I took this photo at 6:43 p.m. on June 14 2008, as I walked across the Morrison Bridge towards Southeast Portland. Look at that blue sky! I hope that I can remember to take a similar photo this year, just to document any changes in the buildings. And I hope that the sky is just as blue! Can you see the people walking on the Eastbank Esplanade? They know how to enjoy the Willamette River's east bank. When I got there, I walked down that spiral ramp and along the esplanade until I came to the Hawthorne Bridge. Then I walked across it and began my homeward bus rides, taking a couple of them to get home. I lived in Northwest Portland then, in the Alphabet District. My little Mama and our miniature dachshund Duncan were still alive then, and we totally enjoyed our lives in Portland. We'd been here two years, almost to the day.
P.S. I work in the brick building with the flags on top. When I take photos from the rooftop garden, I'm on that lower part of the building, very near those windows, the ones half visible due to the angle of the photo.
There's a nice patio there, a neat place to go outside at break or at lunch, to enjoy whatever the weather has to offer. Here it is after a rain had marked the edges of the tiles. I took this photo on August 23, 2013, at 7:13 a.m.
An individual's part in the global City Daily Photo Blog
Showing posts with label southeast Portland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label southeast Portland. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
Monday, September 3, 2012
Sorry, I can't get away from the beauty that is the Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac dancers
I find the expression on the face of this blue-eyed, blonde-haired headdress captivating. And I love the motion of the beads and fringe.
More captured motion--look at that fringe on the headdress on the right! That's Mr. Arenales, the man you learned about in yesterday's post.
Several more headdresses with fringe in full swing.
When you consider that the adult costumes weigh 80 pounds or more, I'll wager, it's easy to understand why the child's costume is not beaded, nor is there the huge headdress. I'll bet that child is still excited to be a part of the group.
Look at the needlework on this one. I'll bet it weighs more than 80 pounds. I love the fringe swaying, too.
Here's the back of it. Magnificent!
Groups of dancers close enough together that I could crop to show some details and some movement.
Sunday, September 2, 2012
More photos of the Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac
Made it to 200 followers! In fact, I see the number 201. Way cool. Thanks, y'all!
Continuing with one aspect of yesterday's Theme Day post, I decided to bring you another collage, this one just of photos I took on July 29 at the ¡Fiesta en la Calle! Sunday Street Fair in Southeast Portland and sponsored by the Miracle Theatre Group.
I was walking there, after getting off the bus, and could hear the music from several blocks away. All I could think was, "Please keep playing until I get there and for a while after I arrive. Please! I just know someone's dancing to that music!"
Thankfully, the Comparas Orgullo Morelense Cemiac dancers continued. It was hot, so I'm sure they must have been uncomfortable inside those beautiful costumes. And I'm not sure how they can see out of the headdresses, but I surely am glad they figured it out.
To see a superb video about the dancers where their leader and founder Alejandro Mendez Arenales explains the group and why it exists, click here . He also explains his costume and how it depicts aspects of Oregon, his new home. It's so worth viewing, all you have to do is get through a very short commercial.
Here's a great article about the group, published before they marched in the Grand Floral Parade this past June, their first time to participate in the long-time Portland custom. Also, see three cropped images from photos I took on that sunny Sunday.
Rose Festival 2012: Mexican group will bring history, heritage to Grand Floral Parade
By Kelly House, The Oregonian
Alejandro Mendez Arenales puts on the 80-pound costume he will wear while leading the Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac heritage group in the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade. Mendez paid nearly $3,000 for an artist to design and hand-bead the Oregon-themed costume in his home state of Morelos, Mexico.
Arenales says Oregon has been good to his people.
The 36-year-old immigrant from Atlatlahucan in Morelos, Mexico, was living in New York 15 years ago when a visit to a friend in Oregon became permanent.
Arenales fell in love with the people, the greenery, the ample space to roam, the water and the fresh air. He married here, had three children and moved into a Southeast Portland neighborhood full of families from his home state. Oregon, he says, welcomed him with open arms.
