Tag: culture

Culture :: Obachan

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I don’t know about you but it’s been a while since I really got my hands dirty.  I mean up to my elbows working in the mud kind of dirty.  I guess sitting behind a desk several days a week will do that to you.  This film makes me miss my days working out in the garden.  I’ve been so busy lately that I hardly have time to go for a run in the evening, but I’m doing what I can to get outside, but not as much as I would like.  We finally have real summer weather and I’m stuck inside… a lot.

I digress…

Mackenzie Sheppard

Growing up in an agriculture rich state, farming is something that I have noticed, but never paid that much attention to.  I know that there are a lot of tractors and equipment to plow, plant and harvest the food products. There isn’t as much hands on farming any more.  When I say hands on, I mean where we actually had till the earth, plant the seeds and harvest the crop with our own hands.  Maybe that’s why Obachan is in her 80s and is still out in the fields every day- she still does everything by hand.  She hasn’t let modern invention take over and she is letting her body live naturally. Maybe… she has found the secret to living a long and healthy life?  It’s probably not the only reason that she has never been ill- I’m sure genetics and circumstance has had a lot to do with that as well.

What I like most about this film is the use of focus and the black and white footage. It lets the audience look at the rich texture that surrounds Obachan, and not so much the color that often over powers an image.  As you can imagine, most of these images are some shade of brown, which  in all reality isn’t always the most appealing of colors.  By making it black and white it changes the focus away from the color to the content.

I only hope that I can be as active as Obachan when I’m 85.  I have some pretty strong genes on my side, but then you can never know what is going to happen.

Culture :: Mexican-U.S.Border

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Often we turn a blind eye to the things that we don’t wish to see.  Sometimes it’s outside our window and sometimes it’s a hundreds of miles away.  If we don’t see it, it doesn’t exist, right?

Viewer discretion advised

Visually

Although this short animation doesn’t actually show the violence of the Mexican drug cartels, it conveys the reality of a very real problem on both sides of the Mexican-U.S. border.  Although many of us don’t ever see the reality of these problems, it is an important part of American and Mexican culture. And although it is not a flattering aspect of culture, it should be acknowledged just as we acknowledge the more positive parts of culture.

Culture :: Andean Gold

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I believe that some of the best things in life are worth waiting for- and the this beautiful video says just that.

The Inoue Brothers

I visited Peru about three years ago now and had the privilege of seeing these animals roaming the mountain side, but never a ceremony like this.  However,  I did see the community spirit that is the Peruvian culture.  Each community is very tightly knit and everyone helps with the survival of everyone else.  I think that’s what I like about Latin culture- that the community is more than just a group of people living amongst one another, but they are one large family.

Culture :: Black Rock City

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Do you remember how in college you end up making up ridiculous games that you found absolutely exhilarating and were the perfect excuse not to write papers or study for tests?  You know, like sock wrestling, or hallway jousting or indoor slip ‘n slides that ran the whole length of the boys 3rd floor wing.  Wouldn’t it be fun to try those out now, to let some of that stress of every day life feel silly again?  I think I’ve found the place that lets you do those things again:

Anders Christian Rasmussen

This place looks wild and un-inhibiting.  I think the dust would probably bother me, but there’s something about this festival that makes you wonder how do we go from the silliness that we can so easily create at one point and then slip back into the practicality of work and every day life?

Travel :: On the Map

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I’m just going to say it.  I’m a nerd, I love books and there is nothing you can do to make me feel otherwise.  I like to peruse book stores, spend hours with my nose in a book, and get lost in the narrative.  I’m veering away from film for a day to talk about a book about maps.  Yeah, I said it, a book about maps.  Who woulda thought?

My best friend gave me this book for my birthday: On the Map: A mind expanding exploration of the way the world looks

simon Garfield

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Travel :: Vive la Mexico!

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Andrew Julian

Mexico is one of my favorite places in the world- I’ve been going there since I was six and I’ve lost count of how many weeks of my life have been spent there.  So although this isn’t an area that I usually go to, I couldn’t help but share this video because it highlights some of the things that I love about the place: color, history, food, SUN, the people and I can’t help but love the warm waters on the coast.

