Love-Hate Relationship with my Lomo

I love my Lomo camera for its dramatic colors, lighting, and its old feel. The photos that come out seem to have been taken during another era or developed ages ago.

I hate my Lomo camera for its cost and surprises. It costs around $3 for each roll of film and another $4 to develop the film onto a CD. A couple times the films came out blank probably because I did not set up the film correctly. While in Europe, I had the wrong ISO setting on for a couple of my ISO 100 films. Sometime during my use, the ISO setting was turned to ISO 800 for my ISO 100 films. As a result, too little light went into the camera. A lot of times I would forget to set up the manual focus resulting in many wasted frames.

But sometimes the Lomo produces phenomenal photos that are incomparable to unedited digital photos or even heavily edited digital photos. There is just something pure and real about film photography.

London Eye, London

Louvre, Paris

Helsinki Central Railway Station, Helsinki

Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen

Bascilia of St. Mary of Health, Venice

London

View from St. Paul's Cathedral

I Saw Queen Elizabeth II Twice

Last Wednesday, 18 November, was the State Opening of the British Parliament. It takes place once a year and there's a royal procession where the Queen travels from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster to deliver a speech written by the government. The speech, called the Speech from the Throne, outlines the agenda of the Parliament for the upcoming session.

There are tons of pomp and circumstance and ceremonial traditions involved in this event. Before the Queen arrives at the Palace of Westminster, the Yeomen of the Guard search the grounds of the Palace for any bomb. This tradition originated all the way back to 1605 when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Palace in the Gunpowder Plot (...Remember, Remember, the 5th of November.). To futhur ensure the Queen's safety, a member of the House of Commons is held hostage at Buckingham Palace.

Before the Queen's carriage, the Imperial State Crown travels to Westminster in its own carriage. As the Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, they play God Save the Queen. When the Queen arrives at Westminster, (and she arrives at her own entrance, the Sovereign's Entrance) she changes into the a special ceremonial robe to address the House of Lords and Commons.

The ceremony only takes around 30-45 minutes. So I waited for the Queen at Buckingham Palace when she left, then I walked to the Palace of Westminster to see her again as she left to go home. So I got to see her twice! Unknown to myself, I also got to see the Imperial State Crown and Princess Anne.

The Imperial State Crown traveling to Palace of Westminster.

Dozens of guards on horse arriving at Buckingham Palace to protect the Queen during her procession to Westminster.

The Queen's carriage arrives to pick her up.

Her Majesty Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God, of Great Britain, Ireland and the British Dominions beyond the Seas Queen...!!!

It's the Queen again!!! I promise she's in there although Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, is on the side closer to me.

Greetings

Filmed at the Tate Modern's video postcard desk.

London Film Festival!!!

The London Film Festival is taking place right now. Yesterday, I went to watch the film The White Ribbon by Michael Haneke who also directed Funny Games starring Naomi Watts. Tonight, I went to watch Chloe directed by Atom Egoyan starring Julianne Moore, Liam Neeson, and Amanda Seyfried.



I chose to watch The White Ribbon, an Austrian-Germany film that tells the stories of these villagers living in Germany before WWI, because it won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. I'm a sucker for films shown at the Cannes. Sadly, the film was a letdown. For the most part, I enjoyed the black and white film, the storyline, some of the cast, and the narration. But, I had a problem with Haneke's way of telling his story--by leaving too much space for imagination. At the end of the film, you are abandoned with numerous loose ends, inconclusive plot lines that you are dying to tie up. Soon after the film, I wrote my film professor an email about my thoughts on The White Ribbon. She said, quoting Andy Warhol, that Haneke's films are "better talked about than seen."

Outside the venue. What's more appropriate than a white ribbon tied up on the sign of the theatre?

Q&A session with the director after the film. It was quite enlightening.

The second film I saw was Chloe which is about Catherine (Moore) hiring a prostitute (Seyfried) to test her husband's (Neeson) fidelity. The film is intense and suspenseful leaving me disturbed. I thoroughly enjoyed, from beginning to the end, the film's storyline, acting, cinematography, and soundtrack. I thought the casting of Neeson was a bit questionable though; there was little chemistry between Moore and Neeson. Moore and Seyfried gave powerful performances that supported one another.

