Ben rides to Central America again

It was around this time last year when my boyfriend, Amlan, and I met Ben Recchi in Guatemala. We were staying at Hotel Backpackers, a hostel in Rio Dulce, while volunteering at an orphanage called Casa Guatemala. Ben visited the orphanage with us and participated in our photography project with the kids. We brought several disposable cameras and allowed the kids to take photos of their world, through their eyes.

After a few days in Rio Dulce, we traveled with Ben to Quirigua, some Mayan ruins in the middle of a huge banana farm. Ben had been there before and insisted that it was a must-see. He was absolutely correct. The year before, Ben rode his motorcycle from his small town of New York City to Guatemala, and he had visited the ruins during that trip.

Well, Ben is doing it again. This time he stopped by Knoxville on his way down south and hung out with us for a couple of days. He is currently riding through Mexico with the photographs the children at Casa Guatemala took in his backpack. He plans to visit the orphanage again and give them the pictures.

Ben is once again updating a blog with all the details of his adventure. Click here to check it out.

Click here to view Ben's first blog that chronicles his adventure south of the border.

Good luck Ben!

Underbelly Project

Jasper Rees, New York Times writer, explores an underground, secret art exhibit in an abandoned subway station in New York. I like this concept, this hidden gem in a dismal forgotten corner of New York. Street art is typically pasted front and center, screaming propaganda from brick walls and trash cans. But this exhibit is different, and I think it really captures the true essence of street art. Check out the article here.

New Orleans street performers

I filmed these kids tap dancing on the streets of New Orleans in late July. Just now getting around to posting it. These talented kids attached coke cans to the bottoms of their shoes and tapped away while tourists meandered by, occassionally throwing a couple dollars in their box. Maybe Adidas would be interested in a commercial?

Peter DiCampo

A friend sent me a link to Peter DiCampo's work a couple month's back and I decided to post it on here. These photographs are truly amazing and this young photojournalist has already accomplished quite a bit in his short career. I was initially drawn to his work because DiCampo worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Ghana, where I studied abroad in the Spring of 2008.

His collection titled "Life without Lights" is a fantastic exposition of life in rural Ghana. In these photos, he used a flashlight to illuminate the lives of his subjects going about their nightly duties, whether working or dancing. Hope he doesn't mind that I ripped this photo of him off his facebook ; ). Check out the links below to his site and a New York Times article about him.

New York Times article about DiCampo's "Life without Lights" project.

Peter DiCampo's Web site.

Well I'm not traveling, but some other people are...

Well it's summertime, and I'm not in Africa. So this isn't exactly how I wanted to spend my summer, but oh well. I had to stay in Johnson City to finish two summer classes before I can officially graduate, then it's off to Ghana in September. I'm still trying to raise money, for both the orphanage and for my own travel expenses. So if you're interested in helping out let me know. For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, check out my Web site at www.thepeaceandloveproject.com.

Since I'm not currently traveling, I thought I'd give you something else to read. My best friend, Eileen Rush, is currently living in Uganda and has a pretty awesome blog you should check out. She's been working in the slums of Kampala and helping tutor kids at an orphanage there, among many other things.

Also, another friend, Joel Gerlach, is also going to Africa this summer. You can check out his promo video here. He'll be filming a documentary as well and his promo video rocks!