"I thought I'd stay maybe a few months," he says. "That was in 1997. I never left."
During the June 9 Grand Floral Parade, Arenales and his kinsmen will return the love.
Members of the Morelos heritage group Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac will march in the parade for their first time, and Arenales will lead the procession dressed in an elaborately beaded costume worth $3,000 that depicts Oregon's history and heritage.
Arenales and a team of helpers have spent more than a year preparing the special costume dedicated to their new home.
Chinelo dancers
The 80-pound gown, mask and headwear covered in beaded murals is a signature of the Chinelo dancers of Morelos, says Jose Ramirez, Arenales' cousin and a member of the group.
"But the U.S.-born children don't know much about the traditions," he says. "Through this group, the youngsters learn, and we can also show other people our traditional dance.
In the parade, 60 Chinelo dancers will wind through downtown Portland in costumes bearing images of Aztec warriors, Mexican flora and fauna, and historical scenes including Emiliano Zapata's assassination.
None will outshine Arenales' walking tribute to Oregon. Green, yellow and blue feathers flutter in the wind while hundreds of thousands of tiny colored beads form stunning images. Native Americans share a meal while bears catch salmon and a beaver wades in the Columbia River. Mount Hood and Multnomah Falls loom in the background. On the back, a pioneer family travels by covered wagon on the Oregon Trail.
"When I moved here, I saw the pine. I saw the beavers, the ducks, the salmon, the rivers, Mount Hood, the people living here," Arenales says. "I wanted to pull them all into the costume."
There are several versions of the lore of Chinelo dancers, but the most popular pegs their origins to the 1870s, when cruel Spanish overlords ruled the indigenous Mexicans. During the Lenten festival of Carnival, the Mexicans took to the streets donning masks and performing a strange dance to mock the Spanish upper class.
Today, the Chinelos are a defining tradition of Morelos, where every child grows up learning the dance.
Portland's Chinelos arose from Arenales' vow to keep the tradition alive in his social circle. When he moved to Oregon 15 years ago, friends often played Chinelo music and danced during gatherings, but he felt uneasy without a costume.
"I said I'll never dance again if I don't have my own costume here in the U.S.A." Arenales says.
Soon after Arenales bought his first costume, friends joined in the effort. Today, the group boasts members throughout the Northwest.
They perform at parades, cultural festivals and in schools but have never marched in the Grand Floral Parade. Arenales had applied twice but was denied a spot in the invitation-only parade both times. He applied early this year and waited eagerly for the April email confirmation that Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac would be in the lineup.
Highlighting diversity Rich Jarvis, a spokesman for the Rose Festival, says organizers strive to include cultural groups. Along with the Chinelo dancers, groups representing Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Native American and other international communities will march.
"Our focus has been being able to feature and highlight more people and diversity," Jarvis says. "Portland has such rich culture, and we'd like to see that represented more often."
When the invitation came, the Oregon costume still wasn't finished. In the ensuing weeks, a Mexican artist worked furiously to apply the final details.
Ramirez, a retired airline worker who lives in Los Angeles, flew with the costume on a red eye flight from Morelos to Portland, where Arenales retrieved it from the airport. Relieved that the valuable garment had arrived in time and intact, Arenales stayed up most of the night examining the beadwork.
At about $2,700, the Oregon costume is not the most expensive in Arenales' eight-piece collection. The most intricate beadwork can run as high as $12,000, he says. Still, this was no small expense for a working-class father of three. Arenales says it was worth every cent.
"Money can't buy how you feel inside," he says. "The people here, the green, the environment, the friendliness ... it's about love."
On June 9, as the music of his hometown plays and his Morelan comrades perform the sprightly dance of the Chinelos, Arenales will be out front, wearing Oregon on his body and waving its flag in the air.
"It's like Atlatlahucan, Morelos, and Portland, Oregon, sharing two hands," he says. "(The Chinelos) can bring people together. And now Oregon can celebrate it with us." -- Kelly House
Continuing with one aspect of yesterday's Theme Day post, I decided to bring you another collage, this one just of photos I took on July 29 at the ¡Fiesta en la Calle! Sunday Street Fair in Southeast Portland and sponsored by the Miracle Theatre Group.
