The Hotline

My host university’s student council elections are pretty much the craziest thing ever. For one week, the two competing parties do anything and everything in their power to win your vote, with the process culminating in the Hotline, a night where everyone on campus can call their favorite party and ask for food or “fun” to be delivered to their dorm-step.  Manic partying ensues, enough to put an American frat house to shame

Since these are business students we’re dealing with, the delivery process is relatively well planned-out, at least at the start. Above, deliveries are sorted by building (C,D,E, etc)

At 10 PM the rush is on to deliver the goods to the voters, who will be taking to the polls the next day. Success at delivering a good time to the student body tonight is the best indicator of which candidates are right to run the BDE (student council), which handles administration-student relations and, more importantly, operates the largest on- and off-campus parties.

Mobs of candidates run through the halls, organizing everything from shopping-cart races to sumo-wrestling and food fights.

One of the crowd favorites is an order for one party’s mascot, complete with free salad, the better to start food fights with

Needless to say, studying does NOT take place this night.

Coming up: Photos from my trip to London, my new favorite European city

Paris Life

Things are getting hectic out here as far as schoolwork/job searching/Christmas planning goes, which is why I’ve not been 100% current with my blogging. I’ve yet to begin editing from a trip I went on this weekend, but here are some shots from Paris to tide y’all over in the meantime.

Italy

One nice thing about being in France is that you get to take breaks when the French do… which is quite often! Barely a month and a half into the semester, I got a week off from school and went to Italy with a big bunch of friends. It was quite the adventure – we did 4 cities in 7 days (down from 10), half of us got sick and I broke a lens somewhere between Florence and Venice (above) – a $500 repair!

We were in airports a lot, thanks to airport strikes and weird connections screwing us over.

This is the Sistine Chapel. You aren’t supposed to take pictures in it. Good luck stopping people, though..

The Vatican City (above 3 photos) had some amazing collections of Catholic-inspired art and architecture. As the world shifts towards secularism, the lowest common denominator and what is most profitable, we might never again see an era where people would be motivated to build such monuments to a higher power

Not much to see in Pisa beyond the tower that bears its name, though it is quite funny to see people trying to get their picture with it.

Florence (above) is quite nice. It’s one of those large cities that succeeds in having a rustic, small-town feel. Like many of the other places we went to, it was quite easy to get around on foot as most of the major sights are clustered together in the city center

There’s a LOT of art in this city, particularly Christian art. It’s quite overwhelming, but I actually found some of the art to be surprisingly inspiring.

Many of the churches we went to charged admission, with the result being that most of the people in them show their adoration and veneration with a camera rather than with prayer

Gondolas abound in Venice (there are about 400 licensed gondoliers), and they reminded me of my time spent on USC’s Dragonboat team.

Venice away from the canals is a maze of pathways and alleys, amazingly easy to get lost in. Wandering through these alleys alone and away from the rampant tourism in Italy was probably the most peaceful I felt the whole trip.

The parts of Italy I saw were beautiful, but I wish I had more time to get to know the place on a deeper level. My overall impression of it was a country rich in culture and tradition, but with a hugely commercial, touristy side that got in the way of its beauty.

Things I learnt last week

I took advantage of a rather sunny weekend in Paris to roam around, go to some conventions and do some exploring. Some things I found out:

1. There IS Chinese food in Paris, but it’s way too expensive. 14-20 E for a decent meal per person. They do get the Hong Kong-style ambience down, though.

2. Finding free passes to photo shows on the RER (train) rocks. I saw the very latest camera releases – let’s just say I have more than a few new Christmas wish list items now.

3. Corsets are hot, especially chocolate ones. Also, fashion shows are EVERYWHERE in Paris. Also, you CAN eat too much chocolate, medically proven!

4. Sacre-Coer is probably the touristy-est place in Paris. Even more so than the Eiffel Tower. I’ve been here 3 times in 8 days for no real reason aside from it being pretty.

5. The Moulin Rouge is just a red windmill. So overrated.

6. The Louvre closes late. And it’s pretty at night. Pyramids make anything look cool!

7. Antiques are cool. The shops at Montmarte have everything from 17th-century setpieces to antique watches and cameras in amazing condition, to French books and posters from the earlier part of the last century. I’m definitely coming back for some of this, despite how shady it can be at times.

8. So is graffiti.

9. Kids kicking you in the shin on the subway are less cool. Paris subways can get really packed, even on weekends when nobody is supposed to have work.

I also got the chance to sit down, look at what I’ve been shooting over the past 1.5 months and use some of it to update the site. Y’all can check it out at joshuasyphoto.com.

On the streets where I live

This is where I live – a sleepy little suburb about 45 minutes out of Paris by train.

Didn’t jet (drive) off to any locations last weekend – I decided to stay in Ile-de-France, the coolest destination in Europe instead.

