Flower Power & an Hommage to Three Great Painters

Hola there! It’s been a while since my last post. I've been quite moody lately (loads of things on my mind), I’ve also been occupied with obligations that needed to be fulfilled. The blasted weather didn’t help (yeah, blame it on the weather). It had been really crappy, rainy and cold, the kind that makes you just want to crawl under the covers, and stay there! But yay, por fin, the sun has decided to come out of its hiatus, hallelujah! So anyway, to those who are wondering and even to those who don't really care, I’m still alive, people!

Well, now being spring and all, I’ve been seeing a lot of flower pictures on blogs and Facebook, so I reckon I should post some too, right? But “Raissa-style”, of course! Which is what, exactly? I don't know... Crazy, unusual and sometimes a bit of a mess, I guess, albeit a hot mess, hehehe! ;-P

These fotos remind me of certain things that I've seen in the paintings of Van Gogh, Monet and Degas. So it is only appropriate that this post be an hommage to them. Let me be clear though... I don't profess to be an art expert, OK? Just in case someone feels the need to bash my "observations"... So, here they are, flowers by moi...

In 2007, my sister and I were fortunate enough to see a collection at the Thyssen Bornemisza showcasing the paintings Van Gogh made during the last 70 days of his life. The thing that made a huge impression on me was the intensity of his brush strokes, like he was in an hurry. Perhaps he knew he was on a deadline of some sort... Well, the first two images here remind me of that intensity. They also make me think of the swirls he used in Starry Night (which I have yet to see!).

flowers4VanGogh1

flowers4VanGogh2

In what seems like a gazillion years ago (six really, but it seems like forever already), I sat across one of Monet's waterlilies paintings at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC and I stared at it for, well, I don't really know how long. I wasn't analyzing it, I just sat there and stared. You would have to be a serious dumbbell not to know that Monet's use of colors is amazing, and let me tell you... I was mesmerized. Anyway, while these are obviously not waterlilies, the colors in this foto remind me of that brilliant work of art that I couldn't take my eyes off...

flowers4Monet

Tutu! Doesn't this image look like tutu 2 Ü? It does to me! So of course, Degas and his ballerinas come to mind when I look at this...

flowers4Degas

Well, there you have it! That's my take on flower power in this merry/moody month of May... If anyone's interested in prints, let me know. I hope you're all having a great spring season! (",)

Four decades and two years ago..

Each couple has their own tale to tell. For my parents, considering the times they were in (the 60s) and their backgrounds and upbringings, it was almost unlikely that they would even have a story today. My father, Manolo, was from the province while my mother, Marissa, was a city girl. He was poor; she came from an upper middle-class (some would even say rich) family. Their families, oddly enough, knew each other. Papa wanted to go to law school in Manila, so he traveled to the city and was given lodgings at my maternal grandparents’ house. He paid his dues by helping out around the house - cleaning, cooking and whatever else that needed to be done...

He'd had 30 girlfriends already before they met; she had yet to have a boyfriend. Needless to say, he stopped looking when he met her. She was his 31^st and last, as he still fondly says when he recounts that story; he was her first. As expected, Lola Claudia and Lolo Luis ("lola" and "lolo" mean grandmother and grandfather in Tagalog) disapproved of the relationship. As with all their children, they wanted Mama to marry into a family of equal or higher standing. So what did my parents do? They eloped. They got married twice, in fact. First in a civil ceremony and a couple of months later in a small and simple church wedding on this very day, 42 years ago. And thus began a journey of a lifetime…

Mama and Papa, Happy 42^nd Wedding Anniversary and more to come! I’m glad (and I’m sure my siblings feel the same way) that God made your different worlds meet. Thank you for your love, caring and generosity. I love you!

Sneak Peek: Nagrampa Silver Wedding Anniversary

A photo of my friends, Yette & Jun, taken at their renewal of vows on the occasion of their silver wedding anniversary.

Una foto de mis amigos, Yette y Jun, en la celebración del aniversario de su boda de plata.

To a special guy on this special day...

Last year I met a special guy – definitely cute, super sweet, really charming, incredibly smart and to make things even extra special, he was born on Hearts’ Day. The first time I ever laid eyes on him, he was in a white T-shirt, gray shorts and Crocs… Yes, yellow-green Crocs! With head slight bowed, he stuck his tongue out – something he apparently does when he gets shy. He had been told about me though, and when he said my name, the dimples came out. “Tita Raissa!”, he exclaimed, followed by a big hug and kiss. I thought it would take a while before he warmed up to me, but we were fast friends. So yes, one Sunday in November last year, I met my dear nephew, Andrew Manuel, for the first time.

You see, when I left the Philippines in 2006 to go back to school in Spain, Andrew was still in his mommy’s belly. I was only able to return to Manila last year after receiving my residencia. So, during the first 3 years of my nephew’s life, I only saw snippets of it through the stories I was told and the pictures and videos I was shown. This little guy went through a lot even before he was born. My sister-in-law was hospitalized five months into her pregnancy because of some complications and had to remain there ‘til she gave birth to Andrew at 28 weeks. They said he was just about the length of a half-liter soda bottle. His first few weeks were spent in the sterile confines of an incubator in the preemie nursery. Then at barely 5 months old, his parents found out he was suffering from Hirschsprung disease and had to have a major surgery, which thank God was carried out successfully. Now he is doing amazingly well.

