This evening was too much fun. ft. Théo et ses potes

05-08-15

-Corentin-

A new and treasured friend

the beautiful thing about travel is not necessarily the things you do or the places you see. It is the people with whom you connect that determine the value of an experience. It is the differences that you experience that make you grow. Whether or not it’s in your home town, the city next to it, or on the opposite side of the world. 

a la prochaine, France.

Lucie-

I finally saw my host sister from last year, along with her lovely, lovely family. It made me extremely happy to see that after all this time, we are still a family just as much as we were a year ago. We spend the day swimming, wandering the city, and enjoying each other’s company. People like these, I know, will stay in my life indefinitely. I was so fortunate to end up with such a lovely host family last year! I can’t be thankful enough. I know that soon, I’ll meet 3 new host families whom I will have the pleasure of getting to know.
I am getting very, very excited !

 Mini Language update: My French has come back (almost) full tilt. Soon, I’ll really begin learning german. Which, by the way, is awesome.

Thank you Rotary for the possibility of this adventure!

no matter where I am and no matter what I do: If I have a beautiful place to listen to the birds, I’ll always be fine.

What is it like to see a familiar city go up in flames? One would guess that it would be a horrifying sight, but I can assure you that from personal experience, that is not always the case.

The night was warm, and the smell of scented oils drifted through the air with the wind. With my camera on one shoulder and my backpack on the other, I strolled through the cozy streets of Perigueux. It was the opening night of MIMOS, an art festival, and the city became a piece of art. Normally, the opening night would have consisted of a grand spectacle with music, dancers, costumes and a set; but this year was different.

As the sky darkened, the streets lit up. Large makeshift candles were set ablaze, peppering the pathways, the trees, the buildings and the ruins. They were on the ground, in the air, and everywhere in between.

It doesn’t seem like it would be that impressive, but I will say this: The light of the flames lighting up the buildings and people so late at night created the feeling that we were no longer in Perigueux. It was as if I had been transported to another dimension. The smoke made the sky seem orange, and the flames cast perpetually changing shadows on everything touched by their light. This place was not Perigueux as I know it. This place was magical.

Saying goodbye was harder than I ever imagined. In fact, I didn’t realise how unprepared I was to say it until the word was on the tip of my tongue. Every fresh goodbye caused a spark to light in my heart until, by the time I was on the plane, my chest and eyes were burning, causing a lovey spectacle of a foreigner (me) crying on a French airplane.

I’m in France now, for a little vacation before I continue to Germany I can  honestly say that however bitter my goodbyes were, the hello to Europe was sweeter than I thought possible. I know that Canada and the people I love will always be present, and it’s because of of that that I am no longer distressed to be away. Leaving is hard, but arriving is beautiful.

For now, I’m staying with a friend. We only just left Bordeaux, where he purchased a flat. The city is gorgeous and his humble flat is one of the most calming places I’ve ever been. Light comes in through the only window set in the centre of the flat. Other than that, it’s a very dark room. It really makes me realise how unnecessarily big houses and apartments are in Canada, simply because we have the space.

This picture captures the exact feeling of the flat. In the window, Theo is sitting and enjoying the fresh air while I take photographs and write in my journal. The moment I took this, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of contentment. Already, Europe seems like home.

I imagine I’ll have a truly wonderful year.

18/07/15 - Celeste

I’m leaving in five days, and i couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity; I’m going on an adventure of a lifetime, all thanks to the wonderful folks in Rotary International. Rotary is truly an amazing organization in all aspects. The youth exchange program is one of the best out there, with careful planning, genuinely interested volunteers, and a superb outcome. So far, the members have really made me feel welcome as their new outbound. I think of Rotary members as a group of international friends who band together to do good in the world, and I’m glad to be a part of it. 

There’s nothing better than genuine laughter. Seeing Celeste again shows exactly how true friends (and in this case, family)  stay close, no matter how long you’re kept apart. It was fun to reconnect. See you in a year, buddy! Maybe we’ll  do some hiking when I’m home.

I’ve spent these last two days photographing two people who may or may not be the most photogenic couple in the country.  Tommy and Celeste are both truly magnificent people, and i hope to reconnect with them when i’m back home.  They were the perfect subject to shoot with my new portrait lens! I could get used to this. 

I don’t take photography very seriously, but it is something i seriously enjoy. Many of my good friends and i connect over taking, editing, and looking at each others’ photographs. Pictured above, an old friend sits in a driftwood teepee. That day, we went for a drive to reconnect and stopped at the lagoon near my house to shoot. 

Some people are bothered by the fact that I feel the need to take pictures instead of simply enjoying the moment. I’ve heard people ridiculing photographers, amateurs like myself included, for “using nature’s beauty” (yes, i quote that from the angst-filled post that inspired this rant) as only a product of their art.  Which is total, utter nonsense. 

When you take a photograph, you capture a moment. Maybe it made you feel happy, maybe it made you feel sad, but that photo has meaning behind the subject pictured. It does not mean that you did not enjoy the moment! It means you enjoyed it enough to want to keep it. Just as a painter paints emotions in brush strokes, a photographer paints with the god-given scenery he or she has already been given. For some people, photos mean nothing. I mean, who really cares about, say, a tree and a bench side by side in the fog? But if the photo you’ve taken makes you feel something, rememeber something, or reminds you of something, it does not matter what others think. The quality and focus of a photo do not dictate it’s value. Something does not have to be beautiful to be art. 
So go on and take bad photographs and laugh and smile and enjoy capturing the world without worrying what other people have to say about it. If it brings you joy, do it. And that goes for everything.