Below, Vaux-le-Vicomte, the inspiration for the famous Chateau Versailles and a good 2-hour drive from Paris. The place exudes decadence.

I got lost a fair bit this weekend, too.

“8 Days of Gold” – a rare sale at Printemps, one of the most famous department stores in Paris…

…but the Gallerie Lafayette (above) is where I ended up spending my money. It helps that it’s prettier by a fair margin.

Belgium

When I imagined myself traveling around Europe, I didn’t think that I would be in cars as much as I have been over the past couple of weeks. On another whim, another group of friends and I rented a car to drive to Belgium, which is a little more distance- and time-wise as driving from LA to San Diego.

After some kayaking in Dinant (above) we hit up Brussels, the de facto capital of the European Union and home to some of the top culinary delights in Europe

Above, the European Commission, one of the high offices of the European Union. Unlike the ornate houses of government in many of the EU’s member states, the EC’s offices are exactly that – towering skyscrapers that exude bureaucracy.

The Atomium was built for the 1958 World’s Fair in Brussels. The structure is in the shape of an iron molecule and about 10 stories tall – pretty impressive for the fifties

Beer and chocolate abound in Belgium  – you can even get chocolate beer, which is a little like mixing pizza and ice cream. Skip those and buy peach beers instead – the best alcoholic drink ever.

Above, the Manneken-Pis, probably the most over-hyped tourist attraction in existence. It’s exactly what it sounds like – a statue of a peeing boy. My main problem with it is that it’s life-size i.e. it’s too bloody small! If you’re going to have a big tourist attraction in your city, make sure it’s BIG!

Bruges (Brugge) was our final stop on the trip, and possibly one of the most underrated attractions in Belgium. Pretty much nobody out of Europe’s heard of the place, but it still has its fair share of tourists from around the EU and elsewhere.

It’s a nice little town with lots of great architecture, an interesting canal network and…

…surprisingly good nightlife. Above, Willy sings along in his private bar, a beautifully decorated, if cramped, masterpiece built underneath his house and only open on Saturday nights.

Pommes frites (french fries) taste great when you’re drunk!

Overall, Belgium was worth the visit, but I have to say that it’s a little too touristy for my taste, and probably can’t compare to some of the other things I’ve seen in Paris and Munich. A weekend was enough for us to see most of the things in the country. The food, though, definitely makes up for the sometimes underwhelming sights.

Oktoberfest Adventures

I’d like to say that I planned far, far in advance for this trip, reserving plane tickets and beer tent seats months in advance, but that would be a huge whopper of a lie. Truth is, I found out I was going to Oktoberfest maybe 10 hours before I actually left for it, driving with some college buddies in a rental car across France and Germany to get there, sleeping 4 hours a night with 7 other people in one hotel room, and getting back to school maybe an hour before my first class of the week.

It was so worth it.

As you might imagine, there’s a LOT of beer at Oktoberfest. The plan of the day is to show up before the crack of dawn (I broke my lifetime record for number of sunrises seen in a row on this trip) to try and get a seat in one of several beer tents at the festival.

Once you get inside (no small feat – if you come after 7:30AM, you’re SOL), the fun starts. You order your bier and snacks (beer is served one liter at a time – about 3 regular beer bottles – and it’s THE strongest beer you’ve ever had, I promise), get sloshed, sober up and do it again.

You NEVER leave the tent – once you leave, you can’t get back in, such is the tenacity of the crowd outside that’s dying to get in

Between the alcohol freeing up everyone’s inhibitions, the low-cut women’s outfits and the amazingly catchy music, everyone’s out having the time of their lives

For those who didn’t manage to land one of the 80,000 or so seats at the tents fest-wide (yes, that many, and YES, they fill up THAT fast), Oktoberfest has all the attractions of a big carnival fair, with the added bonus of tourists from all around the world and massive numbers of drunk people trying to sober up

Gingerbread hearts, the latest fashion statement in Munich at the moment!

Below, the famous toboggan ride, one of the oldest at Oktoberfest, with a conveyor belt that’s tricky to get up on even if you’re sober. One can imagine the hilarity that ensues when drunk people try to ride it!

This is one of those events most people only do once, and I was really glad to be able to have done it. I’m not much of a drinker (as my traveling companions are able to attest to), but the sheer spectacle of the thing is just something you’ve got to see if you get the chance.

Bonjour, France!

After over 6 months of planning and waiting, I’m finally here in Paris! I got in on Thursday but I’ve been busy moving in, getting my affairs in order and being a stupid American tourist. I’m out here through USC’s exchange program with HEC, one of the top business schools in Europe. I’m about 1-2 hours (depending on the train schedule) away from Paris, and I’ve been day-tripping as often as I can to take all the sights in.

