Cherry blossoms, like these in Hagley Park, are another familiar sight Seattleites will discover in Christchurch. (Photo courtesy Christchurch City Council)

Alex is a cofounder and editor of The Seattle Globalist. He's a visual journalist whose work has been published by PBS, The Seattle Times, FRONTLINE/World and the Seattle Weekly.  Alex teaches journalism in the University of Washington's Department of Communication and recently directed the documentary film Barzan.