(Sorry! I'm not able to find any videos about the film yet.)

The best part of the night was that I got to see Julianne Moore up close as she walked down the red carpet. She was so beautiful and graceful; she, in a long dress, flowed down the red carpet into a crowd of photographers. I've never seen so many flashes!

This was when she stood in front of the photographers for photos. The blonde is blocking her. :(

Atom Egoyan, Julianne Moore, Amy Seyfried, producer, Time Out Magazine staff

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

This is where I live.

The front door to my dorm. The dorm is called Sorbonne. It was, formerly, a hotel. Fifty-two students live in this building. Every room has its own bathroom and each floor share a kitchen. About 13 people share the kitchen that I use. It can be either really hot or extremely cold in there. It is never at the perfect temperature.

That bay with all those small windows is my room. I never noticed how many small panes make up those windows or that there are 15 larger windows or that there are 180 small window panes until this picture. That's a lot of windows! I guess it's good that if one small pane breaks, the others don't break. What I like most about the room is the high ceiling. People who know me know that I like emphasis on verticality in a room.

Queensberry Place -- The road that my dorm is on. One end is the Natural History Museum. (You can see it in the picture on the left.) The other end is the Lycee Francise Charles de Gaulle's preschool. In the morning, there is major traffic on the sidewalk. There are tons of kids with their scooters, parents, strollers, and cars to weave through. During the day, buses, trucks, and all other type of cars drive through. It can be annoying loud.

Cromwell Road -- This is a major road in South Kensington. The Circle and District Line tubes even run under this road. On this road are the Natural History Museum (in the left picture), Victoria & Albert Museum, and a lot of hotels. A few minutes northeast is Harrod's.

On the way to the South Kensington tube station. There is so much construction going on around this area. I think they are trying to make the area pedestrian only. Every day, the path you are allowed to take changes due to construction. It can be a bit confusing.

The South Kensington Station. From this station, you can take the District and Circle Lines and Piccadilly Line. The District and Circle Lines are the original lines of the London Underground system. Because it's so old, a lot of the times it doesn't work well. Piccadilly Line, on the other hand, works well but it's really deep underground so it takes like five minutes to get to ground level. At some station like Gloucester Station you have to take an elevator down to the Piccadilly Line. I quite like the sign and ironwork as seen in the left.

Harrington Gardens -- This is where the classrooms are. The architecture along this road is one of a kind. It's from the Arts and Crafts Movement. It reminds me of Dutch architecture especially the upper part of the buildings. There's so much details on the facade which make the flats even more beautiful to look at.

I don't really want to mention this place but here it is--this is where the laundromat is. See that green sign? It costs about £10 or $16 to wash and dry one load of clothes. I'm proud to say that I haven't gone there so far. It's been five weeks and counting.

Zetland Arms -- Not too bad of a local bar.

And finally a Lamborghini dealership. This neighborhood is not complete without it.

I am Obsessed! Deux

At last, the Anish Kapoor exhibit opened at the Royal Academy of Art. I have been anticipating for the exhibit since the semester began. Anish Kapoor is a Indian-British sculptor whose art is often quite minimalist, colorful, and monumental. He designed the famous Cloud Gate in Chicago.

His latest exhibit at the Royal Academy is a sensory wonder. He created several mirrored objects that distort your image and even your vision. They're almost like carnival mirrors but beyond. What I meant by distorting your vision like how your head feels when you stare at a black and white checker pattern for too long. I had the most difficult time figuring out what exactly is happening. After staring at them for too long, I got a bit sick.

Another piece of art is called Yellow. It's a gigantic yellow wall that is concave. At the first glance, it was hard to tell if the wall is concave or convex. And after a while, it's still very difficult to tell exactly how deep the wall curves in.

