DAY TRIPPER

2014 was quite an overwhelming year for me because it was a year of a major transition in my life. I  moved that year in the Big Apple to further my study in photography.  Being used to live in a smaller and reserved city like Manila and Dubai, I was thrown off kilter when I came to New York City.   The subway rush astonished me, ill-behaved people on the street disappointed me and arguments on the alley disheartened me. There were times that I felt nervous walking the street and I started questioning myself whether I can survive the pressure or make it in the city's vast concrete jungle.  Often times I was struck with loneliness and homesickness.

I came across the Staten Island Ferry in January 2015,  and immediately it became my place of temporary refuge, a place where I can escape from the stress in school and loudness of the city.   At first, I thought it was just a typical ferry boat ride that tourists take to see and explore the City’s scenery by water. Little did I expect that each ferry ride I took had brought me peace, calmness and sanity. So I kept going back. Later on, I became very interested in the people or commuters riding the ferry. Who are these people? Where did they come from and where are they going? It was like a eureka moment for me. 

So I started photographing the commuters in the ferry. Curiosity aside, I also wanted to immerse myself in different kinds of people and learn their cultures. People from all walks of life are very interesting to me.  Each passenger goes on their own zone to pass the time for 30 minutes or so, while crossing the Hudson River.  These travellers made it a point to make use of their time -  they eat, sleep, read the news, study,  charge their phones, play online games, do paper work, chat, do their hair and make up, etc. 

One thing that really surprised me most about the commuters was that they were always open to a conversation with a stranger. Something that I didn’t do when I was in Dubai. Spending time on the ferry for more than 4 hours a day, trice a week, made me somehow forget my loneliness being the in the big city.