WORLD MEDLEY: VIEWS THROUGH A LENS
By Rachel GerContributing WriterThis is the fifth and final article in our 2015 Week of Photo Journals: Changing Perspectives. We hope you've enjoyed this week's presentation of the beautiful photography and travel accounts of UC San Diego students. Click on the images in the article to view the photos up close.
A snapshot of the juxtaposition of two different generations in the streets of Kolkata, India. The bright colors of the faded paint on the walls don't do much to shroud the fact that these slums are backed wall-to-wall by tall, luxurious buildings where the rich live and play - with the impoverished right on their doorstep. But somehow, in this moment, all of that doesn't matter. This grandfather and grandchild have far more important things to think about right now, such as "what game should we play right now?" and "what memories are we going to make today?"
"We're All Just People" at Centre Pompidou in Paris, FranceMy favorite part of this museum of modern art wasn't the exhibits themselves (although they were extraordinary); it was the people-watching I got to do on the escalators between floors and on the landings of each plexiglass surrounded level. Each person or couple was so absorbed in their own little world - napping, lunching, even people-watching themselves, with a pair of eyes, unbeknownst to them, observing from above. There's a certain sense of peace that comes with being allowed to peek into someone else's life, a stranger whose world only collides with yours in this encounter and then continues on, completely unrelated to you beyond a moment of accidental eye-contact or a brief "excuse me" or "where did you get your top?"
Nighttime in the City of Lights - Paris, FranceOur long walk back to our Airbnb after each adventure-packed day always became a little tedious. We were all tired, hungry, and not looking forward to returning to the slightly sketchy area we were staying in. Always too tired to engage in the nightlife, on this night the nightlife came to us - we were met with lovely street music, lively youths, bright lights; reviving and energizing us and reminding us of all the little treasures this beautiful city has to offer.
A peek down a nondescript alley met by wary eyes in Kolkata, IndiaA day in Kolkata seems to stretch for hours on end, punctuated by the hottest, most humid climate I have ever experienced in my life. Night comes as a brief relief to the excruciating heat that causes sweat to pour down our bodies during the day and makes us drowsy and sluggish. Revived by the coolness of the night air, we went for a nighttime walk around the dusty, bustling streets, filled with the sounds of socializing and loud vehicle horns protesting the packed dirt streets. I stepped away from the group for a moment to see what lay behind this corner, and was surprised to find that I wasn't alone - I seem to have intruded on this little boy's preparation for a sneaky night of great adventure and excitement.
A winter day feels just like summer in the beautiful coastal town of Amalfi in Italy. After waking up at the crack of dawn to take the long train from Naples to Sorrento in order to make it on time to catch one of the last three buses running to Amalfi for that period of time (there had been floods because of the rain the week before, and part of the road had collapsed... just in time to complicate our travel plans!). Speeding around the craggy cliffs of the Italian Riviera stopping every which way to pick up locals and slowing down to allow vehicles coming from the other end of this one-lane road pass, we finally arrived at Amalfi hours after we set out from our hostel. But all the hours of travel and transportation complications were worth it when met by the sight of this beautiful little beach town and the warmth of the Italian locals. The Amalfi Coast in every bend and curve possesses the kind of unparalleled beauty that can't be adequately captured on camera.
Impending rainstorm on Christmas Eve - adventure in rural ItalyOur nonexistent knowledge of the Italian language paired with our inability to navigate tiny provincial streets inevitably and unsurprisingly stopped our quest to find the route to the famousSentiero degli dei (the Path of the Gods) right in its tracks. Without a single shop open on Christmas Eve and dead silent streets, it took the sight of these orange-brown clay topped white houses to help us keep our cool. It all turned out fine in the end and we got to where we needed tobe perfectly on time - and now we'll always have a story that's one for the books.All images by Rachel Ger, Prospect Contributing Writer