w/nw Environmental Portraits

Bob Michaels said:
Yordanka Harambouru in her home in Cueto, Holguin in Cuba. I had asked her if I could interview and photograph her as part of a project as when we met briefly a year earlier, she seemed like a very interesting person. She suggested I return to Cueto and come to her house.

It was a busy interview as I asked few questions since she would take the ball and run with it speaking non-stop. I was furiously taking notes while trying to photograph at the same time. Her stove, a one burner hot plate, sparked and began to smoke as she was fixing us lunch. She calmly rewired the hot plate using only a table knife for a screwdriver while continuing to speak.

Yordanka went through her entire life story in an organized but non-chronological sequence. I could figure out her current job was managing a system of 5 libraries with a staff of 30 and that her youth was spent at a soviet type sports school where she trained to be a judo competitor but the timing of everything else was mixed. She talked about having books of her poetry being published, about being declared a National Vanguard (a big deal), about learning English from self study and reading books in English. She relayed how difficult her senior year was at the University of Holguin as she had given birth to her son during the summer and had to live at home to care for him while hitchhiking 40 miles to the University each day. I only learned later that she graduated as valedictorian. But she also included her time as a prostitute with tourists in Havana and at resorts as well as her time in prison as a major part of her education. My head was swimming as I was trying to listen while at the same time asking what order these were in. I had to make a follow up visit after reviewing my notes to be able to time sequence everything.

This photo and interview were five years ago. We have been married for the last four.

DSCF1654.jpg
Click to expand...

Well done. The portrait and the marriage.
 


Out to Lunch, on Flickr. Fast hands...a woman preparing banh mi, A Vietnamese baguette made with rice flour, French mayonnaise and pate combined with Vietnamese pickled carrot, cilantro, fish sauce and soy sauce. Vung Tau, Vietnam
 
Bob:
I wish we could live close by, we could be good friends...I have followed your insights, both in photography and personal life travels, with pleasure...you live your life as an existentialist and I admire you more for it.
All the best,
Giorgio[/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
 


Out to Lunch, on Flickr. Honda taxi man waiting for a ride. Saigon, December 2009. Canon 5DMII - 2.8/24-70. On a separate note, almost all of the
taxi men or 'Honda Om' riders have been pushed out of business by modern technology. Today the Uber style taxi motorbike men rule the market.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom