowy bread and maybe even a hardboiled egg with it too, even if you’re already looking forward to the spread … Continue reading “Japan Trip: Out-of-the-Way” →

by jad

Japan Trip: Osaka Moments

We’d decided to travel to Japan two years ago when I realized that the next World Expo would be in Osaka during the summer that Hiroshima would also mark 80 years since the war crime that became synonymous with its name. At the time, that’s all I really had planned, and as I collected points of interest and eventually developed something of an itinerary, I still regarded our stay in Osaka as mostly a pitstop that just happened to host a mega-event I was nerding out about while we adjusted to the jetlag. And yet, by the time it was … Continue reading “Japan Trip: Osaka Moments” →

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.”