The centerpiece of this exhibit is titled Svayambh. It is a 30 ton block of red wax that moves at a snail's pace through five galleries. When passing through each gallery, the wax pushes itself through the arched doorways. The process leaves behind residues on the walls, the arches, and the ground. (It's incredible that the Royal Academy allowed Anish Kapoor to do this. The building is a beautiful, I'm guessing, late 18th structure with marble arched doorways and ornate, carved ceilings. Clean up will be a huge tastk!) But also through this process, the wax block is creating a form for itself. The idea of this piece is well reflected by its title--Svayambh means "self-generated" in Sanskrit. Anish Kapoor wanted to create an artwork that breaks away from the traditional method of making sculpture which is through the hands of a sculptor.

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take photos inside. It is often the case that photography is not allowed in temporary exhibits, and especially in the UK, not allowed in "galleries." In the UK there is a clear distinction between "galleries" and "museums." Galleries hold paintings while museums hold objects. I think this is a brilliant way of distinguishing between the two type of museums.

What I was allowed to take photos of is this fantastic sculpture in the Royal Academy's courtyard. Anish Kapoor works are innovative in the use of unexpected materials, explosively vivid in the use of colors, and minimalist in the use of simple shapes and clean lines. Once again, I am obsessed!!!





Click here for more photos and the official website of the exhibition.

Windsor Castle

About three weeks ago, I went to Windsor Castle, a trip organized by Boston University. Windsor Castle is one of the Queen's main residences and the one she considers "home." Moreover, this is where the House of Windsor found its name. Before WWI, Queen Elizabeth's last name was Saxe-Coburg-Gotha. But after WWI, it was thought that the last name sounded too Germany, so the royal family was asked to changed its last name. Ultimately, they chose Windsor because it sounds more English.

The castle has an incredibly long history dating back to the 11th century. What used to be a medieval fortress with a donjon is transformed into a royal palace. During the visit, I went through all of the areas opened to the public. Within the Castle, no photos are allowed so you just have to believe me when I say it's pretty amazing. (Sadly, while thinking back, I can't remember much of what I saw.) There were tons of gold, silver, porcelain, and paintings, of course.

This is St. George's Chapel which is within the grounds of the castle. Many royal wedding took place here and many famous people are buried here as well. Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's favorite wife, is buried here.


The donjon is the oldest part of the castle. The hill that it sits on is man-made so that there will be a good view of the surrounding area in case enemies attacked. Even today, you can still a remnant of a moat. The ditch is still there but there is no more water. It's been converted into something resembling a garden.


Changing of the guard.


Just outside of the castle is a statue of Queen Victoria. This was the meeting point for our tour guide to take us to Eton College. Our tour guide was this little tiny lady with really dry skin and three backpacks/messenger bags. When we were touring the castle on our own (she couldn't guide us in there), she went grocery shopping. She pretty much looked like a homeless person and the two additional grocery bags didn't help with her appearance. Nonetheless, she was a great guide.


A very crooked house next to, what is thought to be, the shortest street in the UK. Charming eh?




After a walk next to many antique shops, we arrived at Eton College which is across a river. I posted a panorama picture of Eton College earlier and wrote a little bit about it. The statue in the picture is King Henry VI who founded this private boarding school in 1441. Because of its centuries old history, there are tons of traditions to be followed at the school. School boys wear these elaborate uniforms with long coat tails. They also wear badges to identity which dorm they live in. It's like Harry Potter almost. There is also a group of boys who enters the school as "King's Scholars." They scored the highest on their entrance exam and is rewarded a scholarship. In addition, they receive special privileges such as being able to wear a more special coat than the others, play this weird sport in their first year when others have to wait till their last year, and eat in special areas.

There is also a great emphasis on seniority. Older school boys tutor younger students while younger boys do things for the older boys like cook dinner, clean their dorms. (All these facts are only true if my memory isn't failing me, and I have a feeling my memory is failing me.)


Students who are admitted to King's College at the University of Cambridge are allowed to carve their names into the window shutters. There are seemingly countless names. I thought the carvings are a bit haunting because you can tell that they look extremely old. This is also the oldest part of the school. After 600 years of continuous operation, I wouldn't be surprised if there are a handful of ghosts on campus.

I think this is one of their classrooms. Isn't it amazing? I love the pale blue patina of the dome.

