Amerikan John

Maltese Buses

John — Thu, 06 May 2010 12:29:11 +0000

You only need to be on the Mediterranean island nation of Malta for a few minutes before you notice one of their main tourist attractions: the public buses. The buses of Malta are driver-owned and heavily customized, usually involving fine detail brushwork,the names of children or saints, or velvet interior. I love the idea of variations on a theme, so I had to look at, point out, and photograph them all.

Stars & Stripes Around the World: Part II

John — Sun, 02 May 2010 23:08:51 +0000

This is the second instalment of my collection of photos showing how my beloved Amerikan flag is used around the world. I feel that viewing these images can help Amerikans see how other cultures view us…and to realize that the Amerikan flag is usually used as an indicator of bacony goodness.

You can see the first collection here.

The Balkans

John — Sun, 02 May 2010 22:06:23 +0000

In June 2009 my girlfriend & I rented a car and spent a week driving the backroads of Slovenia and the coastal highways of Croatia. We also bookended the road trip with a few days of wandering around Ljubljana.

The photos above include some Slovenian street art, a Ljubljana walkabout, a shot of Lake Bled, the rural hub of Novo Mesto, some ancient caves, a castle in a mountain, and the Croatian seaside.

A New Icelandic Saga

John — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:08:21 +0000

Iceland’s history is learned through her sagas. Through them we learn about the life in the age of the early settlers on this solitary island. How they loved & fought & explored. All against a magical (read: volcanically active) backdrop.

The photos here represent my own Iceland saga. One of fighting the North Atlantic wind on the streets of Reykjavic, loving an outdoor pool of salt water & blue algae fed by a nearby geothermal power plant, and exploring the country-side in the dark, looking (in vain) for the Northern Lights.

Guatemala Loves Jesús

John — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 18:16:28 +0000

While traveling around Guatemala one thing was very obvious: Jesús is huge. His name is everywhere along with
inspirational messages and declarations of faith. Here are some examples of the signage I came across.

The Highlands

John — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:08:21 +0000

In Scotland, the summer of 2008 lasted for two weeks at the end of May. During those two weeks I got the chance to take a road trip through the Highlands. Winding west through Stirling, Killin, Ft. William, and Glenfinnan. North to Drumbuie, the Isle of Skye, Ullapool, and Dunnett Head. Then back south via Inverness.

Old Threshers

John — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 23:45:44 +0000

My hometown has a festival every year called The Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. The name implies that it is simply a celebration of antique threshing machines, but its so much more. It celebrates all steam-powered machinery – not to mention settler culture (both frontier towns and prairie log villages), fried food, small town values, pretend gun fights, crafts, country music and a barnloads of mint condition classic cars.

Stars & Stripes Around the World: Part I

John — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 23:49:55 +0000

As I travel, I’ve come to notice my treasured Star & Stripes used to market many goods & services. This collection is Part I of a continuing series of photos examining how the Amerikan flag (and through it, the Amerikan image) is portrayed around the world.

Las Alfombras de Antigua

John — Sat, 09 May 2009 19:04:50 +0000

“Alfombra” in Spanish literally means carpet or rug. During Semana Santa (the week ending on Easter Sunday) in Guatemala, “alfombra” refers to the large mosaics of grass and colored sawdust the locals create in the streets. These photos are from Antigua, Guatemala, a town known to have the best alfombras in the country.

Starting on Holy Thursday, over the course of several hours, alfombras of all sizes are created on the cobble stone streets. Early the next morning, the traditional Semana Santa paradres trample the alfombras, which are then rebuilt that afternoon/evening.

Engrish Diaries: Andy

John — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:23:28 +0000

“Andy” was the English name of one of my 11 year old students in Korea. As part of the coursework, Andy and his classmates were required to keep an English diary every other day. After checking Andy’s diary a few times I noticed how his entries had a consistant, almost poetic style. The majority of them also had a few grammar and/or spelling mistakes that made them hilarious…if your sense of humor hasn’t evolved since junior high.

We first read about Andy’s passion for Amerika’s Pastime:

"I Play Baseball"

Andy continues complimenting inanimate objects in his take on modern technology:

"DVD"

Andy moves on to show us a child’s raw thoughts while explaining disability:

"Wheels Chair"

FYI: In the next entry, “strike” doesn’t mean a refusal to work until certain demands are met. It means to hit.

"My School"

Andy enjoys the taste of pizza, but not of something else:

"I Like Piza"

(By ‘cock’ he was probably referring to either ‘Coke’ or ‘chicken’ – two required items at every Korean child’s birthday party.)