Neighbourhood oasis of light

Open 24 hours
London, ON
November 2012
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Downtown is a fascinating place. Just a couple of blocks away from the big, bright, glitzy convention centre where I had just delivered a keynote talk to a whole whack of the region's tech elite (click here for more on that) the largely residential neighbourhood was shrouded in a damp, cold, almost mirthful darkness.

Across the street, a man emerged from a post-war house with a red Coleman cooler and headed for his car idling under a maple tree in the side yard, his tired face illuminated by the headlights as he struggled across the driveway. Another couple sat invisibly on a nearby porch, trading low-volume but still-angry barbs over a friend who owed them money. A couple of kids wandered down the sidewalk, carrying their skateboards and discussing what they had had for breakfast that morning.

On the corner, the convenience store stood like a single beacon of light in an otherwise hushed stretch of near-downtown road. The parking lot was nearly empty, the rent-a-sign on the corner advertising some food/drink combo that would drive the average armchair dietician into fits of rage.

All I had was my iPad, but I still wanted to capture the feel of this place, this time, graininess and all. I long ago learned that the best camera is the one you have with you. On this night of contrasts, it would have to do.

I quickly composed the shot, then hurried back to my car and headed home.

Your turn: What does your neighbourhood look like right now?