おはよう (Ohayoo), Japan

(Photographer's Note: Due to unavoidable circumstances, this post was not published last year as initially planned. Apologies to K&M...)

Japan... a land of contrasts, where modern and tradition co-exist with seamless ease, where people bow in greeting while toting the latest technology in their pockets, where you might see a kimono-clad person walking side-by-side someone in avant-garde, almost anime-like fashion. And so, if Japan is a land of contrasts, then my friend, Kyoko, is the quintessential Japanese. She is traditional in the sense that she has high regard for custom, possesses an incredible work ethic that the Japanese are famous for and is a stickler for proper social etiquette (in Japan anyway... Hey, no PDA in front of the parents!), but quite unconventional in her choices in life. Kyoko took Shakespeare/English lit in college, had previously lived and studied in Spain, worked in a Brazilian bank (where she learned a bit of Portuguese too), and is now married to a Peruvian named Miguel.

A common tomodachi (friend) introduced Kyoko and Miguel at a small gathering. Miguel said that he was pleasantly shocked by the fact that not only could this pretty Japonesa speak Spanish, but also that she does it really well, and that she's able to utter those palabrotas (swearwords) as well as any Spanish-speaking person here, there and everywhere could, must have impressed him (and endeared her to him) ‘cause he never let her out of his sight after that meeting. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Kyoko wanted Miguel to experience Spain, so they used the few vacation days that their busy working sked would allow. They were able to squeeze in a super-short photo session with me and we chose Plaza de Oriente for the shoot. After an encounter with some very persistent Chinese people doing massages (Miguel wanted to get a massage, and he did, Kyoko didn’t but relented after being pulled to a chair by the Chino) and having a brief spat about being charged way too much, we happily snapped some photos…

Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu, Kyoko & Miguel - That’s one of the five things I remember from Japanese class ;-P - for the amazing albeit short time we got to spend together. See you back in Madrid soon!

Kyoko y Miguel: Sneak Peek

Una de las fotos que hice de Kyoko y Miguel durante su mini-sesión fotográfica en Madrid...

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.

Wanna bet?

So, how did an independent young woman who happened to dislike happy-go-lucky guys hook up with a skirt chaser?

Flashback, 1973, Free Will Baptist Bible College, Nashville, Tennessee. Their story, funny enough, started with a bet and a plan to get even. Jeff had broken up with one of Susan’s friends so one night, the girls decided to give him a dose of his own medicine. The one who got the shortest straw would get him to fall in love with her and then leave him. Unbeknownst to the girls, at the guys’ dorm, Jeff and his friends were making bets on who can get a date with a young lady named Susan. Well, how do you think this story panned out?

Fast-forward, 2009, Madrid, Spain. Jeff and Susan are still together! Talk about kismet! This is their 34^th year of marriage and they have been living a truly blessed life. They travel the world tirelessly for the service of God and good, they raised two amazing and talented children who are married to two equally amazing people. They are grandparents to three of the cutest children on earth (and a grandog!), and are treasured friends to those whose lives they’ve touched and continue to touch.

Ok, people! Are you ready to see what still being in love looks like after 34 years of marriage? :-)

This is Jeff, contemplating God's handiwork in La Pedriza...

Susan has an amazing smile... You can really tell that it comes from the heart.

Love. Amor. Pag-ibig... However you call it, they have it.

Susan: "Jeff, say s..." ;-P

And this last one is my absolute favorite!

Jeff and Susan, thanks for trusting me to take your 34th anniversary photos. Here’s to the next 34! Cheers! (",)

Jeff & Susan: Sneak Peek

Steven & Anna in Madrid

One fine day in May, I received an email from a guy in England inquiring about the possibility of having a session done while he and his wife were in Madrid on a mini-vacation. It was to be a birthday gift for her. I promptly answered the email for the following reasons:

(a) I thought it was a sweet and unique gift (Usually, women plan these things, and the men just go along… So guys, take a hint!), and

(b) he was asking me to do two things that I love – show them a little bit of my Madrid and take photos!

I met up with Steven and Anna early morning on June 13th for their photo shoot. I was secretly worried that they wouldn’t like the city. Upon exiting the metro late Friday night they were greeted with a rather surprising first Madrid sighting – Gran Via teeming with its “ladies of the night”. Then, on the day of the shoot, we saw the aftermath of the previous night’s botellón (beer cans, broken glass bottles, cigarette butts, vomit… ICK!), a couple having a very physical fight (I mean really hitting each other) which I can only assume was a lovers’ quarrel, and if we want to add a group of trannies hanging out on a street corner for more shock factor… Definitely not the stuff you see in tourist books!

Well, thankfully, as the shoot went on and throughout the rest of their stay, they were able to see the pretty side of Spain’s capital and had an amazing time here. I’d say they truly had the TOTAL Madrid experience! Here are some photos from their session:

Married 4 years with 2 super cute kids (they showed me a photo)... Don't they look like they just got hitched yesterday? :-)

Out and about the city...

Mirror, mirror on the MNCARS wall...

Anna and Steven, thank you for choosing me as your photographer for your Madrid photos. It was indeed a pleasure meeting and working with you both and I hope you come back soon!

Español:

En un día de mayo, recibí un correo electrónico de una persona de Inglaterra que quería informarse sobre la posibilidad de hacer una sesión fotográfica con su mujer mientras ellos estaban de vacaciones en Madrid. Dijo que iba a ser su regalo para el cumpleaños de su esposa. Le escribí en seguida animándole con las razones siguientes:

(a) Yo pensaba que seria un regalo único y cariñoso (Normalmente, son las mujeres que planean estas sesiones y los hombres las siguen, así que, chicos, ¡tomad nota!) y

(b) Me pidió que hiciera dos cosas que me encantan hacer – enseñarles un poco de Madrid y sacar fotos!

El 13 de junio, quedé con Steven y Anna muy temprano para la sesión. En realidad, me preocupaba de que no les gustara la ciudad. Cuando ellos llegaron el viernes por la noche, al salir de la boca del metro, la primera cosa que vieron de Madrid fue la de Gran Vía, pero llena de las mujeres que “trabajan” por la noche. Al día siguiente, de camino al primer sitio elegido para las fotos, vimos las secuelas del botellón de la noche anterior (latas de cerveza, botellas rotas, cigarros, vómito…), una pelea violenta, supongo que entre una pareja amorosa, y si queremos añadir más al “shock factor”, un grupo de travestís pasando el tiempo en una esquinita… Definitivamente, esto no es la clase de información que se puede ver en los libros turísticos!

Menos mal que a lo largo de nuestro tiempo juntos y en el resto de su visita, ellos pudieron ver el lado bello de la capital de España y se lo pasaron muy bien aquí. ¡Puedo decir que tuvieron una experiencia total de Madrid!

Anna y Steven, gracias por elegirme como vuestra fotógrafa en Madrid. Fue un placer conoceros y fotografiaros y espero que volváis a Madrid pronto.

Anna & Steven: Sneak Peek

Just a hint of what's to come... I'll see you both on Mon... oooppppsss, Tuesday, hahaha! I hope you're enjoying your vacation here in Madrid. Happy birthday, Anna! (",)

Una pista de lo que os espera. Os veré el lun… oooppppsss, el martes, jajaja! Espero que estéis disfrutando de las vacaciones aquí en Madrid. ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Anna!