Photographe Paul Galipeau Ottawa Canada | lechampiondumonde.com

New York Megapost

Spent a secretish week in NYC. Here are some things I did…

Car parked somewhere in upstate NY.

Last thing’s first…

Went to Le Poisson Rouge to see Jokers of the Scene, Catchdubs & Star Eyes. Familiar faces in strange cities are always nice – particularly when spending about a quarter of each day driving. (Love to drive.)

This was my first time really hearing Star Eyes and I left feeling pretty psyched so she’ll get some special attention here. Not long ago, MISHKA released a dark mixtape she made with Dust La Rock called Ov Cvrse. It really has been a few weeks but I’m still taking it in.

Also, here’s a video for her song Disappear. Her close up shots are awesome.

Le Poisson Rouge. This wasn’t even the actual exit.

Photographers

Inevitably, I did my best to squeeze in some cultural activities. This included hanging out with people like Ryan Foerster & Naomi Harris as well as checking out the Ryan McGinley exhibit at Team Gallery and finally milking my MoMA membership by paying a visit to Tim Burton’s show there. The Marina Abramovic retrospective was great too. Daring, even.

This June, I’ll be showing some work by Ryan Foerster in Ottawa with some other photographers from Detroit and Bermuda. Stay tuned for more info on that.

Food

As a vegan, every time I travel, eating is typically pretty high on the list of things to do. My needs are basic but I appreciate when food is done properly. The stand out meal for me would have been the falafel I had at Azuri Café in Hell’s Kitchen. I knew this spot was well known but when I got there, a food tour on its way out. “You make me nervous! I can’t make that many falafels so quickly,” says the man at the counter to the arrogant tour guide. A close second place would go to NY Dosas outside Washington Square Park. Truth be told, I had been trying to eat here for four years (and about as many visits to the city). Finally getting a chance was like finding a unicorn. I regret not trying Meskerem Ethiopian but I’ve got to give myself something to look forward to for the next trip!

Meaghan Tsaacs in line at BabycakesNYC.

Photography

In exchange for accommodations in Brooklyn, we worked out a deal to provide content to Pomp and Circumstance’s website. My first entry showed Coney Island in all it’s glory on opening day, Sunday, March 28, 2010. The second was a series of black and white cell phone photos of discarded umbrellas ruined by wind and rain. Barter system for life. Need photos and got something awesome to trade? HIT ME UP! Come to think of it, last year, I traded for a week in a Vancouver condo and I have yet to cash it in. To date, I haven’t had a reason to but perhaps it’s time I make a reason.

Coney Island topless jogging.

Cell phone photo of a busted umbrella in NYC.

Of course, nothing of what I have written about so far actually motivated my week in the state of New York. While I cannot yet speak in too much detail about my motivation, I will say that my experience rates high as one of the most profound I’ve ever had. It was challenging and I don’t yet feel fully accomplished but I feel positive and hope to continue later this year. Thanks to everyone I spoke to and everyone who in some way helped facilitate this trip. I put about 2300km on a car that was neither mine nor a rental. Sometimes, generosity of individuals can be amazing. Distance between Ottawa and my destination outside New York City: 666km.

Here are two glimpses…

This photo is a crop of about 11% 0f the total photo it belongs to. Stay tuned to eventually see it in its entirety.

One of the most amazing hours of my life. People were very curious too.

Merci.

Excited about new coffee bar in Toronto

It seems that everyone I know is pretty into coffee. I’m not really big on it but I’m not here to talk about coffee. I’m talking about how cool it is to see people taking risks to do something they love. So, if you’re in Toronto, look up Sam James + coffee on Google. You’ll quickly learn the story of one of Toronto’s latest “celebrity baristas” (a concept that I bet would be totally lost on even the most discriminate Ottawa coffee drinker). Only three years after starting this career, he’s taking a brave leap and opening up his own shop in Toronto soon at 297 Harbord Street. What’s it called? Sam James Coffee Bar. Awesome. Bring yer own cup to save a quarter. Also awesome.

I took Sam’s photo in 2007 at the first Canadian Regional Barista Championship he entered, about six months after he started working as a barista. After sitting through most of the day-long contest, Sam was finally up I found that, even as a rookie, compared to his overconfident and/or underexperienced competitors, he had a sort of cool yet modest finesse to him. There was a lot of pressure but he kept it together and even cracked a few jokes during his “performance”.

Sam didn’t win the competition in 2007 but I hear he’s gone on to win a bunch more. Check him out on the internets.

Here’s Sam in 2007. As seen in the reflection, his Montréal Expos cap-wearing coach, Nick Brown, carefully watches his protégé get to work. A few more on Flickr.

Indian Express business card

Check out the design of a business card for an Ottawa shop. They were printed in India which is pretty far away even if the owner is from there. Each card is bit different since the stamp with the business info isn’t always perfect. To boot, the reverse features a handy 12-month calendar with a useful list of Hindu holidays. Obviously, major props are given to Shiva too. Kind of charming.

Anyway, if you’re in town and looking for an awesomely intense dessert, check out Indian Express for real. They sell sweets by the pound and don’t really taste like any same old same old cake or pie or cookie you might normally have. Tonnes of dairy-free options too. 1104 Somerset St. W near Wellington.

all day i dream about sneakers

HOW TO be creative.

Hugh MacLeod of gapingvoid.com wrote a list of ways to be creative that can be applied to nearly all “artforms”. It doesn’t pretend to have all the answers but it is a great list to start with and if you want more, he goes into detail further into the article.

PS: I found it on another Ottawa photographer’s blog.

Foods I made this week.

Spending a week on the west coast with eight friends from six different countries is pretty fun and I guess cooking makes for a good way to procrastinate when you don’t know you have an Internet connection. The kitchen in the boathouse we rented was equipped with some of the most easily broken glass and dishware but throw in some hella sharp Fiskars knives and some solid cutting boards and I was ready for action. Here are some things I made:

• Chocolate chip cookies of varying chewiness
• Chocolate pie with an improvised coconut & oatmeal crust
• Roasted roots
• Basil and green onion potato salad (oil dressing, not creamy)
• Red peppers and vegetarian mock duck in black bean sauce (big ups to the local AZN grocery)

Basil is your new best friend.

Now I am back in Århus with a sleeping bag that smells like beer and forced to use dull knives and the most pathetic cutting boards you’ll ever see.

Mislabelled Canadian Goods

This is what maple syrup looks like in Denmark. Pretty typical product design, right? The clear glass bottle lets you see how dark the syrup is and of course, the maple leaf on the label is a given. The confusion lies in the fact that this is apparently Ver(t)mont brand maple syrup, yet, is a product of Canada. The way I see it, I might as well start a company that sells Israeli oranges called Yukon Oranges. Sure, Vermont neighbours Québec, probably Canada’s largest producer (and consumer) of this delicious nectar but why not just call it what it is: Canadian Maple Syrup?

In any event, a can of Canada’s finest sirop d’érable was the only food item I brought with me from Canada. After corrupting my roommates with its delicious qualities, I am not running dangerously low and refuse to pay the exorbitant prices for this important wonder-juice.

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