Designing London

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When I was in Dubai, I took a free, online course called, ‘The Power of Colour’. The course is through futurelearn.com but the school that created the course is the KLC School of Design in London.  With the colour course, I found myself dead tired some days but still completing each weekly challenge(s). To this day, I refer to the course and I take my colour wheel with me in my carry-on luggage. #geekalert. After the course finished, I received a few emails about upcoming workshops and certificate programs. Great courses but I was in the UAE. So when my…

Honorable Mention

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Well, I didn’t win the top prize but I did get an Honorable Mention in the 2017 San Diego County Fair Photography competition! Within the ‘Cell Phone – Color or B&W division’, there were 4 winners and 8 Honorable Mentions. So twelve total chosen and one of mine squeaked in! This also means that my photo will be displayed in the Exhibit Hall. A dream come true for me. Tonight, my cup runneth over.

Timeless

Categories: Dubai · images · latest1 Comment

Within my travels, there have been moments where time stops or it hovers over me like smoke from a cigarette. It’s a feeling of being timeless. And usually these moments occur when I experience beauty. But beauty that surrounds me with all of my senses being employed so that I am transfixed in that one moment. Without the aroma from the sea, the blanket of sand on my feet, the warm water touching my ankles, and the wind in my hair, the video below does not do this particular moment justice. But if you can use your imagination a little bit, I hope…

Scratching the Surface

Categories: images · Istanbul · latest · muddled · writingsTags: 10 Comments

For the past four years, I was a California girl living in Istanbul. Come August when I fly off to my new destination, it will be difficult for me not to miss my beloved city by the water. So I thought it might be nice to put a small collection of some videos together as a tribute to my time in Istanbul. This compilation does not come close in demonstrating everything I experienced  or felt in this charming city, but if I thought too hard and spent too much time, I would never finish. Istanbul was an experience of a lifetime and as such,…

#iamistanbul

Categories: images · Istanbul · latest · writingsTags: · 8 Comments

It was with a very heavy heart that I recently resigned my position at school. I am leaving my city by the water. I hope I am wrong in this, but I just don’t feel that the security situation in Turkey or in this region of the world is going to get better any time soon. As I look back, there are things I wish I would have done more of, or just better. There are things that I am terribly proud of and others… well just normal, really. Reflecting upon my decision, I understand that the light of the…

Difficult Bits

Categories: images · Istanbul · latest · walking around IstanbulTags: · · · 1 Comment

Living abroad as an expat has changed my life in many ways. I have seen some beautiful sites and grown as a person in many ways. But what I don’t always talk about with friends and family are the difficult bits. One of the main reasons I don’t write about the lonely and isolating parts is because they don’t last that long. Normally it takes a Skype call home or an inspirational walk around Istanbul to help me pass the blues. But these blues can run deep. I read an article recently that said expat life is filled with high highs…

Banksy in Istanbul

Categories: images · Istanbul · latest · walking around IstanbulTags: · · 2 Comments

As a person who likes street art, Banksy is a bit of name. For me, his work can be thought provoking and as a marketer, he is second-to-none. I knew there was an exhibition about his work in Istanbul, but it was a happy accident when I stumbled upon it yesterday morning in Karakôy. There are many things to write but I think I will just let the images speak for themselves. Enjoy!    

Photos and a Night Walk

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Tonight I went on a photography night walking tour with Monica Fritz. We covered the streets of Eminönü and in some ways, it felt like a new city. I guess the night had a lot to do with it but also, it was just men out and about. No joking, we probably saw about ten women walking around. It was just a bunch of dudes. We ended the walk in Balat and having a tasty dinner in a restaurant called Forno. Below are some of the photos I took with my 35mm lens. I have been looking forward to using this lens at…

New Lens on Life

Categories: images · latest · walking around Istanbul · writingsTags: · · · 4 Comments

July, 2014. July was my last post! Overall, I just haven’t been traveling much and the name of the blog does limit the focus a bit! I did recently get back from California though and I must say it was a wonderful trip. I do have the best family and friends in the entire world. Drop the mic. Speaking of focus, while I was in the Golden State, I bought new lens for my camera – 35mm. I wanted to challenge myself a bit and try to look at things a little differently. Plus, it was only about $200 –…

Street Art Istanbul

Categories: images · Istanbul · latest · walking around Istanbul · writingsTags: · · 4 Comments

Recently, I downloaded an app called StreetArt Istanbul. From this app, I get a little bit of information about the street artists around Istanbul. For instance, I had no idea that some of the more well known street artists get commissions to do certain pieces. Also, this app gives the location of the art; not such good news because directions are incredibly difficult for me. However, as I was walking around Istakal in the rain this morning, I stumbled upon this great alley with a bunch of street art; mostly painted by an artist named Leo Lunatic. I felt like…