Week 6: Reminiscing

Meeting friends at Panton Yokocho, London

It's week 6, and I'm really enjoying documenting my weeks and it feels a lot more fulfilling than posting a picture on Instagram. I was talking to a fellow photographer over on Instagram recently about this very notion of documentation and photography. Instagram, for me, has grown and killed my love for photography. On the one hand, photography feels like a throwaway comment on a night out and not particularly appreciated, and on the other hand you have photographers and those who really know the work that goes into, giving it the acknowledgement it may be deserves. There is also the question for me and many other creatives, what are we doing this for? You could easily fall down the rabbit whole of feeling disheartened by not getting enough "likes", "hearts" or comments on your photos that you post, and then wondering why you do what you do. With Instagram and their massively flawed algorithm, using social media, you don't often see the work of people you follow and vice versa, so then you have the feeling of "is it all really worth it?". Instagram isn't the answer. It's a tool to use like a throwaway comment. Creativity is the answer.

Creativity is love, expression, a hint of unforeseen wonder and flow state.

I digress, I often do. Question, do you like my ramblings? Please let me know. Drop me a message.

Since 2017, I've been in a state of longing for visiting Japan. At the end of April 2017, my friends and I went to Japan. By far, one of the best trips I have ever been on and when you go some distance like that, and to such a different way of life, you need to go for at least 3 weeks. Of course, 3 weeks was not enough. We covered so much ground and I was very very very close to calling work and saying "i need to stay here another 3 weeks". Since then I've had withdrawal symptoms. I have spend many hours talking about how wonderful my Japan trip was and wondering why I haven't booked another trip back. There were so many highlights and photos from the trip. If you ever wondering what to do out in Japan, feel free to drop me a message and I'll happily recommend some places to go.

This week, my friend Caroline introduced me to a place in London called Ramen Yokocho. A place that transported me back to Japan. You know that scene in Ratatouille when Anton Ego tries the Ratatouille at the restaurant which Remy... the rat with the heighten sense of taste and smell ... made and Anton gets transported back home... where his mother presents him with a bowl of Ratatouille for the first time... with that first taste. Well, with that first walk into Panton Yokocho, that's what it felt like, I hadn't even sat down and taken a bite of anything yet. Anyway, Panton Yokocho bowled me over with their Vegan Miso Ramen and Spicy Edamame. Absolutely delicious.

The restaurant is situation right next to the Japan Centre, near Leicester Square in London.

I'll wrap this up (this would have been a great end to a blog if I was writing about a burrito joint that I had just visited).

I'll be back very soon for more ramen, I highly recommend it. It made miso happy.

Let me know what you think. Follow me on this journey.

If you'd like to work on a photo with me one week, feel free to drop me a message via Instagram @bimalt or via my contact form.