Night Photography by Flitworth
April 9th, 2008 9:15 AM / Location: 37.557642,126.95251A favorite activity of mine is patrolling areas wherever I live. I tend to walk for hours pondering the love lives of superheroes and attempting to parallel my own existence to theirs. This allows me to come up with an explanation for my romantic failings that is rather more awesome than reality whilst inspecting the neighbor's garbage.
Below is video of the first snow of winter in my neighborhood followed by pictures of the last. I included the video largely for context and because I found watching the kids play in the snow enjoyable. The first snow was on November 19th, 2007 and the video taken around 9:30pm. The last snow was at the very end of February 2008 and the photos taken at 11:30pm. The next set is from the mountain, taken on March 26th, 2008 at 1:30am. The final set was taken at 1:30am on April 8th.
I wanted to put together a cross-section of the night here. Those of us who have been able have been inclined to include snow pictures because, well, snow is beautiful. I was very pleased with many of my snow pictures but the snowy wonderland is not representative. Right now it appears to be furniture season and the dumping areas around all my buildings are sprouting old furniture. Dumpster diving in my neighborhood is the most convenient I have ever experienced. On recycling day all manner of abandoned items can be found piled outside our buildings. Our soviet-style buildings house large numbers of families so there is always a fabulous choice of desks, chairs, tables, and home decor to peruse.
March 1: 11:30pm: Silhouette
March 1: 11:30 pm: Playground
My apartment faces this playground. When my Korean improves I'll be able to tell people to get off my lawn. I'm keeping an eye out for a shotgun or cane to wave for the occasion.
March 1: 11:30 pm: The Park
March 1: 11:30 pm: Nationalism
These flags were brought out a few days before the day that commemorates the Korean Independence Movement that occurred when the Japanese occupied the peninsula.
March 1: 11:30 pm: Neon Nightmare
The whole main street of my neighborhood is lit throughout the night. I have become immune to both the beauty and the strangeness but driving through here for the first time is mesmerizing. Just a mile away is an area that looks and feels like a Blade Runner version of Asia with the subway tracks and smaller streets creating a more claustrophobic space with the same number of lights.
March 1: 11:30 pm: Good Eats
Dotted all over most residential and commercial districts are street eateries like this one. Most provide traditional Korean food but some feature terrifying corn dog abuse, waffles, or tako-yaki. The wonderful thing about these little places is that there are often at least a few stools where people in the neighborhood can eat together and chat.
March 1: 11:30 pm: So Ronery
The convenience stores provide places to make instant noodles as well as counters to eat on. For some reason this abandoned kimchi ramen container caught my fancy.
March 1: 11:30 pm: Watching Their Stories
This is at the 24 hour Korean restaurant nearest to my apartment. The guys are all enjoying a late, hot meal and soju while watching a Korean historical drama.
March 1: 11:30 pm: Water Tower
One day I'm going to climb this. Or one that looks just like it that is a safe distance from my apartment and place of employment. This is right outside my gym. It taunts me.
March 1: 11:30 pm: Snowy Trees
March 26: 1:30 am: The Mountain
That's my mountain. Let's go!
March 26:1:30 am:Naked Trees
March 26: 1:30 am: The Path
This is the path up to the mountain. During daylight it is choked with retirees in hiking gear and no at all scary.
March 26: 1:30 am: The City
The cluster of lights mark the main thoroughfare from my apartment up to the nearest subway station.
March 26: 1:30 am: Fence
What is very curious about my neighborhood is the juxtaposition of high density urban areas, mountains, and agrarianism. Behind the fence is an area that looks like it grows fruits and vegetables. I haven't been here during the growing season so I've no proof.
March 26: 1:30 am: More Distance
Another water tower mocking me in the distance.
March 26: 1:30 am: Lifeless Park
This is a park that is a short distance up the mountain. It was shadowy and dark. It looks creepy and lifeless at night and this is the only part of my neighborhood that isn't utterly polluted with light. I was sufficiently unnerved that I went no further. My coworker was harassed by a nude man on this mountain last year and that sounds much less charming when you are alone in the middle of the night.
March 26: 1:30 am: Megachurch
I accidentally took a different path back and ended up behind the mega-church. I hate this church. It is a hulking, costly beast that blocks a wonderful view of the mountain.
March 26:1:30 am: Stairs
March 26: 1:30 am: Xmas Lights
On my way home I noticed that there are still Christmas lights on this tree. Curious.
April 9: 1:30 am: Sidewalk
As I stepped out of my building I saw several women huddled on the sidewalk working on some project. On my way back I saw a number of black canvas bags sitting in the same location. I can only assume they were witches performing some ritual and leaving an offering next to the bike rack.
April 9: 1:30 am: Sprung!
There are oodles of flowering trees in the neighborhood. Their fragrance is heavy and noticeable. Walking to and from work is now a pleasure as part of my commute is perfumed by these trees.
April 9: 1:30 am: Trees
April 9: 1:30 am: Lights
Note that there are fewer lights than at 11:30 pm but many remain.
April 9: 1:30 am: Elections
April 9: 1:30 am: Closed Shop
During the day this cart offers delicious cinnamon cakes. By 1:30 am most of the street vendors have closed up for the night.
April 9: 1:30 am: Last Call
The only remaining shop. Many inside are drinking soju and eating ramyeon.
April 9: 1:30 am: Sexy Panty
I found these inside a claw machine en route home. Vending machines in Asia put those in the west to shame. In Japan I found one that dispensed sex toys and a claw machine that dropped into a tank of sea creatures. I'm not sure what you would do if you won an urchin but it must be fun to try.
April 9: 1:30 am: Free Furniture
If you are tired of wandering my neighborhood there's almost always a couch to stop and rest on. Someone was getting rid of a couch and a large ottoman. I took the ottoman.
April 9: 1:30 am: Ottoman
Remember how I said I was gonna climb that tower? Yea, I didn't. But I did confirm I'll need help getting a footing on the ladder. Just as I decided I would try to climb, a security guard from the community center marched out and proceeded to completely ignore me standing next to the ottoman trying to look nonchalant. After he passed I stepped up to reach the ladder and the guard came back so I tried to look extremely dumb and as though my only interest in life was standing on top of ottomans that just happened to be under ladders while possessing no intent whatsoever to illegally climb any buildings that might be directly behind me. At all. And then a cab dropped off more witnesses and the guard made another swoop *with a friend* and I lost our battle of Disinterest Chicken and went home. Next time, Gadget.
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Love the shots of the city lights. And the concept of Disinterest Chicken.
This photo caught my eye:
Disinterest chicken, hehe!
I agree that it probably is best to look nonchalant when standing on an ottoman under a ladder. Nice.
A favorite activity of mine is patrolling areas wherever I live. I tend to walk for hours pondering the love lives of superheroes and attempting to parallel my own existence to theirs. This allows me to come up with an explanation for my romantic failings that is rather more awesome than reality whilst inspecting the neighbor's garbage.
A very good passtime, I can vouch, which, it turns out, must be more common than I thought...
Lovely writing.
Ah, scrumptious in so many ways! Mindtravelfoodpoetryhumorlongingbittersweetnessgoosebump-ly. And a video for dessert.
your night photography is fairly stunning. i hope you find yourself revved up for tasking again soon.
After he passed I stepped up to reach the ladder and the guard came back so I tried to look extremely dumb and as though my only interest in life was standing on top of ottomans that just happened to be under ladders while possessing no intent whatsoever to illegally climb any buildings that might be directly behind me. At all. And then a cab dropped off more witnesses and the guard made another swoop *with a friend* and I lost our battle of Disinterest Chicken and went home.
:: loves ::