Travelogue and Digital Story Script

Photo by Natalie Leduc

So much life, energy, movement. The streets are crowded, not just with people walking around and cars on the street but with all of the brightly colored buildings planted on top of one another; red, yellow, blue, green and even pink. It is as if a giant placed these buildings next to one another and then squeezed them together from each end to make them tall, skinny and unable to stand square. It is an overcast and windy day, but this does not seem to deter people from walking around and exploring the vast city. Luckily, the cold winter air does not penetrate my down jacket but my ears feel like they are on fire from being exposed to the cold. I must remember to thank my mother for finding this great jacket for me when I call her later to catch up. People are briskly walking through the light rain, on their way to places I will never know. I wonder where they are from, how they got here, what they are doing in this city today. Are they walking to work or school, meeting a friend for lunch, going on a blind date? Do they wonder the same when they see me or are they too focused on their own thoughts to notice the multitude of passing faces? The grey uneven sidewalks are splattered with white gum and I must watch out for the occasional pile of dog poop. Speaking of which, I just watched as a woman walking with a small terrier allowed it to relieve itself in the middle of the sidewalk and then walked along as if nothing happened. In a city of people so generally kind I don’t understand why people don’t pick up after their pets, but that is beside the point.

As I continue down the lively main street in this foreign town, I am amazed by the small alleyways between buildings that cars miraculously seem to fit through. The double decker buses remind me of Harry Potter as they make their way around, carrying passengers from place to place. I wonder if the bus drivers get lonely, being around so many people every day but never really getting to interact with them. As I walk, I can smell the nostalgic scent of wet pavement after the light rain mixed with car exhaust surrounding me. It reminds me of summer days from my childhood, having water balloon fights with my cousins in the middle of the court they lived in. I turn a corner and the soothing sound of a man singing and playing a guitar begins to get louder and louder until I am finally standing in front of him, taking in the way his voice and guitar mix with the sound of cars and people passing by. He is singing alternative/pop hits and the small crowd that has gathered around is singing with him. I listen for another song, drop some money in his open guitar case, and move on my way, wondering how much money he actually makes in a day and if this is something he does for fun or as a main source of income. As I continue exploring, I am surprised to find that I can actually see myself living in this big city. I can see myself being a part of the life, energy, and movement in this space.

Digital Story Script

Music will start once my showcase video starts: “Respiro” by Mattia Vlad Morleo
From California to Ireland, from a small town to a big city. Well, bigger at least.	Map showing arrow from SF to Ireland
Before leaving, I knew that Cork was going to be a city without much nature; I could see that from Google maps. However, I did not anticipate that it was such an urban city for some reason.	Google maps satellite shot of Cork to show city without much nature
Over the course of the trip, I came to find that Cork was just like Walnut Creek and that Dublin was like San Francisco. There are shops lining the streets, and cafes on corners. There is constant motion, and the streets are always crowded.	Various pictures from the trip showing the city, buildings and the sea cliffs
Throughout my short time as a photographer and especially in the past three weeks here in Cork, I have found that my definition of beauty is no longer black and white. I no longer define beauty only in landscapes but in cityscapes and buildings as well. My definition of beauty has changed. In the remainder of the video, I will be portraying scenes of nature juxtaposed with cityscapes in an effort to show the beauty in both, as well as the way humans have altered natural land.	More pictures from the trip showing the city, buildings and the sea cliffs  Transition into showcase video