Since my friends had been to this village before they had developed pictures they had taken of the villagers and brought prints back to them. You wouldn’t believe the excitement this caused! They were anxiously waiting for the photos almost as soon as we arrived in Karong. I’ve never seen families negotiate in this manner to be the proud owner of one single print. All the kids wanted their picture and all the parents wanted theirs.

Needless to say the fact that I brought a digital camera made me quite popular in the village immediately. I was a little bit afraid they were not going to let me leave. They all kept posing their kids (who rarely smiled) in various combinations and settings. When I showed them the viewfinder with the digital photo I had just taken they all stared and just beamed! The women would go into their homes and change outfits. It was a madhouse. Finally, I had to just turn off my camera and run–as it was time for us to depart from the village.  Some people were left standing in mid-pose.

I felt quite rude.  If I ever get back up there I’ll make sure to develop the photos in triplicate.