I was walking there, after getting off the bus, and could hear the music from several blocks away. All I could think was, "Please keep playing until I get there and for a while after I arrive. Please! I just know someone's dancing to that music!"
Thankfully, the Comparas Orgullo Morelense Cemiac dancers continued. It was hot, so I'm sure they must have been uncomfortable inside those beautiful costumes. And I'm not sure how they can see out of the headdresses, but I surely am glad they figured it out.
To see a superb video about the dancers where their leader and founder Alejandro Mendez Arenales explains the group and why it exists, click here . He also explains his costume and how it depicts aspects of Oregon, his new home. It's so worth viewing, all you have to do is get through a very short commercial.
Here's a great article about the group, published before they marched in the Grand Floral Parade this past June, their first time to participate in the long-time Portland custom. Also, see three cropped images from photos I took on that sunny Sunday.
Rose Festival 2012: Mexican group will bring history, heritage to Grand Floral Parade
By Kelly House, The Oregonian
Alejandro Mendez Arenales puts on the 80-pound costume he will wear while leading the Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac heritage group in the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade. Mendez paid nearly $3,000 for an artist to design and hand-bead the Oregon-themed costume in his home state of Morelos, Mexico.
Arenales says Oregon has been good to his people.
The 36-year-old immigrant from Atlatlahucan in Morelos, Mexico, was living in New York 15 years ago when a visit to a friend in Oregon became permanent.
Arenales fell in love with the people, the greenery, the ample space to roam, the water and the fresh air. He married here, had three children and moved into a Southeast Portland neighborhood full of families from his home state. Oregon, he says, welcomed him with open arms.
"I thought I'd stay maybe a few months," he says. "That was in 1997. I never left."
During the June 9 Grand Floral Parade, Arenales and his kinsmen will return the love.
Members of the Morelos heritage group Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac will march in the parade for their first time, and Arenales will lead the procession dressed in an elaborately beaded costume worth $3,000 that depicts Oregon's history and heritage.
Arenales and a team of helpers have spent more than a year preparing the special costume dedicated to their new home.
Chinelo dancers
The 80-pound gown, mask and headwear covered in beaded murals is a signature of the Chinelo dancers of Morelos, says Jose Ramirez, Arenales' cousin and a member of the group.
"But the U.S.-born children don't know much about the traditions," he says. "Through this group, the youngsters learn, and we can also show other people our traditional dance.
In the parade, 60 Chinelo dancers will wind through downtown Portland in costumes bearing images of Aztec warriors, Mexican flora and fauna, and historical scenes including Emiliano Zapata's assassination.
None will outshine Arenales' walking tribute to Oregon. Green, yellow and blue feathers flutter in the wind while hundreds of thousands of tiny colored beads form stunning images. Native Americans share a meal while bears catch salmon and a beaver wades in the Columbia River. Mount Hood and Multnomah Falls loom in the background. On the back, a pioneer family travels by covered wagon on the Oregon Trail.
"When I moved here, I saw the pine. I saw the beavers, the ducks, the salmon, the rivers, Mount Hood, the people living here," Arenales says. "I wanted to pull them all into the costume."
There are several versions of the lore of Chinelo dancers, but the most popular pegs their origins to the 1870s, when cruel Spanish overlords ruled the indigenous Mexicans. During the Lenten festival of Carnival, the Mexicans took to the streets donning masks and performing a strange dance to mock the Spanish upper class.
Today, the Chinelos are a defining tradition of Morelos, where every child grows up learning the dance.
Portland's Chinelos arose from Arenales' vow to keep the tradition alive in his social circle. When he moved to Oregon 15 years ago, friends often played Chinelo music and danced during gatherings, but he felt uneasy without a costume.
"I said I'll never dance again if I don't have my own costume here in the U.S.A." Arenales says.
