The Honorable Mentions

Photo Title : PENSIVE
Location : Lopburi, Thailand
Student Name : Alana Abernathy
Program : KEI/Mahidol University, Bangkok
Description : A small city about 3 hrs north of Bangkok, Lopburi has one tourist attraction: and that is a large population of Monkeys that have all but overrun the town. I am not sure how they got there but they are everywhere- on balconies, sidewalks and especially near a historic old temple at the center of the town. They have lost any sense of fear of humans, so we were warned to carry food while walking around. Every November the city holds a feast for the monkeys to thank them for their contributions (i.e. bringing in the tourist dollars). Table upon table of the monkeys favorite foods are laid out and they chow down on everything from zucchinis to candy bars. I caught some pictures of this monkey after the feast. He was off by himself, and I was struck by how much this pose reminded me of a human. To take this photo I had to go inside the historic temple and get behind the barred window, for once I was in a cage.

Photo Title : GOLDEN TEMPLE IN THE SUN
Location : Amritsar, India
Student Name : Peijing Teh
Program : International Univ of Bremen
Description : This is an image of the Golden Temple, in Amritsar, which is the holiest place for Sikhs. Sikhs are sometimes mistaken for the Taliban, because they wear a turban, but their religion is very different, and it of Indian origin. The golden temple was extremely clean and orderly, and was extremely well managed by well meaning people; they have a guesthouse for pilgrims and tourists to stay for free (donations are at oneís own discretion). They also have a canteen which provides food for free, and during dinner time, it seemed like the entire population of Amritsarís homeless and needy descended upon the Templeís ground for a free meal. The Temple itself is an architectural gem, as one can see. From within the temple, there was a group of musicians singing their praises of the sikh gurus, which was broadcast to the rest of the Temple complex by loudspeakers, while devotees streamed past them, throwing monetary offerings to them while paying their respects in the holiest sanctum of the sikh religion.

Photo Title : THE DUTCH LANDSCAPE
Location : Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Student Name : Peijing Teh
Program : Intl Univ of Bremen
Description : This is a picture of a canal in Amsterdam, with a rainbow in the sky and all the main forms of transport for the Dutch: barges, boats, cars and bicycles. I though this picture was a very accurate reflection of the landscape painting produced by the Dutch masters like Rembrandt: weather in the Holland is extremely variable, with sudden sunshine followed quite dramatically by rainfall, sleet or even snow. But regardless of the weather, you always have these clouds in the sky, which reflect the sunlight in a hundred myriad ways and these clouds are always a prominent background in almost every single Dutch landscape painting that I saw in the Dutch museums.

Photo Title : SURFACING
Location : Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia
Student Name : Cristina Otero
Program : Study Australia, Queensland
Description : Part of the beauty of travel is in the moment you encounter something you didnít expect; whether it be meeting friendly New Zealanders willing to give you a ride across the north island, reaching the day you feel at home instead of abroad, or discovering a view that was out of sight. In this case, we had surfaced from an early morning dive. We had left the boat in almost darkness, yet when we ascended we were greeted by a brilliant sunrise.

Photo Title : AN INSPIRING BALANCE
Location : Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Australia
Student Name : Cristina Otero
Program : Study Australia, Queensland
Description : As you dive down and breathe through the regulator, youíve entered a completely different world. Suddenly youíre descending to odd formations of rock and coral that sustain countless living things. The delicate balance of this ecosystem is plainly visible in the fish feeding and hiding among the coral. They say the Great Barrier Reef is the largest organism in the world and from the moment you are enveloped within it, you know that itís true.

Photo Title : FRONT DOOR
Location : San Jose, Costa Rica (Squatter Village)
Student Name : Denise Bear
Program : ICADS
Description : Fifteen minutes away from my school in San Jose was a squatter village of mostly Nicaraguan immigrants. Taking a day to visit with the women and children living there was all it took to open up a new door in my heart. This is a photograph of one of the familyís own front door.

Photo Title : SCOTTISH SILHOUETTE CASTLE BETWEEN THE CLOUDS
Location : Scotland Highlands
Student Name : Meredith Brooks
Program : Queen Mary College, London
Description : While on a tour of the Scotland highlands, my tour guide pulled the bus over to the side of the road of a picture shop. The whether that day, as it was all the 4 days I was in the Scotland highlands, was freezing cold, especially for a native Texan like me. However this picture was definitely worth it! This Scottish castle resting in the middle of water is one of many historical castles all over the United Kingdom. While in Scotland, I visited many castles ñ Urquhart Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Eilean Donan Castle. This one, however, we stopped only briefly to admire while we warmed up with hot tea and instant coffee.