Fun on a Budget

It costs a fortune going to the famous tourist attractions of London even with a student discount.

Palace of Westminster - £7.80
Westminster Abbey - £12
London Aquarium - £14
Buckingham Palace - £15
London Eye - £17.50
Madame Tussauds - £22.50

St. Paul's Cathedral costs £8.50 but lucky I got to go in for free. Mass is open to anyone...even tourists. ;) However, during service, you won't get the same experience as when you pay to go in. Everything beyond the transept is blocked so the best part, the high altar, cannot be seen. In addition, you won't get to climb up the magnificent dome.

What you will get, however, is the angelic sound of the choir. Maybe this doesn't always take place but the service was completely sung when I was there. I didn't understand one bit of the songs but it sounded fantastic! Hopefully I can get myself to "attend" the service at the Westminster Abbey one day.

Update: This is just to say

Hi from England!

Natural History Museum, 12 September, by Sheryl

Regent's Park, 4 September, Thames River cruise, 31 August, by Ali

Bath's Royal Crescent, 19 September, by Jenn

Thank you all for taking these photos of me.

It's a New Day Everyday

My favorite spot in London as of 23 of September is Trafalgar Square. Built in 1845, the square commemorates the Battle of Trafalgar where Admiral Horatio Nelson defeated Napoleon but died. The center of the square is Nelson's Column where he stands on top. There is a carved roll of rope at his feet which I really like. (I always really like how sculptors are able to carve something soft using a hard material. It must be the contrast between the two materials.) At the base of the column are the four icon lions that you always see in pictures of London. People climb them and take pictures with them.

What I like about Trafalgar Square are that there are so many different people, so much liveliness, and such a great and awe-inspiring view. For one thing, the square is a tourist spot. Right behind it is the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. (This is why I have been going to the Square so often--for my classes.) But for another, the area is also a hang out spot. You'll see many locals hanging out, enjoying the view, sunbathing; you'll see homeless sleeping on the same patch of grass as where the locals are enjoying their day; you'll see businessmen in suits eating lunch there; you'll see young people practicing on their skateboards and roller blades; and sometimes, but rarely, you'll see a naked someone on the empty plinth.¹

From the square, you can also see Palace of Westminster's iconic Clock Tower aka Big Ben and the London Eye. These two icons really make you realize that you are in London. London is such an international city with people from all over the world and everyone speaks English so sometimes I forgot I'm an ocean away from home. Seeing these two London architectures makes me realize that I'm not in the States anymore and that I'm in an exciting city called London!

The following photos were taken during my different visits to the National Gallery. Despite the column, lions, and plinths never change, there is always a different feel to the place thanks to the unpredictable and fickle weather of London and the time of day. The first visit was extremely sunny, perfect for a tan. The sun in the second photo was just not really good; it was sunny but also hazy resulting in a bad mixture. In the third photo, the cloud was dramatic and heavy but the sun, with its intense sun rays, was able to pierce through the clouds, occasionally. The last photo, which was taken last night, was on my visit to the museum on Friday. The National Gallery opens late on Friday nights and there is a little party with wine and some food for purchase. My friend and I went through the wrong entrance and were not able to enjoy this event. Anyways, the point I want to make is that Trafalgar
Square is different everyday thus it never gets old visiting the area.

¹ A few steps away from the center are four plinths. Three of them have statues of historically significant Brits on top; and by the time to make a statue for the Fourth Plinth, the money for the project ran out. As a result, there is an empty plinth. Currently, an art project named One & Other by Antony Gormley is taking place on the Fourth Plinth where ordinary citizens can apply to go on the Plinth for one hour and do whatever they wish. This project is thought to be significant because this is a space reserved for the statues of generals and monarchs. So about this naked someone...On one of my more recent trips to the area, a topless woman was on the empty plinth! She wasn't promoting anything which I thought she should be. She was simply shaking them for the crowd and enjoying herself. She stayed on for the entire hour. The night before, however, a completely naked man only lasted 20 minutes after people complained about his public display of nudity.

The empty plinth is on the right hand side.