Karnaval! (2015 edition)

Karnaval (Carnival) in Curaçao is the event of the year. Half the island's 150K population participates in one way or another: either they're part of a 'walking' group (the groups that make up the parade), or they're involved in the costume design or the organization or providing assistance to the groups. And the other half is gathered on the sidewalks throughout Sunday afternoon and Tuesday evening to watch--and dance, and sing, and drink. I cannot imagine the amounts of beer that get consumed during the two days of Karnaval, but it's a lot.

I've been wanting to take photos of Karnaval for this blog for a while, but I can't seem to drum up enough energy to put myself through the crowds and the loud, loud music. And besides, much better photographers are, thankfully, present. Check out the Curaçao Images album on Flicker, and have a wild dance to celebrate Dushi Korsou!

Top Photos of 2013 -- #1

This was hard. Much, much harder than I thought. Number 1 of the Kuantan blog's Top 20 Challenge:

July 2013, Amsterdam

There's an untold story here. A story which I, as a passerby, don't know and never will.

That's what captivated me here. It will be forever unknowable, won't it, the reason why this

toy ostrich was abandoned on a front step in a busy city. Where is the child that played with it?

The toy has no means of expression, but its forlorness cried out to me anyway.

The moment made me respond viscerally, and because it was so random, it became special.

I've so enjoyed this challenge. Thank you to Duncan of the Kuantan blog for hosting it, and for the wonderful photographers that shared the best of your 2013 with us. Loved it, and look forward to your Best of 2014 :)

Top Photos of 2013 -- #2

The next-best of 2013 today, on the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge:

August, 2013

I take my dogs (I have seven, all rescues) to the beach every week.

As far as they're concerned, it's not nearly often enough. They have a blast every time,

and my greatest pleasure in life is watching them bug out and go nuts in the water.

This is Panchita, the first of the seven. This February 1st will make seven years that she's with us.

She used to be terrified of the water, wouldn't even dip a toe.

Look at her now.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #3

This is the final stretch of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge. I give you #3:

July 2013, Amsterdam

Close-up of ship ropes on the Amsterdam--or, rather, the replica of the Amsterdam,

a 18th-century commercial ship of the Dutch East India Trading Company

(which, not very auspiciously, sank on its maiden voyage to Batavia).

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #4

Today's edition of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge:

August 2013, Curaçao

Displays of wine at a local wine store. During a wine tasting-slash-farewell to a friend,

I played the paparazzo to wine.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #5

And we come to the top five of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge! This is the worst of the best:

July 2013, Holland.

A typesetter's display at the Westfriese Markt (West-Friesian market) in Schagen, Holland.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #6

Today's edition of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge:

April 2013, Perú

A glimpse into a courtyard at the Convent of Santa Catalina in Arequipa.

I love how the shadows play on the stone walls, the monotone broken, and then

just barely, by the wooden shelf.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #7

Today's edition of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge: #7.

April 2013, Perú. The Museo Larco in the Peruvian capital city, Lima, is full of outstanding

pieces organized in exhibitions that pique the imagination. This one, of weaponry,

makes a powerful, if silent, demonstration with an actual human skull dating from the same era.

Gory. But effective.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #8

Welcome to the last week of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge! Today's photo is one of my all-time favorites.

April 2013, Perú (Convent of Santa Catalina, Arequipa)

Come back tomorrow for more of Perú, this time back to the capital, Lima, and the Museo Larco.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #9

We're in single digits now, people--the final stretch in the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge. Today it's #9:

April 2013, Perú.

I love this photo for two reasons: one, the person in it (I know, I'm queen of corny)

--(Happy birthday, dushi!)--

and two, because it was a total fluke.

This was taken in Arequipa, Perú, inside the convent of Santa Catalina,

in one of the kitchens, a massive room of even more massive walls

with few, small, and very high windows. 

#8 tomorrow is also from the convent.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #10

Today's edition of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge brings us to... The top ten! It was so hard to choose, and there's like 100+ pics that I'd have loved to share, but--alas--only ten places are left, and I had to choose the best of the best. Here's #10:

April 2013, Perú. A street dancer with musicians in the background. The photo isn't excellent,

but the joy on the girl's face, and the way the photo captures movement--

makes you imagine the next step, 

makes you want to join in. 

