Malika Singh, Lessons to be learned: have patience, not everything is as it seems!
The idea that London is the world in a city always intrigued me; when searching where to study abroad, this immediately caught my eye. I wanted to take part in different cultural activities to understand more. I was lucky enough to be accepted into the FIE program, in which I have participated in a photojournalism class. At first, it was a lot of work with many readings and discussions, turning me off from my original expectation of learning more about the camera and it’s art. I felt a lack of inspiration. As time went on, the class had more practical assignments.
It pushed me to explore parts of London I had never would have seen without it. One part of the class was a final project, where we could come up with anything as long as we portrayed a story in a series of 10-15 pictures. Near the beginning of my abroad experience, I was lucky enough to discover a street poet who composed a beautiful poem that described how London is the world in one city. I didn’t originally get the poem to make the project, but it just so happened that the two worked well together. Once I had it, I went out into the city to explore and bring his poem to life. Over a few weeks, I visited each place to understand the varied cultures of the world in London and capture it for all to see. Though it took hours, it was so interesting to see different parts of London and understand all of the different cultures that were present.
Through this project, I was able to understand the city from the inside out culturally. Each and every part is so diverse that in just 15 minutes on the tube (the subway) to a different part, the whole environment changes. I was able to capture this in my photos, bringing his vision to life through my eyes. I was even fortunate enough to find a Hindu temple, as I am Hindu and wanted to discover one nearby. The class pushed me out of my comfort zone and opened my eyes to the world around me, making me extremely grateful for the class and the experience I have had so far.
Lessons to be learned: have patience, not everything is as it seems!
P.S. Because it has been raining, I haven’t been able to find the poet in his usual spot. I want to eventually find him to show him how I brought our visions together to create this piece! Wish me luck.