Conceptualising societal constructs through images, travel, and writing.

You read about it. You watch it in movies. Yet nothing can prepare you for the moment you reach a destination that you have only seen in pictures, and heard about in others’ stories. I’ll never forget the day that I got off that plane in Charles de Gaulle, after 24 hours of gruelling flights and transits. I was grubby, I was tired, my back was sore, but it was inevitable that the adrenaline in my veins was beyond comprehensible.

I was finally here.

Despite landing on the afternoon of Christmas Eve - and as the French so utterly greet us with their ‘play-hard’ mentality - I was filled with excitement. In an empty airport. Knowing that places will be closed during the holidays in a few hours, I grabbed my bags and headed straight to Galeries Lafayette with my camera to get that million dollar shot of the interior with a Christmas tree. Not only did I get the shot, but a lot of the attendants at the shops were kind enough to give me tips of the places that were still open during the holidays, where I can revel with fellow travellers.

The first stop the next day was the Palace of Versailles. Going on Christmas Day, albeit a bit cold and gloomy, was absolutely fantastic as it was empty. I basically had the whole Palace to myself, as I got there early, and was able to take so beautiful shots of the estate and its gardens without the hoards of tourists. I met a fellow photographer there, and we agreed to meet up in Paris, by La Tour Eiffel, later that night to take photos of the city.

During the day I went a nice cruise on the Seine, with the sun shining. The buildings, the architecture…wow. I went to a few of the alleyways and places that I was told to go, and enjoyed speaking to some of the storekeepers who remained open on Christmas. Since I was a French student at University, it only made sense to try my hand with speaking the language with locals. It made for fun conversations but I wouldn’t trade my embarassment for anything.

Regrettably I didn’t have time to go up on the Tower since the lines were horrendously long that day, with only one elevator operating, but it was still a sight for sore eyes. I even indulged in the typical tourist poking pose.
Nevertheless, I’ll never forget the day I was finally able to go to Paris. Whilst I enjoyed my time there immensely, regrettably I wished I had more time to experience more of what the city had to offer. No worries! It’s just another excuse to go again soon.

Until next time….

Bonne vacances!