There is a charm that can only be captured on a rainy day and a mood particular to that atmosphere of chilly raindrops, umbrellas and leaves blowing in the wind that I always long to photograph. It’s visual poetry that turns gloom into romance and magnifies the bit of light the day has against the dark background. I wouldn’t hide my camera from the rain, no, I would always choose to join it.
And don’t get me started on reflections…
Each time I start a new walk into one of the old alleys of Shanghai, I feel as though I am entering another world where simple life, community feeling, tradition and open communication thrive. There is a charm to the old alleys and a distinct sense of nostalgia that makes them so attractive and keeps me coming back. As long as they are there, the spirit and essence of Shanghai continue to live on.
Quirky, friendly, magical, puzzling, odd, beautiful, colorful, breathtaking, inspiring, legendary, mystical, smiling faces, enchanting grasslands, buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies, overpowering cliffs over deep ocean waters, reflective beaches
… Wales, a land that filled me with awe.
Big cities have this way of resembling beehives, busy, constantly moving. Most of these urban centers are jarring, fast, harsh, noisy, and unforgiving to all that is slow. Not Shanghai. Shanghai has a gentle flow about it, where people just glide by on their bicycles, slow enough to examine life around them and nod with recognition at friends in their neighborhood. A bicycle and tricycle culture, so much is moved around on wheels. As long as tradition lasts, this will be (at least to me) the greatest charm of Shanghai.
After leaving Cambodia, it was not the magnificent temples that haunted my memories, nor the beautiful beaches, it was not the delicious food either, it was the people. The people of Cambodia are warm, friendly, hospitable, and radiating with charm.
photo taken: boy at CCPP in Sihanoukville, where the children can just melt your heart.
To believe in fairies
To imagine what their tiny wings look like
To dream about seeing them one day
To struggle with patience
To make them offerings
To promise to be kind
To be respectful of nature and its helpers
To have a mind sparkling with the wonder of mysteries unsolved
Is the charmed and magical world of a child
On an afternoon stroll in today’s very windy and cold streets of Shanghai with my friend Sabrina, we met these really sweet Shanghainese young men who most certainly have a story to tell. They loved the attention and the camera pointed at them and they carried on to pose, straighten their matching jackets, and smile shyly as I clicked away. Tufic later thought they reminded him of a Chinese version of the “Beatles” on their way to furnish their first set before a concert… Whatever their story is, they were totally charming in their shy giggly way.