Travel :: Ice Hotel

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I was twelve when I heard about the ice hotel.  My dad saw it in a travel magazine and I’ve wanted to stay in one since.  Most people that know me well would find this very ironic as I’m always cold, but there is something spectacular about staying in something that seems so strong and permanent, yet very fragile and dependent on frigid temperatures.  I would only want to stay a few days if that, but the experience itself is a once in a lifetime thing.  For now I will have to settle with the experience of having a drink in the Ice Bar in London.

HENNING SANDSTRÖM

I realize that this video is more about the river than the ice hotel itself, but if we are to appreciate the hotel and all the work that goes into its design and construction each year, we need to appreciate where it all comes from in the first place.

Travel :: Corsica

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David Babendryer

Filmed on the island or Corsica, I love how this film makes me unwind.  The slow and relaxed feel makes this film almost sensual.  The close ups and the wide landscape shots really makes me feel like I’m there experiencing all of the little nuances that you notice when you’re in a new place and trying to take it all in.  Plus, I like how the story is told through the woman and the dog’s wonderings of the island, but there is no need for anyone to speak.  It is just the viewer taking it all in just as the person behind the camera did.

Travel :: Rio de Janeiro

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by MOOV

Rio remains a mystery to me.  At least the inner depths of its culture.  I was there a few years ago for two days.  Yes, I know two days in one of the world’s most fascinating cities is not enough time and I realize that now that I’ve been there and saw basically nothing- not for lack of trying though.  In my defense, it was cloudy and wet the 48 hours I was there and to top it all off, the Christ Statue was covered in scaffolding.  I was told it was pointless in going up to see the view as all I would see was a thick fog.  Try as I might, I couldn’t see anything that I wanted to check off my “to see” list. I’m still trying to get back there to see what I missed.

Rio de Janeiro

See, lots of clouds

Despite the clouds and the damp I did get to experience a few things there like the Favela, also known the shanty town, and a few impromptu soccer games on the beach.  And through these small experiences I got a sense of the drastic opposites that make Rio culture what it is.

  • The laid back attitude mixed with intense energy and athleticism. Everyone in Brazil seems to be incredibly fit and I couldn’t find one unattractive person my whole time in the country (which amounted to about two weeks).  Brazilian people are just plain gorgeous.
  • It is also a place that never seems to sleep yet it seems almost tranquil at times.  There is always something going on, yet at the same time it just feels like any other city with its ebbs and flows.
  • The extremely wealthy and the extremely poor.  I spent a few hours in the Favela and witnessed how many of Rio’s inhabitance survives from day to day.  From the highest point, I looked down at the the housing for the wealthy and down at their expensive shopping and personal boats.  The contrast was staggering.

What I like most about this video is the color and the movement.  It really encapsulates everything that I had experienced and what I had had assumed about the place- not that any of my assumptions were proven correct after visiting.  It’s a place that still kind of scares me for its energy and the unknown that I have yet to discover.  Someday, I will return to experience it all again.

If I could be anywhere, I would be…

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If I could be anywhere right now, I think I would choose to be here

or here

or here

or here

But instead I’m at home.  I can’t really complain because I really do like where I live, but sometimes you just want to get away and explore a new culture and place.  More to the point I’m looking for sun.  I never really got summer last year and the PNW isn’t known for it’s warm or sunny winters, so I haven’t really seen the sun in a while- except the amazing weather we had a few weeks ago.  I am more than ready to soak up some rays and feel warm again.

In the past I’ve traveled several times a year so being in one place for more than a few months is driving me nuts.  I just need to buck up and enjoy where I am for the moment- it’s something I’m working on but it isn’t easy when you’re used to being constantly on the move.

So to help with my “itchy feet” syndrome, I’ve been enjoying various travel videos, all of which I want to share with you.  Some are of places that I have been to and loved, and some are of places that I hope to someday visit.

Off to pack my virtual backpack.