Tag: desert

Categories
contemplations morning coffee talk Photography street photography UAE

Daily Coffee Talk~75/364

Liwa Desert~ UAE

There must have been a time when humans were born on this planet with a clarity of purpose and a constant awareness of purpose for this journey we find ourselves on.

It feels that something has occurred to cause a derailment of the human story, sometime, somehow, we took a wrong turn and we find ourselves lost to purpose, oblivious to the truth and determined to go on a path towards self destruction.

Were all the attempts at religion failed wakeup calls? What is next? Will we eventually wake up to the values this incredible and sustaining planet we live on? Or is abdication responsibility the way of tomorrow too?

From a pondering mind on a cold German evening…

Wishing you all well.

Categories
contemplations Fine art inspiration morning coffee talk street photography UAE women

Morning Coffee Talk~ 44/365

Taken near the empty quarter, Liwa, UAE

Good Morning,

Have you ever felt the need to back things off when so much tries to claim your time, attention and energy? That is the time to use the power of ‘NO’.

So many of us find it very difficult to say no, maybe in fear of upsetting someone, the worry of not being liked, not living up to someone’s expectations or thinking simply that being a good person dictates saying yes. It doesn’t.

At certain times in my life and when it is needed, I like to imagine a portcullis dropping in front of me to offer me a space to be, to think, to gain clarity and to feel a sense of containment.

Our first responsibility is to ourselves and our own wellbeing because if we are crowded and overwhelmed, we can only make clouded decision.

I wish you a clear day filled with inspiration and joy.

Categories
contemplations inspiration morning coffee talk Photography street photography UAE

Morning Coffee Talk~ 39/365

Liwa Desert~

Good Morning,

We are in the desert today in Liwa, close to the border of the emirates and Saudi Arabia, the empty quarter (الربع الخالي) and very close to the Tropic of Cancer.

The sand get more and more red as you drive towards Liwa due to its concentration of copper and the world gets more and more quiet. All you see are sand dunes a blue sky and a bright yellow sun.

We had privilege of the hospitality of a local lady who is a force of nature with her incredibly powerful presence, her utter pride of her culture, history and tradition and her generous nature that she gifts in abundance.

We were shown around, offered food continuously since we arrived and were directed to have a rest before we continue our journey into the desert until it’s time for dinner and a bonfire after sunset.

It is an amazingly beautiful experience to add into the archives of good memories and photography.

Photograph from earlier today of the beautiful granddaughter of the Lady.

Categories
Photography UAE

Lost and Found

Lost and found in Dubai
Lost and found in Dubai

To find ourselves we must first be hopelessly lost.

Categories
inspiration life New York Photography street

Day 18~ November 18th~ New York

a walk in the park

Every desert houses an oasis, and for New York City, central park is just that vital. One of the largest and most visited urban parks in the world, the park has bucket loads of charm to offer. Even when you don’t have time to visit during the rush of life, knowing that it is there, a slice of uninterrupted natural life in the middle of all the concrete, is a release of stress. Funny how despite all the gadgets we create, the technological advancements we champion, all it takes is little walk in the park to confirm our sense of being.

Categories
Egypt inspiration life Photography

Day 30~ March 30th~ Egypt

a journey like no other~ boy on a camel in the desert~ Egypt

There are some places you travel to that remain alive in a very special place in your heart…

It really was a journey like no other, this adventure in Egypt. The pyramids, the sphinx, the desert, the camels, the ancient ruins, the mind boggling architecture, the friends, the strange carvings, the sense of being so different to the ancient culture that has been, the bedouins, the Nubians, and most of all the children of Egypt.

Our life experiences come together and culminate to make us who we are. This journey for me in this year to collect the salient bits of pieces of 12 of my life journeys, one a month, and to go through the process of examining them as one would a sand painting, with different colors, different essences and experiences and to then brush them away into the archives of my memories, hopefully learning a lesson in the process.

 

Categories
Egypt inspiration life Photography story

Day 23~ March 23rd~ Egypt

the boy who spoke to the camel

Our memories work in a funny way that we mostly remember the things that stand out, the odd things…

Have you ever met someone who spoke to animals in the most natural way as if animals understood every word they said? I have.

This boy in this 15 year old film scan was the camel herder during a sunrise trip we took to the pyramids at Giza. It was a very early morning hour exactly at sunrise and I heard him going on and on carrying a conversation that sounded to me like he was speaking to another person. He spoke of things that in my mind a camel could not understand and would have absolutely no interest in, but nevertheless the boy went on and on. And this made me think that if I were to spend hours everyday in the desert and in the company of very few people, would I find it necessary to speak to animals in such an intimate manner? This was another one of those moments that remained etched in my mind and that kept coming back to me each time I saw a camel. Each one of us has some random memories that keep surfacing in our conscious minds and leave us wondering why.

 

Categories
Egypt life Photography story

Day14~ March 14th~ Egypt

lost in the sand

I went to Egypt looking for adventure. I got far more than what I bargained for…

A group of 25 something friends from all around the globe, all eager to find the truth, we headed into the desert on a moonless night to gaze at the stars and dwell on the mysteries of Egypt. It was magical to say the least, until a few hours later someone looked around and we had a feeling one of our friends was missing. We called her name into the pitch darkness but nothing returned other than the eerie stillness of the desert night. It was the kind of darkness where you could not see your own hand, let alone another person lost in the sand. We desperately came up with a plan to separate into groups of 2 and walk around looking and feeling for our friend. We spent about an hour of very high emotional distress and thoughts going all over the place and expectations of the worst possible. We were each running the risk of getting lost ourselves, if not for a far away light that we left as a marker and a place to meet at the end of our search. Our local friend and guide who was with us walked finally to the nearest road and managed to call the hotel in Cairo only to discover that our friend was showered and in bed after having been lost, finding the road and hitchhiking to the hotel while we were busy searching for her.

That night, people of different religions, backgrounds, nationalities and ages worked together while faced with a crisis, an Arab with a German, a christian with a jew, a European with an American, all towards one purpose, the safety of another human being. Amazing how a real life situation can cause all the ‘stuff’ that does not belong to being human, to be shed away, dropped for the sake of our shared humanity. A great lesson was learned by all that night, as the deserts of the planet can do that to us.

Categories
Egypt inspiration life Photography story street

Day 10~ March 10th~ Egypt

her smile~ Nubian desert~ Egypt

When ‘joy’ is able to attend you, life takes on a brilliant glow…

Imagine these simple moments of connection, when meeting some stranger’s eyes can cause you and them both to overflow with joy, with a contentment and a knowing that all is well and a great unexplainable happiness is present at the thought of meeting another human.

Joy, so difficult to come by in our day to day lives today, but so abundant in those places where people choose to live a simple and uncluttered life.

Even after 15 years, I can remember this face that glowed and radiated while the lady was trying patiently to tame her daughter’s unruly hair in a desert settlement in Nubia.

Categories
Egypt inspiration life Photography story street

Day 9~ March 9th~ Egypt

Nubian woman in green scarf

We rode camels into the south of Egypt and there we met the Nubians.

Nubia, the desert region between southern Egypt and northern Sudan, along the Nile river and home of the Noba people, is where I met this beautiful woman. A stark contrast to the almost inhuman and eerie remains of ancient Egypt, the Nubians are full of gentle smiles, simple ways, and colorful surroundings. Most of the homes were painted in light blue and the faces radiated a glowing brown. Heirs of old kingdoms and a complex relationship with ancient Egypt, the Nubians have a great air of mystery around them and their ancient culture.