Spouses of ambassadors offer glimpse of Thailand
It's a diplomatic coup of sorts when the spouses of ambassadors take centrestage, and that's exactly what Krystyna Zurek-Goralczyk and Agnes Matthysen-Aerts, the wives of the ambassadors of Poland and Belgium respectively, were doing this week. The flashlight is on them, literally, as the two charming wives hold their first photo exhibition at River City.
The arresting exhibition opened last week and is on until Friday, June 27.
The pictures of the two ladies are of totally different genres, but are candid, revealing, arresting, born out of their extensive travels around the Kingdom during their four-year tenure here.
Krystyna's photos focus on faces and portraiture, while Agnes deals with the stunning wildlife and fauna of Thailand.
The Polish ambassador, who has a doctorate degree in Chinese studies, expects to go back to his academic post in his homeland soon, while the Belgian ambassador has already receiving a posting to Washington.
So this exhibition by their wives is a happy record of their intense scrutiny, interest and love of Thailand, the country which inspired both couples, addicted to travelling, to actively take up photography as well.
''It's been a new dimension for me,'' said the tall, slender, charming Krystyna, of Hungarian origin, a gourmet cook in addition to being an avid photographer, who said the sights, smells and colours of Asia were too riveting to forget.
That's why she picked up a Sony Panasonic camera, which is good for ambitious amateurs, and recorded the hectic travels she and her husband went on all around the region _ Burma, Laos, Cambodia, Indonesia, the Philippines and China (many times).
''It's not what camera you use, but how you capture the moment,'' says Krystyna, speaking of her experiences with the locals of various countries.
''The people who were most hesitant were the Chinese, but the ones who were most eager were from the remote island of Flores, as they had never seen tourists before!''
As for Thailand, the Polish diplomatic couple who travelled all around the country _ Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Song Hong, Khon Kaen, Korat, Sukhothai, Lampang _ said they loved the rural folks the most. Krystyna also loved photographing the kids, especially when they posed so naturally against the best-known monuments of the country.
While the Polish ambassador, who has written many academic books, plans to bring out a book on Thailand when he returned to Poland, his wife hopes to have an extensive photo exhibition there.
Agnes, the wife of the Belgian ambassador, also confessed that she took to photography seriously only after coming to Bangkok, although she and her husband have been avid wildlife photographers for the past 15 years. She said with pride that her husband, a history graduate, knew everything about birds and animals, which was how they could recognise the birds and animals they encountered, from the colours, sounds and movements.
The favourite wildlife haunt of the diplomat couple seemed to be Khao Yai, where they used to drive, almost every weekend that they were free. Their pictures are an amazing testimony of the rich fauna and flora of this national park. Elephants in different moods, a grand range of hornbills, the unique bamboo plant that flowered once in 30 years, attracting unique birds like the pin-tailed parrot finch.
The most exciting sight for them was the rare one of the stunning national bird of Thailand, the fireback pheasant, with its steely grey body, turquoise-blue spark of feathers, blood-red crest, with a magical gold spot on its slender back. Agnes clicked the bird in many poses, capturing its amazing melange of colours.
For a bird lover, the pictures are a spread of riches _ the sky-blue roller bird, white egrets, black-naped oriole, techni-coloured kingfishers, huge snake birds, herons, magpies, unique brahminy birds.
The other wildlife sanctuaries the couple visited regularly were the Kui Buri National Park, Khao Sam Yoi Rod, Huay Kha Khang in the east, and Kaeng Krachan near Hua Hin, Phu Khie and Khao Ang Rue Nai in the northeast region. They saw many unique animals _ huge gaur bulls, flying foxes, barking deer, rare banteng, of which only a few remain in Thailand. Agnes has delectable shots of macaques looking into a mirror, elephants wiggling their backs, a white-headed gibbon hanging precariously from a branch.
The Belgian ambassador's wife said that they used a Canon 4D camera, where she used a 300-power lens, and her husband a 500-power lens.
She stated that the right moment was what mattered for a good photograph.
According to her, early morning or late night were the best times for wildlife photography.
The most difficult shots, she said, were birds in flight, but these were also the best moments to perceive their beautiful plumage and graceful motions.
The Belgian diplomat-couple have two thick books of stunning photographs where everything from lizards to monitors to butterflies are captured with painter-like colours.
Agnes recounts hair-raising stories of an elephant chasing them in their van, and of another elephant rushing to them when they went on foot to click them in the waters!
Everything from the orange squirrel in their lush garden to the sleek snake in the toilet of their magnificent home has been captured on her lens, and Agnes said they would have many indelible images and memories of Thailand.
She was most proud that some of their wildlife pictures had been included in the grand book of photography entitled 9 Days in the Kingdom.
Both wives said they felt ''totally fulfilled',' that their stay in Thailand had helped them discover a vocation they knew they would never tire of.
The photographs were ''souvenirs'' they would always treasure.
The 'Souvenirs of Thailand' exhibition is on at the River City complex until Friday, June 27. For more details, contact the Embassy of Poland on 02-645-0367 or the Embassy of Belgium on 02-679-5454.
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