The Muted

Southwest by Amtrak (Buffalo to Chicago)

2008-08-13T14:29:00.000-07:00

Buffalo NY to Chicago Illinois, an over night train ride. May15-16

I arrived at the Train station at around 11:30pm May15 2008 with my baggages, which included: Nikon D50, Praktica ltl3, 50mm f1.8, 18-55mm f3.5-5.6 and a packfilm polaroid in one bag, clothing in another and my laptop. My train scheduled to leave at 11:59pm. I waited for about half an hour just to hear the operator announced that the train will be running late. I sat and watched people interacting with each other. There were mostly senior citizens. I felt strange.

At around 1:30am, the operator called us to go outside to wait for the train. We waited and waited, the train came, but it wasn't our train. People were getting a little frustrated and antsy.

Finally the train came

I hurried myself on to this long metal tube which i'll be in for another 2.5 days and rest my head. I did woke up when the train arrived in Cleveland, Ohio but I was too tired to take out the camera to document such late night visit.

The train from Buffalo to Chicago wasn't full, I had 2 seats for myself, sleeping soundly and uncomfortably on the 2 seats make the moment became unforgettable.

I woke up in the morning and I was in South Bend, Indiana. The sky was clear and I felt like reaching out and suck it all in.

But first I had to go wash my face, for some reason I brought along the camera. The restroom on the train was quite small even for me. It surprised me how articulated the design for everything was because of the limited space it has. I was impressed.

After my admiration of the restroom, I continued to convince myself that I'm actually on this trip.

The train continued to travel across Indiana as I sat there and ate the left over my friends packed for me the night I left.

Cold pesto pasta, chicken and garlic breads were never tasted so good.

There's nothing like having pesto pasta on a moving train. I looked out the window and I felt lifted.

Then about an hour later, I saw a Mcdonald in the middle of the highway. This was when I truly convinced that I'm moving West. I'm in Chicago.

to be continue....

City on the Lake

2008-01-13T20:17:00.001-08:00

Ontario Lake-Rochester
They said Ontario Lake is more furious than Erie Lake, so I had to go see what all the fuzz is about. Took a short trip along the Ontario Lake starting from Buffalo up to Niagara Falls and around the lake to Rochester. I don't know if Ontario Lake is more furious than Erie but it sure have more dead fishes on its shore. I guess Erie is not that poisonous after all, when compare to Ontario at least. It was nice to travel along the shore and take photos of the gift from mother nature. It was also nice to travel into the city and take photos of the gift from mankind. Both gifts looked quite contradicting.

A historian to be

2008-01-08T12:17:00.000-08:00

The following photos were taken while we were walking through Chinatown looking for some Dimsum. I love to take public transportation, there's just something about it is really sublimed. Being an anonymous subject within a crowded strangers bring something to the surface that's hard to get when you're surrounded with friends. Some would be terrified with this thought, but I love it. I love being a stranger to other people and observe them as if they were in a motion picture. People pass you by, you'd give them an expression of grace and that would be the last time you'd see them. And if we were to see them again we would probably smile with excitement because then we just became a historian of our own time.

I wonder if there's another level underneath this train tunnel.

The way they're trying to control the order of ticket holders in Toronto.

As long as you passed the bared gate, you're allowed to either sit and stare at the opposite window into a darkness of the wall outside or you can fall flat and sleep...either way you'll be staring into a void.

Then maybe when you'd come out of that void, you'd get to smell the delicious of chinese roasted ducks. Who could resist such a taste!

But then there are those who just passing the day by not looking in a black wall but decided to diminish daylight all together.

And then there are those who trying to promote a chemical that could cure cancers and can sophisticatedly help you expose to longer days and shorter nights

But it's hard to touch such 'tangible' things. If not careful, we'd be stuck in a world where we won't able to return to the time we used to know...

It is where there are three propositions already setting out for us, all we have to do is choose.

and that what we did. We make choices.

that's all for now,
Kat

Tasers don't kill?

2007-12-17T20:08:00.000-08:00

I came across a protest against the usage of taser by police while I was visiting Toronto, Canada on the weekend of November 24th, a month and 10 days after the death of Robert Dziekanski. Robert Dziekanski was a polish immigrant who landed on Canada's soil on October 13 2007 at Vancouver Airport and was tasered to death shortly on October 14 2007 by the RCMP.

Robert's flight arrived late. He had some troubles at the custom gates with his baggages. The police were asking him questions but he did not understand english. The police didn't have any translating equipments or persons in trying to help him. There was a miscommunication on both sides. Robert got agitated and was throwing things around, the police ordered for him to calm down which he did but the police tasered Robert 4 times anyways and caused the death of Robert and the controversial debate of taser usage.

more headlines at CBCnews.ca, The New York Times'

Pictures of the protest in Toronto, CA on November 24th 2007

that's all for now.
Kat