Tag: Travel

cross-purposes

Posted on by Ajmal

“Life is infinitely stranger than anything which the mind of man could invent. We would not dare to conceive the things which are really mere commonplaces of existence. If we could fly out of that window hand in hand, hover over this great city, gently remove the roofs, and peep in at the queer things which are going on, the strange coincidences, the plannings, the cross-purposes, the wonderful chains of events, working through generations, and leading to the most outre results, it would make all fiction with its conventionalities and foreseen conclusions most stale and unprofitable.”

― Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
A 2017 photograph from the streets of Tbilisi, Georgia.

dandelion dreams.

Posted on by Ajmal

Well, there’s all probability that you’ve stumbled across a cliche dandelion shot like this. This one is that I took from a journey through some farms in Yerevan, Armenia. I’ve read of thematic contexts wherein Dandelions are often read with transcience and impermanence.

“Dare to imagine. Dare to be.
Books are the seeds. Dreams are the soil.
The fruit of the harvest, a world reborn.”

― Richelle E. Goodrich, Dandelions: The Disappearance of Annabelle Fancher
I happened to recollect an adorable visual sometime from 2015 wherein a dad shows his baby buzz dandelions for the first time and he got excited. Let me tell you, no matter how messed up your day was, this can truly give you some shine and melt your soul!

excellence

Posted on by Ajmal

“Let excellence be your brand. When you’re excellent you become unforgettable. Doing the right thing, even when nobody knows you’re doing the right thing will always bring the right thing to you” – Oprah Winfrey.

Spirit of the Stairway

Posted on by Ajmal


This is a photograph that I took from a museum at Yerevan. The title of the post is based on the same notes from a French phrase.

“
People in France have a phrase: “Spirit of the Stairway.” In French: Esprit de l’escalier. It means that moment when you find the answer, but it’s too late. Say you’re at a party and someone insults you. You have to say something. So under pressure, with everybody watching, you say something lame. But the moment you leave the party

As you start down the stairway, then — magic. You come up with the perfect thing you should’ve said. The perfect crippling put-down.

That’s the Spirit of the Stairway. The trouble is even the French don’t have a phrase for the stupid things you actually do say under pressure. Those stupid, desperate things you actually think or do. Some deeds are too low to even get a name. Too low to even get talked about.
”
― Chuck Palahniuk, Guts

mind streets.

Posted on by Ajmal

A street from Istanbul photographed in 2014. The building seen in the backdrop is a part of the famous Sultan Ahmet Mosque, also known as the “Blue Mosque”. Built somewhere between 1609 and 1616,  it is adorned with hand-painted blue tiles. The upper area is decorated with approximately 20,000 hand-painted glazed ceramic in 60 different tulip patterns. The lower stories are illuminated by 200 stained glass windows. It’s filled with majestic Byzantine art elements.

“When you wander in an empty silent street, you wander within the mind of wisdom!” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

flower seller.

Posted on by Ajmal

This is a photograph from 2014. While we were hanging out at a coffee shop in Istanbul, there came this ethereal little flower-seller selling flower bouquets to the cafe market. There are many experiences in this world to gift you a smile. It can be a cafe or a shore or aids of the sun or the wind or moments of bliss or the love of the season of sunset.  This dream of the day does not last. Memories are fickling as seasons change. Poetry is oozing in 🙂 I’m always overwhelmed by the power of images. I’m delighted to preconize that I’ve discovered a treasure trove of some of the old photographs that I have carefully preserved and I’d like to share it with the lovely people here. Sign up for emails subscriptions so that you won’t miss them, and keep exploring 🙂

mosaic lamp eloquence

Posted on by Ajmal

All of us who have traveled through the wider Middle East in all probability would have stumbled across one of these beautiful lights. These are Turkish mosaic lamps.  Turkish lamps have a long history, the technique of producing these lamps started 5,000 years ago in its earlier forms. They had their early debut during the Ottoman era. Until the 19th century,  candles and oil lamps were predominantly used for illuminating palaces and mansions. Before the spread of electric lamps, these lights were important symbols of rich heritage and civilization. Oil lamps were produced in the form of glass bottles or cup-shaped jars suspended from a chain. Bathhouses, mosques, and arenas of Istanbul were lit with these oil lamps. Over time, colored glass panes were used artistically with these lamps and they turned out to be even more beautiful. These are usually handmade and are an important element of Turkish and Anatolian roots and culture. We’d find variants of these types in other cultures as well. It’s an art and a skill to prepare hand blown glass which is cut from large sheets of different sizes and colors. A transparent, permanent but slow drying adhesive is applied to a small section of the base with a noticeable pattern through the adhesive to direct the artisan’s hand and there are several other steps to completion. Each one carefully crafted is a piece of art and expertise. I picked one from a journey to Istanbul in 2014.


filling frame.

Posted on by Ajmal

This is a photograph from a visit to Princess Islands in Turkey sometime in 2014. It’s a frame that still fills and imbue my mind. Grateful to Almighty for such visual treats for the soul. Having endless horizons is a sanctuary for the wandering souls. Just as a small piece of salt melts into a large glass and becomes part of the sea, in the infinite horizons wayfarer souls too melt and blend into eternity. Journeys often confer fulfillment upon crafting these membranes of memories. Share your stories with us 🙂

“ Watching the infinite horizons gives you infinite dreams, infinite ideas, infinite paths! Choose a great target and then you will see that great instruments will appear for you to reach that target! ” ― Mehmet Murat ildan

melt!

Posted on by Ajmal

Wanted a smile that melts you down right now?
This sweet little angel appeared when I was on a bus while on a visit to Istanbul in 2014 and this little one kept smiling at me. Subtleties and details such as me being in that bus seat at the right moment of time and for this cute one to be exactly there to smile back and to capture that exact little moment! I believe in Almighty’s magical way of delighting us with details unconceivable. Everything happening in our life has a reason and a purpose, regardless of whether we can envisage it or not. Let’s be somebody’s reason to smile 🙂    |  God bless.