Below is the translation of the brief talk I gave in Portuguese for the culture night in honor of the new freshmen. Yikes! Everything changes when you speak in front of a big group in a foreign language. I was seriously thinking about skipping out on it or coming up with some kind of excuse. Then I heard a sermon that talked about sacrifice and the importance of knowing it is not always about "me." If you make a sacrifice and do something you might not normally do, or stay in a situation you normally would just leave, you could possibly be a blessing to someone. This was evidenced tonight after the talk. I spent the whole morning doing the presentation and preparing kimbap (Korean california rolls) for a party one of my students invited me to in the afternoon. After hanging out with her family at her house, I went directly to the auditorium so needless to say I was knackered. My eyes were hurting and I was getting annoyed with some of the performances and the fact that we started an hour late. I prayed that I wouldn't fall asleep. Well, I did the presentation for maybe 150 students and faculty. Everyone was very gracious. Afterwards, though, I was outta there like a bat outta hell. I was tired! Long story short, a young kid named Jessen (my old director's name in Mozambique) came up to me with a big smile and told me he recognized me from a school visit I did this past week. He ended up walking me home because it was dark, but on the walk, I swear he never stopped smiling. He said , it is so nice to meet a native speaker and someone who understands me. I wasn't sure what he was talking about "understanding him" but he was just soooo happy to have met me. I knew he must be one of the reasons why I was led to stay there and not just go home and sleep.
uh! I just realized I spelled "belleza" the Spanish way. Perfectionist
The power and beauty of the image
Firstly, I would like to thank the organizing group for producing this event. I am a teacher but also an expressive arts fan, so thank you for having me here. I would like to particularly thank Norman, who invited me. I hope there will be more events like this in the future.
So, I think most of you don’t know who I am, so I want to introduce myself. My name is Akisha Pearman and I am American. I am &^%$ years old and the US Embassy in Luanda sent me here to stay for 10 months to help out in the area of the teaching of English. I have 10 years experience in education in 5 countries—USA, Spain, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Korea and now Angola. In addition to being a teacher I also think I have another talent…that is photography. And it is on this theme that I will speak for a few minutes.
The objective of this short talk will be to show you the beauty that exists in photos, images, and also to show the power that they possess to start conversations, inspire people, and show new ideas and points of view. After the talk I hope that I will have opened your eyes and perhaps you will be able to better appreciate this form of art.
Let’s look at the photos!
Photo 1: The desert through the bus window
Can someone tell me what this is? This is an image from the fascinating desert province of Namibe. I took it while sitting on an SGO bus a few weeks ago. For me it was difficult to capture the desert landscapes first of all because I was in motion, and secondly because I thought that the camera wouldn’t capture the colors, textures and essence of a place that was so large. Taking the photo through the window changes it into a painting. I think that it is much more interesting than a normal picture of that same place.
Photo 2: Through the ferry window in Cape Town
This is another example of what happens when you see a scene in a different way. I took it when I was in a boat in Cape Town. The scene is of the Waterfront, the port of Cape Town.
Photo 3: SGO bus photo in a photo
I took this picture also sitting in an SGO bus. I don’t know the name of the village but it was on the road on the way to Namibe. The reason I like this one is because it is a photo within a photo. Can you see the frame the window makes? Sometimes critics say that anyone can be a photographer and in some ways I think this is true. But the photographer has the power to frame his picture in a million different ways, so sometimes he is lucky and gets an image like this one.
Photo 4: Deolinda Rodrigues Road
Does anyone know this place? A good photographer must always pay attention to the changes in light and how this affects the colors, shadows, and beauty of the image. This can make a normal scene change into something of pure beauty.
Photo 5: Chinese Apple Fanta
This is another example of how something ordinary can be visually pleasing. What do you find beautiful about this one?
Photo 6: Silverware at the Grande Hotel
And here? What is interesting? I think the texture of the tablecloth is like silk and the color is brilliant.
Photo 7: We make photocopies and sell popcorn
Finally we have this photo here. I took it in Inhambane, Mozambique where I was teaching. What grabs your attention in this picture? What can you guess about the people of Mozambique using what you see in the photo? I don’t want to say that this type of conjecture is pure and creates good images of something. Sometimes it can create speedy stereotypes and characterizations. A deeper study is always better, but at least the image represents an open door to start the discussion.
Ok, that is it for now. I hope I have given you an interest in the area of photography and that you can now see the world a bit differently, but always beautifully. Thank you.
Firstly, I would like to thank the organizing group for producing this event. I am a teacher but also an expressive arts fan, so thank you for having me here. I would like to particularly thank Norman, who invited me. I hope there will be more events like this in the future.
So, I think most of you don’t know who I am, so I want to introduce myself. My name is Akisha Pearman and I am American. I am &^%$ years old and the US Embassy in Luanda sent me here to stay for 10 months to help out in the area of the teaching of English. I have 10 years experience in education in 5 countries—USA, Spain, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Korea and now Angola. In addition to being a teacher I also think I have another talent…that is photography. And it is on this theme that I will speak for a few minutes.
The objective of this short talk will be to show you the beauty that exists in photos, images, and also to show the power that they possess to start conversations, inspire people, and show new ideas and points of view. After the talk I hope that I will have opened your eyes and perhaps you will be able to better appreciate this form of art.
Let’s look at the photos!
Photo 1: The desert through the bus window
Can someone tell me what this is? This is an image from the fascinating desert province of Namibe. I took it while sitting on an SGO bus a few weeks ago. For me it was difficult to capture the desert landscapes first of all because I was in motion, and secondly because I thought that the camera wouldn’t capture the colors, textures and essence of a place that was so large. Taking the photo through the window changes it into a painting. I think that it is much more interesting than a normal picture of that same place.
Photo 2: Through the ferry window in Cape Town
This is another example of what happens when you see a scene in a different way. I took it when I was in a boat in Cape Town. The scene is of the Waterfront, the port of Cape Town.
Photo 3: SGO bus photo in a photo
I took this picture also sitting in an SGO bus. I don’t know the name of the village but it was on the road on the way to Namibe. The reason I like this one is because it is a photo within a photo. Can you see the frame the window makes? Sometimes critics say that anyone can be a photographer and in some ways I think this is true. But the photographer has the power to frame his picture in a million different ways, so sometimes he is lucky and gets an image like this one.
Photo 4: Deolinda Rodrigues Road
Does anyone know this place? A good photographer must always pay attention to the changes in light and how this affects the colors, shadows, and beauty of the image. This can make a normal scene change into something of pure beauty.
Photo 5: Chinese Apple Fanta
This is another example of how something ordinary can be visually pleasing. What do you find beautiful about this one?
Photo 6: Silverware at the Grande Hotel
And here? What is interesting? I think the texture of the tablecloth is like silk and the color is brilliant.
Photo 7: We make photocopies and sell popcorn
Finally we have this photo here. I took it in Inhambane, Mozambique where I was teaching. What grabs your attention in this picture? What can you guess about the people of Mozambique using what you see in the photo? I don’t want to say that this type of conjecture is pure and creates good images of something. Sometimes it can create speedy stereotypes and characterizations. A deeper study is always better, but at least the image represents an open door to start the discussion.
Ok, that is it for now. I hope I have given you an interest in the area of photography and that you can now see the world a bit differently, but always beautifully. Thank you.
The Portuguese notes (for my own records, no need to read um)
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