“We want to rediscover the magic of the instant camera.” — Florian Kaps, founder of the Impossible Project Florian was upset we’d started serving the guests before his speech. He ran back into the kitchen, his face a little red and flustered, saying, “No, no, no. If they eat now, they will leave. They will … Read More
There was a small handwritten sign on the door of the Kölnischer Kunstverein. (That’s German for the Art Association of Cologne–but not that I would know.) “Dear Impossible Volunteers!” it read, “Please ring the bell!” I was reassured to know they were expecting us. Someone came to let me and another volunteer in. We were … Read More
“Don’t undertake a project unless it is manifestly important and nearly impossible.” — Edwin Land, inventor of the Polaroid “What is it you love about Polaroids so much?” a good friend recently asked me. I gave the question a minute to sink in. “I’ve always preferred film photography,” I told him, even after the advent … Read More
Tomorrow is a big day. Not only do classes begin at Kingston but – and what’s about to follow eclipses even the excitement of finally starting my master’s – I get to move into my flat. It has been a long two weeks at my hostel in southeast London. Of course the price was right, … Read More
Talk is easy. It was one thing to be home for the summer, telling people that I’m moving to London to pursue not only a master’s in travel writing, but to get my career going as a writer itself. And yet, it’s been another thing altogether now that I’ve actually arrived. Well, I tell myself, … Read More
As a child, Canada did little to hold my attention. I knew it was there, of course, like a distant relative you hear about from time to time, but my vague knowledge of its presence – this large terra incognita somewhere north of New York and New Hampshire – came only from the footnotes on … Read More
It had been a long flight. Of course, the six and a half hours from Toronto to Heathrow pale in comparison to past flights to and from New Zealand, but what I hadn’t realized was how lucky I’d gotten on them – on my ten-hour flight from LA to Fiji, I had a row of … Read More
Day five was winding down. I was back on the road after Rotorua and all that stood between me and the Coromandel Peninsula was a little town with a big name – Paeroa, New Zealand. Anyone who’s spent any time in New Zealand has probably had the chance to taste the country’s national soft drink, … Read More
There’s no denying the popularity of referring to Rotorua as Roto-Vegas, a nickname that just about sums up the conundrum of this central North Island city. With a population of about 55,000, it is known for its significant Maori population and manicured English gardens (a contradiction in and of itself, perhaps), but also for its … Read More
A brief look at the syllabi of my college transcript will reveal an education of highly questionable “real world” applicability, one defined by courses such as SLFK 212: Slavic Folklore Ritual and Family Life, JPTR 322: Intro to Modern Japanese Literature, and ANTH 237: The Culture and History of Still Photography. Although there’s no disputing … Read More