Andrew is a lively and talkative kid. He didn't speak right away though, even the common Mama or Dada. Zero, zip, nada. Now there's no stopping him from talking! He sings his A-B-Cs always followed by Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, and just about any song you teach him. Taught by his Papa (grandpa) Manuel of an oldies Eddie Fisher song, he can sing the line "Oh, my Papa" in correct tune. And with feelings! His teacher says he has a vocabulary of a five-year old. His class was recently taught the pledge of allegiance of the United States. Now, every time he’s on the phone or on Skype, he recites the entire thing to anyone who’s listening!

Andrew loves just about any type of vehicle and to him, they’re not just plain old “bus” or “car” or “truck”. This boy is a dictionary when it comes to those things. He can tell you or even CORRECT you should you get it wrong (and he actually did that to his teacher once) which is a bulldozer or a backhoe. Hello! Backhoe? Do 3 or 4-year old kids know that, or even adults, for that matter? But what floored me was the fact that when he sees the real thing, he can tell you the maker just by looking at the logo… Yup, Caterpillar, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Mitsubishi… You name it, he knows it!

I tried to teach him a few Spanish words, like “what’s red in Spanish?” to which he would say“rojo” or the sentences “Me llamo Andrew. Tengo 3 años”. He learned them after just a few tries. I would say “muy bien” whenever he got it right. The funny thing was, he started adding MUY BIEN to the sentences too!

Quite an inquisitive boy, Andrew likes to ask the question, "What's that mean?" A LOT. This is usually followed by, "Why?" and more whys.

Don't call him baby. He doesn't like this B-word. He'll tell you the correct B-words to use by blurting out, "I'M NOT A BABY. I'M A BIG BOY!"

Of course, I took photos of him... Here are some of them:

His favorite footwear...

Being shy...

He insisted there was a "telescope" at the tower... ;-P

He likes to make faces...

Praying... "Mama Mary, please buy me toys at S.M.!" He made that up!

In a fit of giggles... One of my favorite photos...

There are miracles in life. Andrew is one. Bless this child...

Happy 4th Birthday, dearest Andong!!!

And Happy Hearts’ Day to all!

Love Is In The Air(waves)

Every couple has a story of how they met, and for sure, each story is special. It is said that most married people (or those in a committed relationship) met because they were schoolmates, they worked/work at the same office, they used to be neighbors or through friends. But random meetings, as I read somewhere, happen less frequently than we think. We just think they're common because of what we see in movies and what we read in books. So when they DO happen, it's even more fascinating. I know a couple who met because they sat next to each other on a 10-hour bus trip, I have friends who were strangers from the same country living in a foreign land where guy helped girl when she ran into a bit of trouble, and then there's the husband and wife who started dating because of bets made... Like I said, fascinating...

Paul is an Aussie who was sent to the Philippines on business. He needed a local mobile service provider while he was there, so off he went to apply for one. His assigned customer service rep was not available to attend to his

Scarlet & Paul: Sneak Peek

Here's one for the lovely couple, Scarlet and Paul, taken at the Global City in Taguig, Philippines.

Aquí tenemos una foto de la pareja hermosa, Scarlet y Paul, tomada en la Global City en Taguig, Filipinas.

Sneak Peek: Tan family

The Tan family at the Tagaytay Highlands, Philippines.

La familia Tan en Tagaytay Highlands, Filipinas.

Feliz 2010

Hello, everyone! Sorry for the absence of posts lately. I was in the Philippines to visit my family and friends during the holidays and I just got back here. It's been quite a challenge adjusting to the change in temperature and getting over jet lag. Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know that I'm back in Madrid. Give me a ring if you have any events or sessions in mind you want photographed. Meantime, Happy 2010 to all!

¡Hola! Siento no haber puesto ninguna entrada últimamente. Estuve en Filipinas durante las Navidades y acabo de llegar a Madrid. Ha sido bastante difícil acostumbrarme al cambio de temperatura y recuperarme del "jet lag". En fin, ya estoy aquí, así que si necesitáis una fotógrafa para un evento o estáis pensando en hacer una sesión un día de estos, dadme un toque o mandadme un correo electrónico. ¡Feliz 2010 a todos!

Andrew Manuel: Sneak Peek

My nephew/Mi sobrino, Andrew Manuel...

Happy 1st Birthday!

A year ago, fraternal twins Caroline and Daniel, entered not only the lives of their families but mine as well and I must say, it's been quite a joyride ever since: from meeting and holding them for the first time at the hospital when they were born and shooting their first official portraits at nine days old (check out the first 3 baby photos on this link) 'til now that they're eating solid food, walking or crawling really, really fast, making baby talk and just simply getting to watch them develop their own personalities... I'm so glad I get to be a part of their lives and I happily declare myself an unofficial aunt to these two adorable children and their equally adorable older brother, Andrés.

Here are the birthday portraits chosen by their mom and dad for this post...

When Daniel laughs, he really LAUGHS! You can almost hear the laughter in this photo...


Sweet Miss Caroline and one of her pensive looks... Charming!


Thanks once again, Brooke and Matthew, for letting me document this milestone in the lives of your kids.

Maligayang Kaarawan (Happy Birthday, Feliz Cumpleaños) Caroline at Daniel! (",)