I love tucked in shirts, saddle shoes, orange creamsicles and my Holga. Traveling is fun, and so is being a lady. Nylons make everything seem classy. I'm half Iranian, my mom is blond and white. I have been to the furthermost reaches, walked on the other side of the globe. Portland is a novel place to be.

I was a camera until I went blind

My past eight days were spent in Sayulita and other small villages in Mexico. I had a remarkable time. These once distant villages were being filled with tour buses, but I wasn’t in too huge of an uproar because it had improved their quality of life. Even the stray dogs and cats where being given a chance.

I recently purchased a fixed fisheye and was gifted a pea colored Holga. I brought along these cameras for a try. Once in Sayulita, my entire family began to drink. They allowed me to order a coke and rum and had a good laugh. I acted ignorant and made faces so they would not suspect me of ever drinking. My sister just looked irritated and made sly remarks about my actual innocence. A second round was ordered, excluding me, so I was left play with my sober self.

At first I wandered the town, snapping photos. Then I found myself sitting in the sand alone. I felt a strong desire to dig a giant hole, and so I proceeded to do so until the tide filled it. Pissed, like I owned the fucking hole, I began to build a wall around my hole. I ran my hands along the wall, patting sand, protecting my hole. About 45 minutes into this is where the boy with the red plastic glasses comes in. He walked by pale, in a v neck, and practically oozing Portland. Walking right by, I knew he was timid. I tried to look interested in my kingdom, but couldn’t help but noticed his hesitance whether to walk back over or leave. Finally he came over, asked if he could help.

I found out his name is Connor (age 17), we like the same music and we had been at some of the same small shows. We walked into town, found a bar, and ordered drinks. I was convinced my partial nudity had gotten us in, but he seemed to think it was his sexy pale skin. After we wandered around the town taking photos. We sat on a log on the beach, and I used the last of my film on him. I enjoyed his company. It felt nice making a friend. We wanted to explore a nearby cemetery, but it was time for me to leave. No phones on either of us, it was possible we were not going to meet up again. I wrote him a name and number and was off.

The rest of my trip I looked forward to developing and seeing the photos we had taken of each other. It was my first time with colored instead of black and white. But this wasn’t going to happen. Id forgotten my film inside my camera, and packed it all in my suitcase. We went through airports and it went through x-rays. I assume It was all destroyed, including all my other rolls Id forgotten in the luggage. As I write this, it is being developed at a cheap one hour photo place. There is little hope, so little money is going into it. I don’t care how damaged they are, just as long as I can see them.

  1. layluh posted this