Archive for 2010

Sharing travel experiences through photography

Photographer. Writer. Designer. Skier. Cyclist. Camper. Outdoor Enthusiast. That’s Jeff Bartlett’s twitter bio.

And in this interview with PocketCultures, Jeff shared his thoughts on his freelance travel writing and photography.

Jeff, are you a self-taught photographer or was there someone or something that inspired your interest in photography?

I’m definitely not self-taught. I have a diploma in Journalism and Photography from Western Academy of Photography in British Columbia, Canada. I also recently completed MatadorU’s travel photography program. My initial interest came from time spent in the mountains. I’ve always been into hiking, skiing, and cycling and have had the opportunity to visit some amazing places. Photography was the best way to share these experiences with others.

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A very Argentinean Christmas

Growing up, a white Christmas was something I saw only on movies. I was curious to know what it was really like to celebrate Christmas in freezing temperatures with a turkey on the table. In Argentina, Christmas falls in summer and it can be very hot that day, so no snow for us. And no turkey either.

Presents under the tree

So what do Argentineans eat at Christmas? There isn’t a traditional savoury dish like, say, turkey. Some people do a barbeque outside. Potluck dinners are very popular because the cost of food and the time spent in the kitchen are shared equally.

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The Magnificence of Indonesia

Written by a group of 18 Indonesians who love Indonesia, this blog aims to show “our land.. our people.. our country..”

The diverse interests of the writers are reflected in the posts: Batik as Indonesian cultural heritage, Gamelan and traditional Indonesian music, traditional medicine, Bakar Batu Party from Papua district.

Unfortunately it hasn’t been updated since July, but still a good way to start discovering The Magnificence of Indonesia.

Read more:
More Indonesian blogs from Blogs of the World
Galungan celebrations with a Balinese family
Photo tour of West Sumatra

Picture Postcards: Snowy Swiss chalet

A couple of weeks ago we posted a Swiss house in summertime. This week we have the winter version, sent by keepps. It’s a modern Swiss chalet, built in the 1940s, and it’s in Montbovon, Switzerland.

This is the last week of our houses photo theme. Take a look at other houses from around the world in our Picture Postcards photo group.

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Galungan celebrations with a Balinese family

“Three more day until biggest Balinese holiday” he says, mouth wide, grinning ear to ear. Scooters buzz by us in the dozens, each laden with food, flowers, forty foot long bamboo rods, or sometimes, entire families of five. As I glance to my left I see a man in his teens driving a scooter, precariously balancing a long perfectly formed bamboo rod on his shoulder, which has been cut and curved “just so” for the traditional penjor that the family compound will proudly display.

“Two more days!” she remarks, giddily. “Today, I wake up at 4:30 to begin the lawar. This morning…” she says, then pauses, raises her right hand to her neck and slides her finger across it “This morning, we cut pig”.

Penjor

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Christmas in Wrocław, Poland

I’d been watching the city municipal workers assemble the rows of wooden stalls and the three-story Christmas tree in Wrocław’s town center since the middle of November. The outdoor Christmas market seemed like it was going to be a huge event. Sprawled across two lengths of the square, the builders worked just as hard at assembling as they did at shoveling the continually on-coming snow heralding the beginning of the Polish winter.

I knew the day the market opened by the smell. Fried kielbasa, baked gingerbread, and the distinct linger of hot mulled wine invited me in as I walked from my bus stop toward the building where I work. Luckily, the town square is positioned so that a detour through the market was, actually, right on the way.

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