The Eiffel Tower, like the rest of this city, looks about 20 times as awesome in real life as it does in photos.

Mon ami Alex (above) has been living here for over a month now, and clued me and some of the other exchange students in on the Journee du Patromoine, the EU-wide national heritage weekend where virtually all government-owned museums, offices and landmarks are opened to the public for free, including many with sections that are normally closed off. We naturally took advantage to do a lot of sightseeing, which included…

…the Arc de Triomphe, which commemorates France’s war victories…

…St. Eustache church, which is so awe-inspiring that you might swear in shock as you walk into it – how’s that for blasphemy?

…the inside of a church organ, while it was being played…

…and the famous Notre Dame

Above, the Shakespeare Bookstore, possibly the only place in Paris where EVERYONE is guaranteed to speak English. In typically French fashion, over half the books are on the second floor, the “not for sale” section.

I’m exhausted from the weekend, but extremely excited to be here. I’m hoping the enthusiasm won’t fade when my classes begin!

Thoughts on Japan, Part 2

To visualize Tokyo, imagine the biggest, most bustling metropolis you’ve ever lived in.

Now, imagine it on steroids.

The lights are brighter. The people walk faster. And both are in plentiful supply.

It was much less challenging to get around here than I thought it would be – though there are more rail lines and train companies in Tokyo alone than in many countries and the route map resembles a Gordian knot, a guidebook , help from the incredibly hospitable station staff and some planning got us to where we needed to be surprisingly quickly.

Of Tokyo’s many districts, Akihabara (above) was probably the one that made the deepest impression on me. A haven for Japan’s otaku (nerds, for lack of a better term), it is Japan at its best and very worst. You can see the admirable obsession and drive that pulled Japan out of the ashes of World War II and turned it into the second richest nation on the planet (and purchase its end result, in the form of the most advanced consumer electronics available), while at the same time gawking at the childishness of the area’s maid-cafes and the disturbing number of hentai (animated porn) shops

Lonely Planet guide entry on the Tokyo Tower (above):”Truth be told, Tokyo Tower is something of a shameless tourist trap, though it’s good fun if you go with the right attitude”.

Agreed.

Inspired by the Eiffel Tower (but, as the free guide points out, much improved in many ways), one might mistake it for the original were it not painted bright orange.

A traditional Shinto wedding at the Meiji-Jingu shrine in Harajuku, one of about 5 that were going on at the grounds at the same hour.

And, of course, Tsukiji, easily the best place to buy fish in the world. To call this place a “fish market” would be the understatement of the century.

At 5 AM, this place is busier than many cities at rush hour.

And yes, the fish tasted excellent.

My last shot on my Japan trip, at Shin-Osaka station, before I hopped on a train to the Osaka airport.

Overall, the trip left me in awe at the society, but also left me with a tinge of disappointment, not in anything I saw, but in the things I saw but couldn’t capture with my camera. I think I’ll be coming back again sometime, to try and rectify that.

Thoughts on Japan, Part 1

I had the pleasure of spending a week in Japan, possibly the most amazing country I’ve been to in a very long time.

I saw an amazing amount in just a week, so much that it took me till now just to sort through all the photos and the thoughts running through my head. I shot a lot too – which is why this is first in a series of 2 posts about the country

I won’t pretend to be an expert on Japanese culture – but I will say that one of the many things that endeared the country to me during my brief time there was the way modern Japanese handle being a part of what is simultaneously one of the most rigid, but also most technologically advanced, societies on Earth.

The first leg of my trip was spent in the Kyoto-Osaka area, taking advantage of the unlimited-access, foreigners-only JR Pass (Japan Rail Pass) to bounce from high-tech Osaka to the historic (and much more scenic) Kyoto.

My mom and I found a walking tour guide, Johnny Hillwalker, who took us through the side streets of Kyoto, pointing out temples and traditional workshops along the way while dispensing thoughts on Japan’s dual-religion system (“The country is 99% Buddhist… and 99% Shinto!”) and on Article 9, Japan’s renunciation of war as a tool of diplomacy.

Kyoto was the setting for the well-known and controversial Memoirs of a Geisha. A stroll through the town, including the old geisha district of Gion, turned up no “real” geisha, but many, many people faking it for a day.

We also hiked through Fushimi-Inari, a temple built on a hill with thousands of orange torii (gates) that made for amazing visuals.

Next on the itinerary was Hakone, a vacation town a stone’s throw from Tokyo with soothing onsen (hot spring baths) and “amazing views of Mt. Fuji”.

That’s about as good of a view as I got of Mt. Fuji – the weather refused to cooperate!

I’m not sure who came up with the idea to float pirate ships on Lake Ashi (a vacation spot dotted with tourist-trap towns, temples and the aforementioned, nonexistent view of Mt. Fuji).