Category: old age

Daily Coffee Talk~ 79/365

Our fireplace today in Germany~

As long as I remember, when I still lived in Lebanon, my father would sit by the fireplace at our home at the foot of the mountain and on cold days continuously feed wood to the hungry fire and watch its raging flames and listen to its crackling sounds as it vanished into ashes.

It always made me think that there is a romantic in there hiding behind his seemingly hard exterior that he presented to the world.

The last 3 days, and in the middle of a storm here in Germany, our heating system broke down, so as we shuffle to get it fixed, I started using the fireplace as a means of generating warmth on these very cold days.

And guess what? I find myself as hypnotized by it as my father was and still is at over 85 years of age.

Life sometimes turns full circle on us…

Photo of my dad staring at his chimney 2 weeks ago in Lebanon taken by my sister.

Tags 365, chimney, father, fire, fireplace, germany, heating, lebanon, life, mimo khair, parents, photography, storm, warmth

CHINA old age old people Photography shanghai

The Endless Cycle

As the holidays approach fast, I dedicate my post today to those who work harder than most, who see no retirement day in their near future, and who bear the weight of life and the passing of years. They are all around us, patching up the holes in our social structure, tirelessly moving because stopping is not an option.

Tags age, china, color, labor, old, photography, recycle, retirement, shanghai, street, tricycle, woman, work

CHINA human rights old age old people shanghai

adapting to a changing world

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date March 8, 2014
14 Comments on adapting to a changing world

In today’s world, pollution is discussed in terms like high or low, toxic or just unhealthy, almost accepting it as a part of everyday life and forgetting to ask the basic question: why do we have to live with it?

Tags alley, asia, black and white, china, environment, gloves, hongkou, mask, mimo khair photography, old, planet, pollution, shanghai, square, street, surgical, today, tradition, woman, world

CHINA old age old people Photography shanghai street

Behind the glitzy face of Shanghai

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date January 24, 2014
15 Comments on Behind the glitzy face of Shanghai

residents of the old and slowly vanishing alleys — a resident of the old and slowly vanishing alleys

a witness of the whirlwind of changes that took over the glamorous city. — a witness of the whirlwind of changes that took over the glamorous city

Behind the modern facade of Shanghai and the fashionable lifestyle of its rich, is a world of tradition hidden in the city’s old alleys. Every week when I visit these neighborhoods, I find less and less of them left. The city is changing so rapidly and the new has no room for the old. Modernization is consuming tradition and Starbucks cups are quickly replacing the famous tea containers of the Shanghainese. A paradise for street photographers, I feel so lucky to have lived in Shanghai as long as I have.

Tags alley, asia, black and white, china, city, culture, image, lane, lifestyle, mimo khair, modernization, monochrome, old, people, photography, portrait, shanghai, society, street, street photography, tradition, urban, urbanism

human rights life old age old people Photography

Derailed humanity~ Tokyo

The human story has its sad chapters; the ones that star as the unfortunate characters; the ones we look away from when we pass them in the streets. This post is for them; a gentle reminder…

Tags asia, black and white, derailed humanity, dirty, homeless, japan, man, mimo khair, old, people, photography, portrait, sad, smoke, street, tokyo, unfortunate, woman

CHINA old age old people street Travel Yunnan

wearing her story ~ Yunnan

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date July 15, 2013
11 Comments on wearing her story ~ Yunnan

Every stitch on her costume, every threaded bead she decorates herself with, every wrinkle on her face plays a part in telling her story, a life so different to ours, a world so alien to 21st century culture, an existence rising out of old traditions, she belongs to a tribe that allows strangers no access. All I could capture was the sense of her presence and the few photographs that I always hope could link to the state of standing in front of these amazing people.

Tags asia, black and white, china, costume, ethnic minority, jewelry, lady, monochrome, old, people, portrait, square format, tradition, travel, woman, yi

CHINA inspiration old age old people Photography Travel Yunnan

ravaged~ Yunnan

We were driving along one of the long dirt roads leading to far off villages of Yunnan and neighboring Sichuan when I had a strong instinct to stop the car. And as instincts are mostly right if we choose to listen to them, down a slope on the side of the road this most incredible woman was sitting under a broken umbrella and an old straw hat trying to hide from the blazing sun of the Yunnan mountains. She spoke no words, only gestured with her hands and smiled her glowing toothless smile through a muddy face and tangled hair framing her warm face. In the end of her consenting gladly fo my friend and I photographing her, she asked with hand signals for water that she accepted from us with so much gratitude. She was adorned with strange jewelry and wore muddy rags, but she had the power to leave such a strong impression on us, that I most certainly found myself filing her memory in the ‘unforgettable’ category.

Tags asia, character, china, color, dirty, grungy, mimo khair, old, portrait, ravaged, road, straw hat, street photography, travel, unforgettable, woman, yunnan

CHINA old age old people Photography street Travel Yunnan

stories of times gone by~ Yi woman~ Yunnan

Post author By ~mimo~
Post date June 22, 2013
18 Comments on stories of times gone by~ Yi woman~ Yunnan

stories of times gone by~ Yunnan~ Yi woman

It is such a common sight in Yunnan to see these strong women from the Yi ethnic minority with pipes lit in their mouths puffing at tobacco smoke around the streets, markets and village homes. The pipes are hand crafted and each woman holds on to hers for life proudly. When I asked about the place where we can buy one, I constantly received puzzled looks, “you don’t buy these, you get one made for you when you come of age”!

Tags black and white, ethnic minority, lines, mimo khair, old, pipe, portrait, smoke, stories of times gone by, street photography, tobacco, woman, wrinkles, yi

CHINA inspiration old age old people Photography Yunnan

from the heart~ Yunnan

A woman from the Yi ethnic minority with her traditional square hat laughing with all her heart at the market after my friend showed her her image on the camera screen.

Tags asia, beautiful, china, color, costume, ethnic minority, from the heart, happy, hat, laughter, mimo khair, photography, portrait, square, traditional, woman, yi, yunnan

CHINA contemplations faces old age old people Photography shanghai story street

The child inside us all

Eighty five and exploding with stamina~ the bund~ Shanghai

Every once in a while I meet an incredible human, and they remind me that aging is a natural process that only claims our physical body. The spirit is always effervescent if we allow it to be, the soul is only more experienced and our mind can only grow richer if we feed it in the right way. This lady I met this morning, early at sunrise was giggling while doing her morning exercise and very proudly telling my friends and I that she is 85 years old and still feels young and full of energy. She was infectious in her enthusiasm and bright spirit, light as a feather and innocent as a small child. She renewed my hope in life and its beauty and easily added herself to my list of unforgettable people.

Tags aging, black and white, body, bund, charisma, energy, glasses, happy, health, joy, lady, laugh, life, mimo khair, photography, portrait, reflection, shanghai, smile, soul, spirit, sunrise, woman