Tag: russia

Categories
contemplations Germany morning coffee talk Photography street photography war

Daily Coffee Talk~ 86/365

Have you every had the feeling that even when you are alone, you are really not?

In my mind, there is never a dull moment. Thoughts, ponders, queries, hopes, questions, memories, investigations, plans, connecting of dots, and yes, sometimes fears and worries.

I am finding it difficult to not be concerned about what is happening around me in Europe. How can anyone not be? But why are we feeling the pain of others so much more acutely? Has something changed in the conductivity of the world?

It is quite unfathomable what humans are capable of doing to other humans in the search of their own self glory and greedy agendas.

So myself is telling me today to keep going, to keep hoping, to continue sending strength and good thoughts toward the innocent people caught up in this crazy war and to know that there is always light behind the darkness.

Categories
contemplations Germany morning coffee talk Photography spain

Daily Coffee Talk~ 84/365

Self portrait taken in Spain by the moonlight ~

When we are confronted with life changing events or the possibility of them, we tend to go inward and see life more clearly.

With the shocking onset of a war in an otherwise peaceful Europe, life becomes more real. Our senses are honed to feel, detect, and comprehend what is and might be going on around us. For a brief time, clarity replaces the fog and we become more human.

It is strange that it takes a war to make us learn the flag colors of the Ukraine, to become aware of its people, its history, and its current state of affairs because it is brought center stage at this time.

We become sensitized to the pain of others and feel a care that we previously were not conscious to.

The human and its behavior are a deep mystery to me.

Categories
human rights morning coffee talk Photography refugees war

Daily Coffee Talk~ 83/365

On the third day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, my mind goes back to my experiences with refugees and the misfortunes of war.

I am finding myself unable to disconnect from the shock of seeing this happen in front of our eyes again, the war, the pain, the destruction, the displaced people and most importantly, children having their childhood stolen from them.

The pictures shown here are from the Syrian refugees that I photographed back in 2013, and back then, I saw a side of humanity that I was hoping I would never have to meet again.

Here we are in 2022, innocent people and their children subjected to tragedy because of ego, the strive for power and an unfathomable greed that lives in people like Putin.

The world does not need more refugees, we do not need more pain and confusion, humans have the right to lead a happy, productive, and full life with the chance to be who they are meant to be.

Who gives others the right to take that away? What kind of essence fuels wars? Will history keep repeating itself to the detriment of the human race and this planet?

Categories
war

Daily Coffee Talk~ 82/365

I have no words for today, I can only echo what most of us are feeling which is that this cannot be.

My heart goes to the innocent people in the Ukraine that have to suffer through that is unfolding in their home.

From a child of war, this should not be allowed to happen.

Categories
contemplations morning coffee talk Photography street photography UAE

Morning Coffee Talk~ 38/365

Hello yellow~ Russia Pavilion at Dubai Expo

Good Morning,

Let’s talk about color. What is it really? Why do we need to see it? Why is our planet blue? Why is the sun yellow? Why do we see the rainbow? Why are we drawn to different colors? How do different color influence us?

That’s an ongoing life long research but have you ever tried this simple experiment? Take a set of crayons and every day see which color is popping out or standing out more than the others? Try to tune to that color that day, wear it, draw with it, look for examples of it, and register the effects of that. I did that for years and I keep the colored pencils near my desk for that reason.

Maybe even consider that wearing the wrong color for you that day can have an influence on your whole day’s goings on.

And one more phrase to contemplate: “color is a cloak of force”.

Wishing you a colorful end of the week. Today we will drive to the yellow desert.

Categories
inspiration life Photography story street xinjiang

Day 1~ June 1st~ Xinjiang

the bright Uyghur people of Kashgar

Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, spanning more than 1.6 million square kilometeres in the north western part of China, borders Tibet, Russia, Mongolia, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Kasakhstan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. It is home to different ethnic groups  like Uyghur, Kazakh, Hui, Kyrgyz, Mongol, Tajik and the Han Chinese. Only about 4,3% of Xinjian is suitable for human habitation. 

Traveling in Xinjiang was an unforgettable adventure. This month’s journey will start in Kashgar, go across the old silk road to the high mountain of Tashkurgan near the Pakistani border and then go back to end in Kashgar again. The people I met on this trip were some of the brightest, most hospitable and unique tribes in this part of the world. The name Uyghur translates to ‘united’ or ‘people coming together’, as these wonderful people demonstrate in their great sense of community and age old traditions.

photo taken: a playful moment between brothers in an old city street in Kashgar.