Life through a lens

For the uninitiated, ‘Gung Hay Fat Choy’ literally means ‘May prosperity be with you’ in Cantonese. On the occasion of the lunar new year, people wish each other with this greeting.

San Francisco has a sizable Chinese community and the largest Chinatown outside of Asia. In 1849, with the discovery of gold and the Gold Rush in California, a large number of people moved to California to seek fortune. Among these were many Chinese, who came to work in the gold mines and on the railroad. Today, Chinese New Year is celebrated in San Francisco with street festivals and a big parade with dragons, dancers, people carrying colorful flags, banners, lanterns, and drums and firecrackers to drive away evil spirits.

Whenever possible, I try and go to a Chinese New Year parade, for it gives me a glimpse into an ancient culture and its modern adaptations.

I photographed these Beijing Opera artists on the occasion of Chinese new year a couple of years back.

Gung Hay Fat Choy! Embrace the old, explore the new.

After photographing the Carnaval Junior King and Queen contest in San Francisco, I was shooting an impromptu drum circle outside the venue. I noticed a hispanic musician with a pan flute and guitar watching the proceedings with interest from the other side of the road. The colorful graffiti mural at the back and the musician appeared a very appealing subject for a street portrait.

I lifted my camera, smiled and waved to him gesturing if I could take a picture. He smiled back and nodded and posed as I clicked a picture. Scanning both sides for oncoming traffic, I crossed the road to compose tighter and then clicked a couple of pictures. I wanted to ask his name and address so I could send him his picture but he spoke no English and I spoke ‘poquito’ Spanish. We spoke by gestures; I would show him what I wanted and he followed my gestures.

After shooting some colorful street portraits while he played some flute and guitar for me and my camera, I handed him one of my cards hoping he would email me but he didn’t. At times like these, I feel I should learn more of Spanish; even though a smile always conveys happiness and one’s good intentions. If you know this musician, let me know ‘cos his portrait certainly made my day.

‘Was an overcast day for the San Francisco Carnaval parade in mission district this year. After the parade, I went to the street festival on Harrison St. I have not been doing any street photography for quite some time. I have always liked meeting and photographing strangers on the streets. The photos in this post incorporate the colorful murals along Harrison.

Not keeping well the past couple of days, it was not very pleasant to be in bed all the time. I usually keep fit so the sudden fever, cold and cough totally caught me unawares. I utilized the time by reading when I had the strength. I just finished the “Memoirs of a Geisha” by Arthur Golden. It is a totally engrossing novel and very well researched. Being set in Gion district in Kyoto, it brought back memories of my visit to this part of Kyoto in August 2005.

I had a long day walking and shooting pictures as usual and since all the beautiful temples closed around 4:30 pm, I decided to see if I would be lucky to see a Geisha or an apprentice-Geisha. I had heard of the famous Geisha district of Gion and about how one might see a Geisha rushing to an engagement in Gion. When I reached this street called Hanami-koji, I felt as if I had been transported to another world altogether, devoid of flashy neon signs with beautiful traditional Japanese architecture of teahouses with paper screens and wood. I walked up and down carrying my heavy camera bag but it didn’t seem that I would be lucky to see a Geisha that night.

About Hanami-koji…Shimogama-san told me - “koji means street,hana is flower,mi is seeing”. Among the interesting people I met in Hanami-koji were Shimogama-san and his steady, Sukada-san who were visiting from Kobe. They were taking pictures of each other using a cell phone and seeing them in traditional yukata, I wanted to photograph them too. Both of them loved the pictures I sent them. In the picture, Sukada-san looks lovely in the light of a paper lamp hanging outside a teahouse.

I also met Yurika-san and Yuka-san who I photographed with their camera. Then, I asked if I could also take their photograph. It turned out that they were friends of Sukada-san. As I was changing to a wide-angle lens to take a picture of them, suddenly the screen-door to the teahouse opened and there stood a lovely Geisha, looking flustered to find me sitting on the door, changing a lens. I was stunned too and by the time I recovered to ask her permission to take a picture, she was gone. Uhhh….I missed it!

Anyways, I walked quite a bit more and then, I saw a Geisha and a Maiko (apprentice-Geisha) walking with a patron of theirs. Lot of young girls were excitedly trying to take a picture of them with small cell-phones and ofcourse, they missed it. The patron saw those girls and asked the Geishas to stop for a picture for them. They stopped since the patron had asked them but now, their beautiful smiles were not visible for the camera. I also took a couple of pictures of them before they walked away. As they walked, their smiles were back. One day, I’ll get to photograph a smiling Geisha too.

If you have a chance, read - “Memoirs of a Geisha” - you might like it. And, if reading does not interest you, see the movie based on the novel which is out in the theaters.

Talking of theaters, let’s see when I get to post the pics of the dance troupe from Osaka that I took at National Theater of Japan in Tokyo.

I love experiencing different cultures and must say, I loved Japan!