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PEOPLE, PLACES, THINGS
by Joe Jaszewski
March 2001
I've become interested in places. In
the physical space people occupy and how they relate to it. It is fascinating
to me to be in new places and I enjoy exploring the physical and psychological
landscape. Davis, CA and Houston, TX share little in common when it comes
to both types of landscapes.
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This summer I am interning at the Houston Chronicle. My spring break held little opportunity for a real vacation, so I took a pseudo one to Houston. My excuse to go to Houston, along with a cheap priceline.com ticket, was to find housing. I was successful in that regard, but I also enjoyed observing the city in which I am going to live for 3 months. Last summer when I interned in Boise, ID it look me a week or so just to get acclimated to the city itself; what freeways go where, where city hall is, what people are talking about, where people congregate. |
My choice not to rent a car was mainly
for monetary reasons. But it turned out to be a good choice socially as
well. I was able to talk with the staff photographer who picked me up from
my hotel and with the director of photography that night when we went out
to dinner. The car is a space where there are few distractions from conversation.
Those kind of conversations can't be had when the photographer is scanning
film and the DOP is on the phone.
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Additionally, I found riding the public transportation system is one of the best ways to observe and chat with 'real' people who live in the city. Hotel attendants', waiters', and newspaper employees' thoughts, while valuable, should be balanced out with people who have different experiences in the city. It also gives an individual a chance to look out the window and observe the surroundings instead of focusing on the road and shuffling around with a map. Fortunately, I wasn't in a hurry during my stay in Houston. |
My main objective, to find a place to live for 3 months, could have been accomplished from my apartment in Davis. Like journalism, thought, actually being there has a way of yielding different results. I was able to get some ideas from people at the newspaper that I wouldn't have been able to get over the phone or e-mail.
Economically speaking, the trip that cost me several hundreds of dollars will pay for itself and then some thanks to several interesting housing suggestions I received in Houston. And now I know where to get a good fish taco, ice skate, and look for a feature.
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