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Fine art inspiration life morning coffee talk Photography street photography UAE

Morning Coffee Talk~43/365

At the gate of Expo Dubai~

Good Morning,

Today my thoughts wander around the subject of intactness. What does it mean to be intact? How vulnerable do we allow ourselves to be with the onset of change? How does one become intact? Is it a permanent state or something we need to keep working towards in our personal development?

All these ponders take be back to the importance of reconnecting to the very basics, like the truth and meaning of life. Why are we here? What are we meant to be doing? What are we supposed to be collecting in our lives? And what do we leave behind as a legacy?

One thing is for sure: we are born alone and we die alone, so relationships matter and clean human interaction is vital during our short lives here on this unbelievably unbalanced planet.

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contemplations friendship inspiration morning coffee talk Photography UAE

Morning Coffee Talk~ 28/365

My sister and I in Lebanon
My sister and I in Chatel, she is the goofy one

Good Morning,

At her beautiful home in Dubai

Well it’s still morning in Germany, but already after 1 pm in Dubai, so time is playing games with me today.

I flew overnight and as you can imagine it is exhausting to do so. I arrived as if in a dream and after being met by my Dubai resident sister, a favorite Lebanese breakfast and long chats, I found myself asleep on a cute bench under the tree in her backyard to the sound of chirping birds in the amazing mild weather here at this time of year.

Sisters… you share your childhood with them, you share secrets, you fight wars and in the end they remain that, sisters. It’s a bond unlike any other, and to understand it , you have to be one, sister.

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Germany inspiration morning coffee talk Photography

Morning Coffee Talk~ 25/365

Good Morning,

A bit of a late start today after the long evening of Christmas activities. As with all events we count down to, Christmas comes and goes quickly like magic, and now we will count down to some snow flakes to make the world more peaceful.

A forest walk, some family time and a bit of quiet are in the plans for today.

I wish you the world and you in it a healthy and peaceful day.

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contemplations Germany inspiration morning coffee talk Photography street photography

Morning Coffee Talk~24/365

Good Morning,

It’s cloudy here in North West Germany with clouds threatening to rain, and all feels ready to make a pause. Families are doing their last minute shopping and preparing for dinners at home with cozy lights, Christmas trees and gifts that get opened this evening. You can feel and see the excitement of children in their eyes.

It feels like a very good time to hit a reset button and settle into a contemplative place in oneself. For my daughter, it has always been the highlight (of several highlights) of the year and she counted the days till it finally arrived and the ceremony began.

I wish you all a healthy and peaceful Christmas and a gentle journey inwards if that is your aim.

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myanmar Photography street photography

That precious unit we call family~

Wishing all who observe the Easter holidays a peaceful weekend with your loved ones!

Day 86 of 365~

Image taken in a small village near Bagan, Myanmar

Categories
life Photography

Winds of Change

From the mega metropolis of 30 million to a quiet German neighborhood, from the 16th floor of a high-rise building to the lone house and garden, from the green polluted sky of shanghai to the intoxicatingly fresh air of the countryside… we find ourselves in a whole new ecosystem.

We took in a few fish to live in our small pond last week and since then they have been hiding as they get used to the new environment. We are not so different. I feel the urge to settle in and find my way in my new ecosystem.

Despite of all the change, something inside me is dancing in joy and wellbeing. Thank you Germany for the chance to be well and happy as we get ready to call you home.

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Germany parenting Photography Uncategorized

To Long For Belonging

She longs for the place~ Germany
She longs for Germany

a walk in the forest~ Germany
A walk in the forest with cousins

Land has this mysterious way of pulling at your soul, of beckoning you home, and for our young daughter, this land is Germany.

The longer we expatriate in China, the mightier that tug. She dreams of the family, the colors, the fresh air, the sounds and smells of a land she feels a strong belonging to despite the fact that she only lived there the first 2 years of her life. But our planet is strange that way, isn’t it?

Her dream will come true, at least for a few weeks starting tomorrow as we head west and our lungs rejoice!

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lebanon Photography Travel

Mobile Impressions From a Journey in an Old Land~ Lebanon

For more of my mobile photography, follow my Instagram feed!

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CHINA inspiration Photography Yunnan

The Good People

The way to explore slowly
The way to explore slowly

Life is slow in Yunnan. People walk with no rush; the fields can wait. The clouds change form in slow motion; the lush mountains are great company. Even the birds chirp melodically and without strain; it’s just the way it is. In a place like that, a bicycle fits so well for exploring at the speed of the land. I came upon a child and his grandfather walking with their shadows along the rice fields and enjoying the caressing rays of the gentle sun. I got off my bicycle and began photographing them after getting their clear unspoken agreement. Then I saw alarm in their eyes as they gestured towards me; I turned around and watched my bicycle tumble with my second camera and my bag into the rice field. This man with grace, ease and a smile, put his grandson down, helped me lift my now damaged mode of transportation, with its dislocated wheel. He gestured to me and we communicated with my limited Mandarin as he helped carry my bicycle back the other way towards his home, his little grandson following us shyly. The man asked me to wait as he brought out his toolbox and slowly and methodically fixed the wheel and tested it. He smiled and his granddaughter joined them as they posed for a last photograph before I took off feeling lighter, happier, and grateful for the good people who give without counting the cost, who help because it is human to do so.

warmed by the sun and a grandparent
warmed by the sun and a grandparent

the good people
the good people

Categories
parenting Photography

Took me by Surprise~

"a story like the wind"~
A story like the wind

the complex webs we spin~_
The complex webs we spin

Our children have this magical way of growing up without us even noticing. The greatest miracle of expansion from a little fetus to a wonderful human taking their place in the world, cannot be taken for granted. It is an amazing thing, growth. It’s a golden truth, magical in every way. It fascinates us, we gush over it and it catches us by surprise when our little baby turns 11.

Happy birthday little big girl~