JAStandring

Amazing Face, Amazing Place; Thailand

I saw her first from a distance. She caught my attention right away. It was not because she was old and time was showing on her face. It was because she seemed ...
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I saw her first from a distance. She caught my attention right away. It was not because she was old and time was showing on her face. It was because she seemed so independent, with a bit of spry in her step and a cheerful bobbing of her head, and beings very elderly I immediately found her inspiring.
She was clearly enjoying herself, yet as I walked on the boardwalk of shops, that were hoping to sell something to the people, I could see she was not shopping. Rather she was observing. Her eyes noticed the ‘others’ that were passing her by.
I wanted her photograph her right away, but felt shy to ask her. I did not know her language, nor do I really know the social rules of expectation of such a request. So I decided to go on the sly. I raise my camera to my chest…with my telescopic lens extended. I aim and shoot, then quickly look to see if I got her…no it is blurred. I am not a good street photographer, in the sense that I can point from the hip and estimate the distance and get those decreet shots.
Practice as I have, it simply never works for me.
Feeling disappointed, I step into the shadows, raise my camera to my eyes, focus on her and shot, but she is moving quicker then I bargained for and again the photo is not sharp. Just as I was thinking what I might do, give up or ask her, she is a few feet from me, pointing at me. I raise my eyes in surprise as she comes toward me. She stops, looks at my camera, she neither smiles nor frowns. I lift my camera look into the view finder, there she is in all her elderly glory, looking staright at me, I get one click. I lower my camera as she folds her hands and bows respectfully to me. I fold my hands and bow back. I tell her, she is elegant and beautiful. I know she cannot really understand me, but she did understand that I saw her and that she stood out. I saw her eyes twinkles, and a wee small smile pull at her lips, with a bow of her head, she turned and was gone.
Too me, she was the photo…or the picture, of Thailand in all of its fullness. What she has lived, what her eyes have seen in her life-time, what her heart has endured, is all written in her amazing sweet face. I am honoured to have captured her, in this brief, but frozen minute of time. I have seen Thialand!
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