Soon after Arenales bought his first costume, friends joined in the effort. Today, the group boasts members throughout the Northwest.
They perform at parades, cultural festivals and in schools but have never marched in the Grand Floral Parade. Arenales had applied twice but was denied a spot in the invitation-only parade both times. He applied early this year and waited eagerly for the April email confirmation that Comparsa Orgullo Morelense Cemiac would be in the lineup.
Highlighting diversity Rich Jarvis, a spokesman for the Rose Festival, says organizers strive to include cultural groups. Along with the Chinelo dancers, groups representing Hawaiian, Vietnamese, Native American and other international communities will march.
"Our focus has been being able to feature and highlight more people and diversity," Jarvis says. "Portland has such rich culture, and we'd like to see that represented more often."
When the invitation came, the Oregon costume still wasn't finished. In the ensuing weeks, a Mexican artist worked furiously to apply the final details.
Ramirez, a retired airline worker who lives in Los Angeles, flew with the costume on a red eye flight from Morelos to Portland, where Arenales retrieved it from the airport. Relieved that the valuable garment had arrived in time and intact, Arenales stayed up most of the night examining the beadwork.
At about $2,700, the Oregon costume is not the most expensive in Arenales' eight-piece collection. The most intricate beadwork can run as high as $12,000, he says. Still, this was no small expense for a working-class father of three. Arenales says it was worth every cent.
"Money can't buy how you feel inside," he says. "The people here, the green, the environment, the friendliness ... it's about love."
On June 9, as the music of his hometown plays and his Morelan comrades perform the sprightly dance of the Chinelos, Arenales will be out front, wearing Oregon on his body and waving its flag in the air.
"It's like Atlatlahucan, Morelos, and Portland, Oregon, sharing two hands," he says. "(The Chinelos) can bring people together. And now Oregon can celebrate it with us." -- Kelly House
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Taylor Ct. Grocery, serving Portland's Montavilla neighborhood for 90 years!
Architectural Heritage Center neighborhood walking tour guide Leland, in the daffodil yellow shirt, leads tour participants to the corner-facing door. He'd explained that this local business fills a large need in the neighborhood which doesn't have a nearby grocery store.
Errol, one of the current owners, has been there for 16 years. I read in someone's recent review on Yelp that it's 15 years, but I think he told us 16--must have had an anniversary in the intervening months. Anyway, the pleasant interior reflected Errol's personality.
From that April 1, 2012, Yelp review:
This is hands down the cleanest, most organized mini market I have ever seen. They feature an incredibly diverse selection of foods, an impressive selection of beer and wine, and an assortment of handy things you hope to find at a neighborhood convenience store.
Errol told me they have owned it for 15 years, and it has been in business for 90. Wow! So thrilled to have discovered this gem within walking distance of my place.
And here's one labeled "updated - 8/16/2012":
What the hell?! Was I on crack when I rated this place before? 4 stars? Really? Huh. Let's see, how often do you find a neighborhood store that has:
1. A walk in cooler full of a great selection of microbrews,
2. Vita Coco water in both individual-size and large jugs,
3. Kettle Chips
4. Vegan and vegetarian frozen options like boca, Morningstar, etc,
5. Emerald Valley Salsa,
6. A decent wine selection,
7. A wide array of foods from both large and small brands, and
8. Friendly service...
...? Seriously, it's not often. And for a diamond in the rough, there's no more deserved rating than a full 5 stars.
Every time we roll in to Taylor Ct Grocery thinking "oh, they won't have this," or "no way will they have that," we're constantly surprised to be proven wrong again and again. They don't have absolutely everything, but it's miles ahead of even your average Safeway when it comes to local brews and similar.
4 stars...
*shakes head slowly*
Well at least I got it right this time.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Waiting, with Loyalty, #1
Downtown Portland, September 27, 2009.
