The Venice Carnival Reveler

About two week ago, I was very excited designing my own customized business cards.  The project came out fine and I penned a post about it here at Lingua Franca.

After I was done designing the cards, I went to Multimax (five minutes drive from my house) to buy the inkjet cardboard to print the business cards.  They had none that I liked, so I exited the place empty handed.  But I was in for a surprise.  On the way out towards my automobile, I saw the most beautiful mannequin beside a window of Floristería Emmanuel (Emmanuel Florist Shop).

Had I been a male mannequin, it would have been love at first sight, like Romeo and Juliet.  The mannequin was gracefully sitting down beside the window, dressed as a typical reveler of a Venice Carnival.  Her face was beautifully decorated with circular colored stars and other sophisticated facial makeup.  The costume was spectacular with a bright red feather protruding from her right ear.  I have never seen a mannequin that lovely before.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me.  But her picture had already developed in my mind like a Kodak film.  Yesterday morning I returned to the flower store and took several pictures of the lovely lady from Venice.  Since the shots were taken through a glass window, several of the photographs showed an annoying reflection.  Fortunately, some came out just fine.

Below are the pictures of the Venice Carnival Reveler for your enjoyment.  I decided to include the first picture with the reflections problems, because I wanted you to see the entire mannequin wearing her brightly-colored costume.  Then I dissected the figure with close up pictures to highlight the exquisite details of  her costume.  This is what I saw.  Here we go.

Photograph of the mannequin at Floristería Emannuel. I apologize for the reflections on the picture, but I couldn't get rid of them. Please enjoy the picture as a whole overlooking the reflections problems. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A close up of the mannequin showing the decorations of the face. She almost looks human. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

A close up view of the mannequin's face that shows the details of her facial make up. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This photograph depicts the explosion of colors following the style of the Venice Carnival. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This picture shows the details of her necklaces. If you look closely, you will see me reflected on two of the beads of the large necklace. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

This photograph requires some imagination. Can you imagine the real alabaster hands and delicate fingers of an authentic Venetian reveler? This is what I had in mind when I took this picture. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

In the final analysis, I didn’t walk out empty handed from the computer shop.  I came out with one of the best pictures I have taken thus far during my brief photographic adventure.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

El Prado Boulevard

El Prado

“The Prado was a very special place to me…
Lined with two rows of Royal Palm trees,
quite a beautiful sight to see.

Once a year, the base of the trees were hand-painted white…
It made the trees look royal and bold,
and they grew to a very tall height.

Large, white-washed homes, were parallel to the trees,
And when day turned to night, chugging down the Prado streets, came the truck dispensing its thick fog of DDT.

In one direction of the Prado, was the Clubhouse,
a fine place to eat…
Or, swim at the pool, buy a comic,
or go to the movies for a treat.

The Administration Building, with its 113 stairs,
sat high on Ancon Hill at the “other” Prado end…
I remember spending many hours sliding down that steep hill,
on a piece of cardboard, with a very special friend.

Cooling off from the tropical heat, by taking off your shoes…
Wading and playing in Goethals Monument,
was always a fun thing to do.

Once in a while, the Prado was graced,
with special, “soapflake” snow…
The bubbles would fly high above the trees,
for as long and far as the wind would blow.

The grass on the Prado was always bright green and soft,
due to the rainy season of at least nine months…
The Prado, such a beautiful place, I miss it so very much.

When the streetlights came on,
the Prado was lit up very bright…
It marked the end of the day, and the peacefulness of night.

The Prado will always be a very special place to me…
It will remain unchanged “forever”, in my heart and memory.”

© Snow W. Frost
07-01-2000

The most outstanding project of the ex-Canal Zone was the new government center in Balboa, built in 1914-15 and designed by New York architect Austin W. Lord, at that time Dean of the Department of Architecture at Columbia University.  The masterpieces of that grand complex are the Administration Building and the boulevard in front of it, called El Prado in memory of the famous Havana boulevard of the same name.

The World Monuments Watch included the Panama Canal Area on its List of One Hundred Most Endangered Sites for 2004-06, and specific conservation laws have been proposed recently, although their aims and priorities are not yet entirely clear. A first step has been to propose the Administration Building and El Prado as monuments, although there is strong state opposition to this designation.

Within the different communities there has also flourished a will to preserve their established character as “garden cities”.

Mesmerized by the beauty of this boulevard, flanked by two rows of  Royal Palm trees, I took a picture of El Prado early in the morning of March 22, 2009.  This is what I saw through the lens of my Birthday camera.  Here we go.

Photograph of El Prado Boulevard located at Balboa, Panama City, Panama. El Prado Boulevard consists of two sections, each one exactly the size of a Panama Canal lock. (Credit: Omar Upegui R.)

As the Sun slows down its rapid pace across the blue sky and prepares to lie down and rest, and the Evening slowly emerges for a walk and a breath of fresh air, El Prado Boulevard puts on its magic black cloak that glows brightly in the dark.  Nothing beats a scene like this at Balboa.  Good Day.

Read Full Post »

Photograph of the Day: Green Doors

Green doors of a restored house at Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama. (Credit: Omar Upegui R./Michael Moore)

Read Full Post »