Orchis world: did you know?

I love orchids! That is why they were the accent flowers on my wedding. Below you can see my bouquet elegantly decorated with purple orchids.

I loved it so much that had sent it to preservation shortly after my big day to enjoy it for many, many years and probably share it with my children and, who knows, my grandchildren. My parents’ house is full of orchids and I have recently adopted two. Although my interest in orchids has been growing for quite a bit now, I have realized the other day that I did not know anything about those beauties. Some research brought to light the following interesting facts which I am sure you will enjoy and remember for life!


1. The name Orchid comes from the Greek word “orchis” meaning testicle; because of the shape of the bulbous roots. LOL.

2. Orchid flowers can grow to be as small as a head of a pin (Platystele sp. Central America) or greater at 10 feet (Grammatophyllum sp., New Guinea).

3. Orchids are found on every continent except Antarctica and found in almost every color except black.

4. Our vanilla flavouring comes from the pods of a leafy climbing orchid named Vanilla Planifolia.

5. Tһе first orchid tһаt reached Europe frοm tһе western hemisphere wаѕ sent in 1515 tο Spain. Tһе original Cattleya flower tһаt mаdе іtѕ way tο Europe wаѕ used tο pack tһе οtһеr flowers tο protect tһеm. A local botanist іn tһе area сουƖd tеƖƖ tһаt tһіѕ wаѕ a unique plant, аnd һе saved іt. Hіѕ name wаѕ William Cattley, аnd tһіѕ happened іn 1818.

Go black, go white

It has been almost 4 months since me and Yuniel have been officially maried. Time flies! Memories stay. That is why I am so glad I have a bunch of beautiful photos from our wedding day. And all thanks to the amazing BM Photographers (Yobe and Lazaro) who created all these beautiful memories for us to enjoy for the rest of our lives. I must say I loved the black&white ones! Below are some of my favorites:

Have you every think why many of us prefer black&white photography? It has become quite trendy lately and below are some explanations of why black&white photography is so special to many of us. Courtesy of Digital Photography School.

Versatility
“I love that it’s a format that suits almost any type of photography. Portraits, landscapes, urban landscapes, architecture. Not only that, it’s a medium that adapts really well to all lighting situations. Whereas color photography often works best on sunny days or in brightly lit studios – low light just makes a black and white image moody.’ – Sol

No Distractions
“I find that colors can be terribly distracting in some images and can take the focus away from your subject. I do portrait work and find that taking the color out of an image lets the subject speak for themselves. Its raw, it’s stripped back, it’s honest and it allows you to show the true person.” – Shane

Subtlety of Tones
“I love the subtlety of tones that black and white images can have. In a world that often boasts about how many millions of colors a TV or monitor is able to produce – I love that in ‘Mono’ there is such a variety of what can be achieved in a photo. Black and White sounds so boring – but the fact is that there are so many shades in between – I love the challenge of bringing them all out in an image!” – Jim

Variety

“I find the creative process with black and white images is so… artistic. It’s like molding clay – you can shape it into a myriad of shapes. Black and White images can be strong, high contrast and powerful – or they can be so soft, gentle and subtle.” – Belle

Read more: http://www.digital-photography-school.com/why-black-and-white-photography#ixzz1V8Ch73Bl

Back… to where it all began

One’s roots act like magnets which despite of distance attract people to where they belong. The reason for this natural inclination could probably be found in dusty medical books or somewhere nearby. But instead of looking for an explanation, let’s just enjoy beautiful sceneries of my motherland… our motherland, since I know that many of you reading this are my compatriots.

Cuba is…well, what Cuba is not? It means a lot and it goes both ways. I have been criticized in many occasions for visiting Cuba so often. Some say, “How can you support a communist regime?” My answer to those ignorant people usually is, “I will stop visiting Cuba when you will stop buying products from Communist China=never.” Some say, “Go explore new places!” Although, I definitely agree that it’s time to go visit new countries, I simply can’t conceal my love and interest to Cuba. Every time I go there, new things open to my eyes and soul. Here are some pictures from the paradisiacal places I encountered last time I went. See for yourself and make sure to include those places into your bucket list.