Looking through my older photos taken when I worked in Southeast Portland and lived in Northwest Portland which made for a visually interesting commute twice daily has made me realize I need to get out and about on weekends more, on the hunt for photos to shoot. You see, since Mama died in January, 2011, and I moved, I still work in Southeast Portland, but I live in Northeast Portland. My twice daily commute offers somewhat less variety, especially during the winter. It's good for me to have a goal. How to you operate best? Setting goals for yourself?
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Abandoned on the street, No. 4
A single shoe hoisted upon the wrought iron fencing which fronts the building where our first rental company has its offices, the corner of NW 21st and NW Everett in Portland's Alphabet District.
I took this photo on July 24, 2010, while I waited for the bus to work.
Now for what I consider a giant kick of irony. That first rental company, Bristol Equities, managed our first apartment which was in Southeast Portland--it's the one Mama took a walk from with Duncan and found the "Free!" items mentioned yesterday. We moved there in June, 2006. Size of apartment, perfect. Location, perfect--four blocks from Lamont and Leland's place and about eight minutes by bus from my work. By September, 2006, notification came that the building had sold through no fault of Bristol Equities, would be turned into condos by the new owner, and we had to move out ASAP even if we wanted to buy a condo because remodeling was the step before ownership. Talk about a couple of unhappy campers! We had absolutely no intention of owning ever again. Ever. We did have an ace up our sleeves, though, a six-month lease, so the new owner offered us a financial incentive to get out ASAP in order to expedite the remodeling. After thoughts of purchasing a generic-building-owner voodoo doll, I finally found us our new apartment in Northwest Portland which ended up being one block west of the offices of our first rental company!
We moved there by the middle of October, 2006. So for a while in the beginning when I waited for the bus to work in front of the wrought iron fence you see in the photo above, my mind clouded with unhappy thoughts about the hassle we went through of packing every single piece of stuff (see yesterday's post for mention of our stuff) AGAIN, moving it all AGAIN, and then unpacking it all AGAIN. What would we have done without my sons? Put our heads down and sobbed, at the very least. Anyway, we loved our new place so much, were very happy there except for the lack of parking, and never once entertained the thought of moving. Until.
When Mama died last January, my sons sweetly asked me to consider moving onto the east side of the river to be nearer them, preferably to an apartment building with available on-street parking. Remembering that our original rental company handled vintage buildings with hardwood floors, I got online and found my new place in no time at all. So, now I don't wait for the bus in front of their offices, but I am once again connected to Bristol Equities in a good way.
Speaking of connections, I wonder why the other shoe wasn't on the fence? Did the two of them ever come together again and regain their connection to their owner?
Friday, February 10, 2012
Abandoned on the street, No. 2
Go figure. Looks like a good bicycle tire to me. I took this photo on my walk to work on September 13, 2011, in Southeast Portland.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Flags on a sign--huh?
"What's up with those flags?" I asked Leland as we pulled to a stop.
"It's a new stop sign, Mom," he explained. "They put the flags on it to make sure people see it."
"Great idea!" I exclaimed.
Monday, May 18, 2009
All of this colorful bloomin' beauty, on one lawn!
I took this photo in Southeast Portland on April 30, 2009.
From left-to-right, two azaleas, a pink dogwood, and wisteria.
From left-to-right, two azaleas, a pink dogwood, and wisteria.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Saturday, July 26, 2008 - Green leaves, Southeast Portland
Walking on Mother's Day, along SE 37th between Division and Hawthorne, the contours, shapes, lines, and color of these leaves caught me eye.
Luckily someone had planted them in a narrow bed between the inner edge of the sidewalk and a stone retaining wall. Otherwise I would have missed the chance to take several photos.
What I have for you here are two tight crops, accentuating what drew me to the leaves in the first place. I especially like the overall shape of the leaves, sort of like funnels. See those drops of water? I wonder how long it took them to slide down into the plant.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008 ... Volkswagon, Redux
Sleek? You betcha. Remember, the definition of sleek, having trim graceful lines. Here's trim, as an adjective, from Merriam Webster Online: exhibiting neatness, good order, or compactness of line or structure. Need I say more? OK. I can't help myself. Graceful--pleasing or attractive in line, proportion, or movement.