That photography allows me to bring such a moment to you--bizarre, and fantastic.

Come back tomorrow for #9, my favorite portrait of my dushi.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #11

Today's edition of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge:

July 2013, Amsterdam. My brother-in-law listening to his mother answer the judge's question:

Why do you think your son asked you to be a witness to his marriage?

The photo itself isn't special except for the fact that it's among maybe 10 others (of over 60) I shot

that didn't come out blurry. I was shooting without a tripod and without flash (I hate flash), more an

experiment than actual documentation--witness the professional photographer behind the groom.

But it's special--very, very much so--to me because of the moment, the raw emotion.

The little boy inside the man.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #12

Today's edition of the Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Challenge:

April 2013, Perú. At the highest point (4,950 meters above sea level) on the mountain road

between Arequipa and the Cañón del Colca, home of the condors. (Sadly, none of the thousand

condor photos came out well enough to make this Top 20.)

Tomorrow: #11 is one of the few photos from my brother-in-law's wedding I took that

came out well. It made the list because it captured a side of him I didn't know, and probably

won't see again.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #13

#13: Classic car show in Curaçao, April 2013. If this one hadn't come out so dark, it would've made the top 5 for sure, but I like how the shadows make the gleam of the sunset on the metal shine out.

Visit the other Top 20 participants here.

Top 20 Photos of 2013 -- #14

#14: At the West Friesland parade in Schagen (Holland), tradition is kept alive. I love this one because the little girl's excitement is so evident. (July 2013)

Top 20 Photos of 2013 (late as usual)

Hey, I'm Latin. Sorry--that was racist and discriminatory, and pejorative, too, for good measure. You're absolutely right, not all Latins have the elastic sense of time I do. Sorry. I accept full and personal responsibility for my tardiness.

But, uh, better late than never. Right?

I joined The Kuantan Blog's Top 20 Photos bloghop, which means I'll be sharing the best 20 photos I took in 2013 over the first twenty days of January. The idea is to work up to the best photo for 2013 on January 20th, but I'm not sure how good I'll be about keeping the quality increments the other days--it's hard! And, of course, it's totally subjective.

Still, I hope you'll bear with me, and that you'll enjoy the show. Some of the photos are good (for me) in terms of composition or light or general photographical achievement; others because of what they represent, the moment they captured. I look forward to sharing these snippets of my year, and even more to your thoughts.

Without further ado, the first six of the Best Of 2013 Collection. Yes, six, because, like I said, I'm late.

#20: A globe at Amsterdam's Scheepvaartmuseum
(the National Maritime museum). I love how the back edges of
the glass case made a sort of frame for the globe, and how the
reflections (it was glass, not mirrors) play up.
(July 2013, Amsterdam)

Dog Day at the Beach

Coming soon to a beach near you :D

A to Z: D is for Dushi!

One of Curaçao's remarkable qualities is its inhabitants' flair for languages. Everyone speaks four--yes, four: Dutch, the official language; Papiamentu, the local language; Spanish, because of Venezuelan TV; and English, to communicate with the world. Some schools have the gall to teach German or French. Sometimes German and French.

It's almost too easy to integrate here.

But them locals do love their language, and the smile that lights up their faces when you, a foreigner, speaks even a mispronounced word in Papiamentu is well worth the effort.

That's why today Quiet Laughter offers you a Crash Course in Papiamentu!

A to Z: C is for Curaçao

Ah, finally: dushi Kòrsou. (More tomorrow on Dushi, for D day.)

The most popular question about Curaçao (besides where is it, which, if you read the A post, you're already among the elite 3%* of the world's population who can answer that) is about its name.

A to Z: You Know You've Lived in Curaçao When...

Porto Marie, our favorite beach

... you're completely used to people speaking at least three languages--fluently

... your sentences often contain more than two languages--and you're surprised when people don't understand you

... you end your sentences with "swa"
... you automatically switch to Spanish at the snek (and you know what the snek is)