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About

Learning from, appreciating, and contributing to the world. This is a space for sharing my experiences, thoughts, and visual expressions.

"Kia" has been my mum's nickname for me since I was a child, and "tía" is the Spanish word for Aunty (which I proudly became in late 2015).

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Tia Kia
Explore. Engage. Learn. Love. Contribute.
A colourful Thai hotel ceiling

A colourful Thai hotel ceiling

At the entrance to an otherwise all-white hotel, is this stunning splash of colour and art, visible only to those who look up.

Colour is often where you least expect it.

The unfinished Santuario De Los Martires De Cristo, Cerro del Tesoro, Guadalajara

The unfinished Santuario De Los Martires De Cristo, Cerro del Tesoro, Guadalajara

Someone told me this was Guadalajara's version of the Sydney Opera House. This is definitely the view that gives it the most similarity, although I'm still not convinced.  It's located atop a hill with a view over the city, and whilst it would make a great concert hall it's actually an unfinished church. If/when finished it should be pretty spectacular - so far it has one panel of stained glass windows, within a huge section that will be very impressive once full of the colourful panes.  Guadalajara.  January 2018.

Traditional Santería items

Traditional Santería items

Some traditional items used in the Santería religion in Cuba.  Santiago de Cuba.  May 2017.

Cuban car trips to Cayo Jutías

Cuban car trips to Cayo Jutías

One of the typical cars (taxi colectivos) that does the tourist drive out to Cayo Jutías, from Viñales.  Each of the cars has three rows, to seat 8 passengers plus the driver (yes, one passenger sits in the middle up the front, next to the driver and almost on top of the gearstick). The drive should take 1 hour, however it typically takes 2 hours due to the road being so bad - in fact its so bad that much of the time is actually spent driving off the road along side it (obviously not this part).  Though they’re great to look at, the cars are so old and many of them are struggling.  During our trip we passed 3 other colectivos that had broken down on the way, and we stopped to pick up 2 extra passengers from one of them as it was unable to restart.  Although we often felt that ours would break down, it managed to survive both trips, there and back, quite likely thanks to an early stop during which the driver had his head in the bonnet for quite a while, only to emerge with oil or petrol dripping from his mouth. The Cuban ingenuity, perseverance, and belief in themselves and their ability to fix things is fantastic, and most of the time it pulls through successfully (often surprisingly).  Cayo Jutías, Cuba.  April 2017.

Cuban car at Cayo Jutías

Cuban car at Cayo Jutías

One of the typical cars (taxi colectivos) that does the tourist drive out to Cayo Jutías, from Viñales.  (Read more about this at the next image).  Cayo Jutías, Cuba.  April 2017.

Rolling Cuban Cigars

Rolling Cuban Cigars

Rolling Cuban cigars, known locally as "puros". These ones are artesanal cigars that have almost no nicotine in them due to the removal of the vein that contains 98% of the nicotine. Che Guevara enjoyed the cigars from this local producer.  Macondo Tobacco Farm, Viñales, Cuba.  April 2017.

Cuban sunsets

Cuban sunsets

Sunset at El Morro in Santiago de Cuba.  April 2017.

The streets of Trinidad

The streets of Trinidad

Horse and cart in a typical, colourful Trinidad street.  March 2017.

Man on horse in Trinidad

Man on horse in Trinidad

A man rides down the cobblestone street on a horse, in Trinidad Cuba.  March 2017.

Red car in Trinidad

Red car in Trinidad

Typical old car in Trinidad, Cuba.  March 2017.

Trinidad streets

Trinidad streets

Beautiful Trinidad:  old cars on colourful, cobblestone streets.  March 2017.

Havana Streets

Havana Streets

On the streets of Habana Vieja (Old Havana), Cuba.  June 2017.

Havana transport

Havana transport

Typical street scene in Habana Vieja (Old Havana), Cuba.  June 2017.

Hollywood sign

Hollywood sign

Looking over to the Hollywood sign from the Griffith Observatory.  Los Angeles, USA.  March 2017.

Grand Central Market, Downtown LA

Grand Central Market, Downtown LA

Grand Central Market, Downtown Los Angeles, California, USA.  March 2017

Fire twirler

Fire twirler

Ngwe Saung, Myanmar.  April 2016.

Mendoza driving

Mendoza driving

This shot was taken from the car on route to San Rafael, near Mendoza, in Argentina.  October 2013.

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Previous Next
A colourful Thai hotel ceiling
The unfinished Santuario De Los Martires De Cristo, Cerro del Tesoro, Guadalajara
Traditional Santería items
Cuban car trips to Cayo Jutías
Cuban car at Cayo Jutías
Rolling Cuban Cigars
Cuban sunsets
The streets of Trinidad
Man on horse in Trinidad
Red car in Trinidad
Trinidad streets
Havana Streets
Havana transport
Hollywood sign
Grand Central Market, Downtown LA
Fire twirler
Mendoza driving

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