Jenny Ovaere is a teacher of mentally disabled youth. She serves as a travel companion for the Joker [Flanders] International Group Adventure Company and visits the places where she finds the subjects of her photography, which include Vietnam, Thailand, India, Mongolia and Nepal.

She writes: "My passion for photography is a result of my travels around the world." She also writes travel stories and creates necklaces in her spare moments.

She uses Kodak gold ISO 200 with a Pentax MZ5 and an Olympus U-Zoom camera. Her lenses include 28-200 mm and 35-80 mm.

Geert Verbeke was born 31 May 1948, in Kortrijk Flanders). He writes: "Writing haiku and travel stories is where my heart lies. I prefer to write (Western) haiku, including both seasonal and non-seasonal poems. My life's pathway has taken various avenues including many `bread and butter' jobs: factory worker, service station attendant, artist, parks department worker, jazz-photographer, volunteer in terminal care & expert in Creative Problem-Solving (C.O.C.D, Antwerp). 

The focus of my haiku writing & singing bowls music is to strike a balance between structure and expression, between new creativity and amazement. I believe in the possibilities of haiku & music to promote a peaceful understanding and respect between people from all cultures." 

Geert has two books out KOKORO and ADA. Persons interested in purchasing a copy of either book can go to this link: purchase information

Website: http://users.skynet.be/geert.verbeke.bowls

In Japan: http://home.alc.co.jp/db/owa/ph_diary 

Geert Verbeke
Flanders - Belgium

Acknowledgments: The haiku and images were used with permission and were taken from Jenny and Geert's book, ADA, Empty Sky Publications, ISBN: 90-805634-71. The book includes haiku and senryu in English, French and Dutch. Geert used Jenny's photographs and digital modification tools to produce the images shown in the book and on these pages.