Second Month in Nicaragua

Cultural Night in Masaya, Nicaragua

San Juan del Sur has definitely been an adventure. Spanish classes are still kicking my butt, but I am learning, albeit slowly. I love my host family with Doña Lucia and her large family. They help me learn outside of the school, at Spanish Ya. My teacher is prob the best of a sufficiently large crew of teachers, if not at least the best for me. Principally, because of her patience and ability to stay with my pace without become frustrated at me. I think it helps that I keep her laughing, but she doesn't try to move on to the next subject before I understand the present task. She's tough enough to keep giving me homework, I tell you that. At possibly under 5 foot, and outweighing her by more than double, I hate disappointing her.

You can see the cave in the distance. The challenge was walking back over these rocks with waves pushing you up against the side of that wall there...and not get tumbled back into said rocks. Nice, huh?

But yes, an adventure, nonetheless. On just my second day here, I devolved into a 5 year old child with no supervision. I walked down the coastline and got curious when I saw a cave about a 700 meters in the distance. I HAD to check it out.  

A view of my room. 

I was able to find a great model while here as well. We've done 3 shoots so far. I got robbed on my second outing with her. Some sneaky bastard made off with my bag when we weren't looking. My fault. Didn't think anyone was around. Let my shit unguarded. Lost a lens, cash, my iPhone, and a few other peripheries. Hated loosing all of it, but I wish I could get back my spare battery and the pics off my phone. The bastards also took our water, meaning we had a long up and downhill walk back for a good hour and a half. Fortunately, some Canadians along the route back had a house up in the hills. They helped us with water and juice and then gave us a ride back to town. We would not have made it back as late as it was without water. And I do feel fortunate, they did not take my model's clothes. That would have been a bitch, because that would have meant I would have had to give up my clothes and walk back naked for at least 2 miles to the Canadian's place. So there's an upside to everything, I guess.

Main Street into San Juan del Sur

I'm finishing up my last week here in San Juan del Sur, but I've still got a bit more traveling to do. I'll stay here in Nicaragua trying to find my shot instead of heading further South into Costa Rica and Panama. I got to see my college buddy, Bruce who just left the Army and is riding a motorcycle from North Carolina to as far South in Argentina as he can get. It was so great to hang out with him again. As long as I have been here, there has been a trio of myself, Marlene...an Italian/Austrian girl who was here one week less than myself. She just left this past weekend. And there there's Simone, a tall Czech Republic youngster who should probably be modeling somewhere. He's here for another week longer than me. I have to keep him from putting drinks in my hand when we're out. Its so cheap to drink here, its dangerous. Rumor has it that cokes are more expensive than the rum, but it ain't so. That Flor de Caña, the 7-year, is some smooth stuff and a half liter of it is only $8. You can't get a single Rum & Coke for that in Vegas. 

And I can't forget the two German friends who arrived a couple weeks after Simone and I. Lena and Roy are two friends traveling together for about 7 or 8 months. Wow. I'm tempted to go home, make some more money and meet up with them again in South America where they will finish up in Peru before heading back to Germany. I'll get to see them twice more on this trip as our itineraries coincide for practically the rest of this month over 2 of the 3 locations I plan to visit. And there are so many more I've met along the way. You make friends from all over. I don't think there is anyone in Holland right now. They are all over here! Canadians are coming here in droves. Several Swiss travels have been through. And I know there are some I am forgetting at the moment. I love being around travelers. Sometimes they simply get it and other times they can be quite inspiring.

Most of the pics will be up and posted after I get back and have edited them. These are some shots I've already posted on Facebook. The newer ones I had ready for this blog post are gone now that my phone got stolen. Bastards. Be back soon.

Tumblr Contemplation

Amazing Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

"I revel in my ability to still be inspired by the young! It's like stealing wisdom."

~ Terrell Neasley

I met a girl. [Isn't that how a lot of great stories begin?] I meet a lot of girls. I think you all know that by now. I run into people all the time, both male and female, but today, everything centered around this one chick and she was inspiring. Every now and again, I meet somebody like that and it totally makes my day, despite whatever crap I've been hit with.

Amazing Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

So, this is one of my days in the camera store and in walks a girl, then another girl, then a family. She's got on a busy, but cool looking orange and white outfit, very attractive, and she's carrying a camera bag. I know she needs her camera fixed. I'm with another customer at the moment who's asking a lot of questions about some gear he's not going to buy. I'm partially glancing over at the first girl carrying the bag as she pulls out her gear. I notice she's got a Nikon film camera and I'm intrigued. This is a young girl and she's strolling in with film business. I'm impressed. I'm not proud of myself, but I'm wishing this guy asking all the questions would just stop and enjoy his weekend.

So I finally get a chance to see what the fuss is all about, because she's pulling out several sleeves of negatives that the store repairman is mulling through. I can't help myself and have to investigate as well. If you hadn't followed me for long, you may not know or recall that I still have a deep affinity for film work. Black and White was my specialty and my licence plate is an homage to my favorite brand and choice of film...the Kodak TMax. I haven't looked at negatives in quite some time. I used to develop my own negatives and prints. I didn't like developing negatives as much. It was a necessary process that had little latitude for artistic expression. Granted, you can push or pull your fill...maybe develop it at non-standard temperatures, or even cross-process it. But I never liked to destroy or alter the film. Prints, yes. Film, no. To me, the creative process would begin and end with the print! I miss those days. I've often said..."Nothing like the smell of FIXER in the morning!"

Amazing Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

So far...I'm just looking at a pretty girl who happens to do film. What gets me, though are the next few things I learn about her. First, and probably foremost, she's a traveler! She gave me some tips on NGO work and had just returned from Pakistan. You know I love me some travelers. "Get gone" has become a mantra of mine. That's how I feel quite often...like I just need to get gone, sometimes. Okay, pretty girl, shooting film, she's a traveler, too...so what else? She doing AMAZING work! Listen, you'd have been inspired, too. I'm not just tripping off of a cute girl. I'd have been the same way if she had a face like (insert well-know not so cute celebrity). The fact remains. She's an avid traveling film photog who happens to be pretty as hell.

And I guess I better say something about Tumblr, otherwise my title wouldn't make any sense. The little lady also gave me a few tips on Tumblr and recommended it. I told her I already had a blog, but she thinks I can still benefit from and enjoy Tumblr. I've contemplated doing a Tumblr as well, but have left the notion in perpetual hang-time in an abstract section of my head. Now its before my eyes again after a long hiatus of consideration and I mull over the idea again. Have I not discussed some alternate means of exhibition of my work? I have, but the intention was to get it off line and in a gallery line. So I'll continue to excogitate this notion with a bit more vigor.

Amazing Panda ©2013 Terrell Neasley

I hope Lil' Miss continues with her emulsion compulsion and keeps posing her work. You can see (and follow) her at Speirs.Tumblr.com. I think you'll appreciate her style and vision. Her tumblr says she's 99% film and her most recently posted shot, Skinnydipping in Dubai is amazing. My most fave of what I've seen of her work has got to be, her Fishing the Old School Way as well as her creative self portrait, Bad Hair Day. There are so may candid and introspective imagery on her site. You'd think they were shot by an old soul, but such is not the case. I'm sure she's not over 25, but it begs to question where she evolved this style from. What were her influences? Granted she's a travels, but these are the shots I would expect from someone with much more experience in life in general.

And last but not least...I gotta give props to my girl, Panda. I'm not sure its possible to get bored shooting her. I think I've shot her more times than any model I've done to date and I still look forward to the next time. Thank you, my Panda muse.