Cayo Coco beaches

Cayo Coco beaches

Cayo Coco

Cayo Coco fauna

Pinar del Rio flora

Valle Vinales

Valle Vinales

"Los Jasmines" Valle Vinales

Cayo Coco fauna

Cayo Coco people

Cayo Coco fauna

13th Annual IFE-ILE AFro-Cuban Dance Festival back to Miami

Want to explore new music and dance styles, try yourself in drumming, make new friends?

Then you should definately visit the 13th Annual Afro-Cuban Dance Festival which is scheduled for August 13th at Little Haiti Cultural Center in Miami, 212 N.E. 59th Terrace, 33137.

Back by popular demand, this year the festival offers workshops in orisha dance, afro-modern, salsa-casino, as well as drumming classes. It was first held in 1996 by the renowened choreographer and dancer Neri Torres, MFA, Founder of IFE-ILE Dance Company. For 13th years in a row, Neri together with her talented musicians and dancers celebrates the captivating Afro-Cuban heritage. Now you have a chance to join them too!

The culmination of this year's festival will be the performance of IFÉ-ILÉ musicians and dancers  at Cuba Ocho art gallery in Little Havana, 1465 S.W. 8th Street, where the audience will have the opportunity to take professional dancers’ place on stage for dancing, drumming and singing.

If interested, please visit http://www.ife-ile.org/ or call Neri directly at her cell 786.398.7184 or 305. 796.1125.

Dance, drum, and learn together with IFE-ILE:) Hurry up to get the best admission prices!

Lover's Island

Nature never stops surprising me! Look at this perfect heart-shaped island highlighted on Google Earth couple of years ago. Isn’t this amazing? This 13,000 square yard island of Galesnjak is located in Croatia, in Zadarski Kanal between Zadar and the Island of Pasman. Since the discovery of its unusual shape, it has become a holiday hit for St. Valentine’s Day. As a complex name of Galesnjak doesn’t easily roll of the tongue, lovebirds have renamed it Lover’s Island. It is believed to be the most perfect heart-shaped island in the world so far!

Learn more about this nature's wonder at http://www.ilovegalesnjak.com.


HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY! Spread love and appreciation today and every day!

Alternative to Sport Drinks

Mmm... When drinking coconut water last summer during my vacation in Cuba, I never realized how much good it was doing to me. Did you know that coconut water is high in potassium and relatively low in calories and is thought to be a good alternative to sports drinks? I just found this out! Coconut water is a fat free drink with only 15 calories per 100 grams! It is thought to be able to boost your immune system, break down kidney stones, fight viruses, and help digestive track.


Imagine, in the past people believed that coconut water cured headaches and other ailments. During the Pacific War of 1941-45, both sides in the conflict regularly used coconut water to give emergency plasma transfusions to wounded soldiers. That’s the power of the coconut!

Pictured above, are my boyfriend’s hands pealing a coconut, so his girlfriend could enjoy it afterwards. And she truly did! Along with its healthy benefits, coconut water is very refreshing in a hot weather.

Make sure to have a sip of coconut water once in a while. It won’t harm!


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Photography News: new Canon

Source: http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/canon-introduces-rebel-t3-and-t3i-at-599-and-799-2011027/

Almost exactly one year after Canon’s popular T2i was announced the company has unveiled two new EOS Digital Rebels, the T3i and the T3. The T3 will sell for $599 and will be Canon’s new entry level DSLR while the T3i will replace the T2i as Canon’s top consumer DSLR ($799 body only, $899 kit). The T2i will live on between the two, offering more features than the T3 but lacking some of the T3i’s perks.

And what’s new about the T3i? The main feature is a fold-out display, like that found on Canon’s prosumer 60D. There are also some new consumer-friendly features like a faux tilt-shift filter. The Feature Guide, a system for helping new users take advantage of DSLR features, is found on both cameras.

The T3i uses the same 18MP sensor and video modes as the T2i, so users with the older model shouldn’t feel much pressure to upgrade. The T3 shoots at 12MP and rather than shooting 1080p video, it takes 720p. It has a DIGIC 4 processor and a 9-point AF system.

The Canon EOS T3i DSLR will be available in the “beginning of March” and will be sold in three configurations: body-only $799.99; kit with the updated EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II zoom lens $899.99; and kit with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS zoom lens $1099.00. The Rebel T3 will sell with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 II zoom lens for $599.99.

http://www.geek.com/