Month: August 2012

Big Bamboo

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography7 Comments

While traipsing around Cinchona Gardens (Jamaica) snapping photographs like a giddy schoolboy, we came a cross what looked to me like a Bamboo Grove, and although there seemed to be many pathways to explore, we were hoping to get to many more places that day, so we stuck to the main areas.  In the Bamboo Grove I decided to take a few exposures to use as bracketed shots later.  Standing under the boughs, it was more like standing in a rainforest, than on a mountain 5000 feet up.  🙂

As I stood there in the gloom created by the thick stands of Bamboo all around me I couldn’t help but remember an old Calypso (much older than myself) called the Big Bamboo.  Although I know that it was covered by many Jamaican singers and bands, my recollection is usually of either the Mighty Sparrow or the Merrymen.  It is a song that was typical of the Calypso songs of its time, with its marked double-entendre, giving the song a light but naughty air.

Ironically, the song could be traced back to a calypsonian who called himself The Duke of Iron  🙂

If you’ve never heard the song, Google it, I doubt you’ll want to be staring at this photo while listening, but here’s the photo anyway  🙂

George and Louraine

On By themichaellamcollectionIn Photography21 Comments

Whilst staying at my Uncle Brian and Aunt Kamala’s house in Jamaica (before and after the whole large family reunion gathering) we noticed a photograph that none of us could remember seeing before, but had obviously travelled the thousands of miles from Guyana to Jamaica (with unknown stops in between).  It was a photograph of my paternal grandparents; George and Louraine Lam.

The reunion in Jamaica was mostly of their children, grandchildren and great grand-children (etc etc etc), I thought that I’d photograph this photograph and share it so others may see.  It doesn’t appear to be an original photo, but a print from an original, maybe.

As familial names go, we’re now not only Lams, but also Lees, Rajacks, Junors, Mihelichs, Townsends, Heads, Hutsons and others that slip my mind (I’ll probably be chopped off the tree for forgetting)  🙂  We all share a common ancestry, and we’re all family.

It was great meeting all those cousins and in-laws, aunts and uncles, that I’ve heard of so often in my life but never met before; seeing people who grew up oceans apart, but in whom I could still see physical and character traits that are so familiar that they remind me of closer family members.  And it was a great treat to see this photo of a couple that I vaguely remember from my childhood, a couple that many of us have never met, but a couple to whom we are thankful for giving life to the family that we are today.

We now span cultures and continents, yet through snail mail and e-mail and social networks like Facebook, we remain Family.

George Lam was already among the third generation of Lams born in Guyana, his great grand-father being the first generation to come here, that makes me a fifth generation Guyanese Lam  🙂  or sixth generation on Guyana’s shores, and proud of it.

2012 Deck – Week 30

On By themichaellamcollectionIn 2012 Deck, Photography2 Comments

At the close of the thirtieth week of the year, I was in Barbados, and my sister and her husband had decided to carry us on a whirlwind of a tour of Barbados’ scenic points, I’m surprised I could remember where I took this one.

I think we almost circled the entire island that day, starting from almost the southernmost point of the island and going eastwards around the coastline.

If my memory serves me correctly, this one was taken at North Point, from the name it’s likely the northernmost part of Barbados, and I was very engrossed with the view, but I managed to get some photographs in while admiring it.

This is an HDR from three exposures, I hope you like it.