All posts tagged: people watching

Postcards from the Edge

Published by Khadijat Oseni

Dignity above all else speaks volumes. Inside our hearts, we are all born kings and queens… Spotted this underserved king on the streets of Varanasi and was instantly moved by his regal stature. I decided to not focus on his eyes because his struggle is not mine to interpret. But, observing him within this moment gave me an undeniable sense of calm about whatever was to come and his stillness was as vibrant as the noise within the streets… xo KO   Varanasi // Uttar Pradesh, India   Instagram | Twitter  

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Jules Julien

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“The first thing impacting me when I arrive in a new country are people…how they look, how they speak, how they are dressed, how they live together. I go generally to cities. The countryside bores me. I can still be moved by a landscape, but one day is enough for me. About a city and its livings, when I like it, I can stay watching it as long as possible… Tokyo is my favorite place. After my first visit I have returned 6 times the following years and I will go back again. I love its places, its people, its fashion and lifestyles. The first time in Tokyo, I was shooting everything. I wanted to bring back with me to Paris as many memories as possible…people in streets, subways, bars, parks… During my second trip in Tokyo, I was contacted by email by a Japanese guy, just a coincidence, he didn’t know I was in Tokyo. He was the director of the Diesel Art Gallery and he proposed I have a solo show at his space. The …

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Georges Ekwensi

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“For someone who is interested in how governments, corporations and everyday people are responding to rapid urbanization, there is no better place to visit than Lagos, Nigeria. Everything and everyone has a story to tell, from the infrastructure, to the advertisements, to the millions of people who navigate this vast metropolitan area every day. The energy of the people, the colors of their dress against beautiful dark skin tones, and the rhythms created from car honking and conversation create a place that isn’t quite like any other… An encounter that sticks in my mind is one that tells the true reality of the Lagosian hustle. It is not uncommon to be driving or to be being driven and have people try to sell you anything from candy to home furnishings right out on the street. I can imagine that on a particularly traffic heavy day, one may tire and pick up a sack of water or some fruits or nuts to eat but my father never opened the window for more than the morning newspaper …

the shortest fuse-jetsetterproblems.com

Confessions of a Jetsetter w/ Weda AKA The Shortest Fuse

Published by Confessions of a Jetsetter

“As clichéd as it sounds, my idea of a perfect afternoon is people watching and writing at a sidewalk café in Paris. I’ve traveled to 25 countries sampling everything from the exotic to the banal — yet nothing quite thrills and humbles like an overcast Parisian sky where I’m aimlessly café hopping. It promotes the ennui and the gratitude in equal measure. Being in Beijing, where I’m currently teaching, the café culture is geared understandably towards foreigners, as the Chinese are largely tea drinkers, though even this is slowly changing. Thus, I’ve learned that if I truly want to observe life among the locals – and as an expat, I do because isn’t this why we chase travel in the faraway – I need to abandon my default café lounging and take to the rambling alleys, what we call “hutongs” here, where the real shit happens: the grandma basking in the sun with her precious grandbaby, the bike mechanic slaving away at his makeshift repair stand, the couple setting up their family dumpling shop at …