You're with me now, I feel it.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 ... Alfa Romeo
In a comment about the Karmann Ghia--thanks, Snapper of Gabriola Daily Photo, for the correct spelling of that neat little vehicle--Steve from New Orleans Daily Photo asked where I'd found the Volkswagen product. One block from my work is Bright's where I often photograph autos left there for their services, like this Studebaker Avanti. The sleek factor certainly shows up in these two beauties.
Here's the same Alfa Romeo outside Bright Auto Upholstery.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Saturday, July 5, 2008 ... 4th Friends and Family. Food and Fireworks ... tomorrow
I walked over to the Buick to get it so that I could drive around the corner to get Mama and Duncan. It wouldn't start. I assumed the battery was dead, that something had been left on Wednesday evening after we had gone out to eat, to meet Leland and friends from Mississippi. Vincent, Leland's best friend since middle school, and his wife Michelle flew in earlier that day to visit Leland and the rest of us--how wonderful is that? We are so blessed with our friends and family. And we got the grand news that they're having a baby in February! I cried when I heard the joyous news.
I called Leland to ask for help. He and Vincent came in Vincent's rented red Impala Chevrolet. The Buick wouldn't jump, the hood came down on Leland's right wrist and cut it pretty bad, I had forgotten Duncan's dog food for 5:30 p.m. What a mess of a few minutes. We left the car. I walked back to the apartment to get the dog food, Bandaids, ointment, etc., while the guys got Mama and Duncan from one car to the other. They picked me up on the corner, and we headed east, across the Willamette.
Michelle and Vincent, the proud parents-to-be, happy visitors to Portland. On Thursday they and Leland, and Lamont and Lindsay, shopped first for the 4th of July cookout meat at Gartner's, ribs and flank steak. Then they headed for the beach, stopping at roadside stands along the way to pick up yummy, fresh vegetables and fruit.
Friends Kimberly and Tom
Friends Katie, Angela and Kailey
Kailey and the lovely lilies she couldn't resist
Duncan and Lindsay
Leland and Vincent
Lindsay and Lamont
Mama, Duncan, Kailey and Leland
Friday, May 9, 2008
What are these red shapes? Do you have anything of them in your city?
I'm curious.
By the way, I wish I had had my camera out of the rolling black bag when my bus rode by Funny Bone after work on Thursday. There flew yesterday's two strings of balloons, inextricably intertwined.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Bagdad Theatre, SE 37th and Hawthorne, where it always looks like Christmas, thanks to this great neon sign
Here's what McMenamins dot Com has to say about the home of one of my favorite neon signs in Portland:
THE BAGDAD THEATER & PUB - Popular pub and picture palace *** Now featuring Dolby Digital Sound! ***
Southeast Portland's marvelous relic of Hollywood's Golden Age is a stunning movie palace full of wonder and surprises. For nearly four generations now, the Bagdad's Mediterranean and neon persona and daily offerings of celluloid adventures have made it an icon of Portland's vibrant Hawthorne District. A movie hall of the best sort, the Bagdad's interior is an attraction unto itself with barreled arches, ornate, wrought iron fixtures, brilliant-colored mosaic work, and painted and stenciled Mediterranean designs and mythical characters. Kick back in the theater and enjoy a slice of pizza and a handcrafted ale during the show, or come early and enjoy dinner in the casual pub that fronts the theater. But be forewarned -- outdoor tables in the summertime may be hard to come by!
I found this for you at Wikipedia: McMenamins Pubs and Breweries is a chain of over fifty brewpubs, microbreweries, music venues, historic hotels, theater pubs and more. ... There are fifty-six McMenamins sites and many of its locations are renovated historical properties. ... nine are on the National Register of Historic Places ... a movie theater built by Universal Studios (The Bagdad Theatre and Pub.)
Just last night Leland and I were set to go see "The Bourne Ultimatum" there, but one of his roomies had a bicycle accident--he's fine now, thank goodness--and we had to go give him and the bicycle a ride home.
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