Eye for An Eye in Porto, Portugal - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

While exploring Porto, Portugal, I noticed there were eyes everywhere and I had being watched for who-knows-however-long. You know me, I’m no sitting duck type of person. I thought I’d give them eyes back. Being a visual creator, my best weapon would be just that - my eyes (not necessarily my vision though counting my glasses 🤓 ).

Anyways, I had to not be caught. It helps when people are looking up:

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Or, when their hands are heavy with the flowers for the lovely lady at home:

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As time went by, it got really easy. I started thinking that I can do this professionally. 😁

By the time I arrived at the Sao Bento train station, I’ve lost myself and wouldn’t blame this gentleman for being too excited. In a place that’s covered with such beautiful azulejo, I got a little hot-headed and couldn’t quite hold myself or my lips together.

Excited-Tourist-Sao-Bento-Train-Station-Porto-Portugal-Copyright-Jean-Huang-Photography

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I Was Too Young - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

When we got to Phnom Penh, the capital city of Cambodia, the whole trip was winding to an end. Angkor Wat was the international sensation and we had just checked it off the list during the trip. It was how we traveled back then, in a checking-things-off-of-other-people’s-list kind of way.

Upon arriving at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum, I was ready to quickly walk around the once one of 150 torture and execution centers established by the Khmer Rouge, so we could move onto the next site. Yet, the guide started the emotional recounting of what his family and people like his experienced after the fall of Phnom Penh. Half an hour would go by as we stood under the scotching sun. All the while, I was eager to leave and see the exotic and pretty Cambodia that we went to the country for.

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Even so, two things that the guide shared stayed with me. One, after the Khmer Rouge took over the city, everybody with glasses (i.e., the educated) were rounded up and sent to far away places, supposedly to do labor work. Two, his father was one of those people in glasses. They have not heard from him since and do not even know if he’s still alive.

Looking back, I realized I did not have any photographs from the Genocide Museum. I wish I had listened more closely.

It was ten years ago. I was too young.

Man-Praying-Wat-Phnom-Temple-Phnom-Penh-Cambodia-Copyright-Jean-Huang-Photography

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Happy Father's Day - Los Angeles Travel Photographer

If you ask 100 people how a Rakan (Note 1) should look like, you get as many different answers. That’s what gave rise to 1,200 of Rakan statues that Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, the temple at the outskirt of Kyoto, Japan is well-known for.

In the 1980s, under the guidance of chief of temple Kocho Nishimura (Note 2), 1,200 everyday people, who made a pilgrimage to the temple, learned carving to bring out the unique and personal figures that were hiding in the stone, each Rakan statue possessing a particular personality with a distinctly pre-enlightened identity.

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While walking around studying the characters covered in moss, I discovered a face completely cover with hands. Yeah, love can make you blind, I guess.

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As many faces/personalities in the world, I suspect there are varying shapes and forms of fatherhood. Since I’m only one daughter to one man, I’d leave the scientific study to the ones with access to vast amount of data.

What I wanted to say is, enjoy the Father’s Day, knowing that you’ve loved, guided and disciplined to the best of your ability.

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Note 1 Rakan are followers (disciples) of Buddha.
Note 2 Nishimura was a Buddhist statue sculptor and restorer that later becaume a Buddhist monk. He was the chief of the temple at the time of the rakan creations.

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