Playing : Fantasy LUMS tree

Going towards..

A tree's fantasy DNA.

Surreal Ochre

The original pic.


I often like to take pictures and store them for when I want to play around in Adobe and see what they may become.

On a Friday afternoon, with some time to spare.. I wanted to see an ordinary picture of this tree I took in LUMS a little differently.

Photographed: Because I see you.

Location: The LUMS University Mosque.

Just returned from here after a Friday prayer break, on a hot afternoon, and was reminded of this picture I took some months ago. No one really notices these, but I liked the random yet chic composition of what I saw.

These little chairs are there for those who cannot kneel, and pray while sitting. My mother also prays while seated because of arthritis, but misses being able to kneel.

Last week, I did not pray with the congregation. But I still caught a special glimpse.

As every forehead touches the ground in humility and submission to God, it is a touching sight of unity, of people grouped shoulder to shoulder in neat rows, but all eyes are downcast, and they do not acknowledge what goes around them and they may not even be aware, as you stand watching people devote themselves in unison for a few minutes to submit to and connect with God.

The most magnificent sight of this is ofcourse, the millions of pilgrims at the Holy Kaabah in Makkah, nearly all in identical attire, and as an ocean of human beings goes down on one haunting call, rises, and then bows again,you cannot help but feel this is something special, and a magnificent show.

I can tell you that amongst the moving sea of millions, neat rows form spontaneously within minutes or seconds, and you fall into place to line your shoulders with the next, rich and poor from every country, presidents and peasants who have saved all their lives and come in old age, all must be equal here, and as the prayer starts, you can only hear the haunting recitation of the Muezzin, and your thoughts if you cannot silence them(but you must try), and other than children crying(because, well, who can explain to them?) there is, when the Muezzin is silent, a rustling hush over the crowd that is amazing because of the sheer magnitude and length for which it carries.

Fave from Stylists: Raw and jewelled

Featuring: Beverly Hyde

The idea, the photography.. Oh, I like!

Bomb explosions and beautiful homes

A little while ago, there was a sudden strange bang at the window. Instinctively, I associated it with another sound I had heard last year which had been bigger with much more force; when there had been a huge bomb blast on Mall Road, quite far away, a suicide bombing with a truck full of explosives that had blown away Intelligence headquarters.

That had been a far off thud, a feeling that somewhere had been a very very loud explosion,and then a feeling as if an invisible force had collided hard against the window, (I thought a football might have been kicked hard straight at my window) and then complete silence while the sun continued to shine in a bright blue sky. At that time I knew I had never heard something like it, and this was a similar sound though much less force.

I was worried again.
I opened the blinds, and everything seemed the same.

A colleague right near me did not notice busy with his photocopying, and as I stepped out and asked a few others near windows if they had heard or felt anything, ("Was there a bang at the window here?" to puzzled looks) I relaxed when they had not. I did not want to alarm them. Then twenty minutes later I heard that there has indeed been an explosion on Mall Road. It is far away, and my colleagues are amazed I felt it.

Guess what I am doing?
After an initial prayer and thankfulness for our safety, and a call home to ask my family to stay home for the day, I want to go straight back to checking out beautiful relaxing photos of beautiful homes as a slight head and ear ache comes on, just pyschological as the sound echoes in my mind.

Why??

I have asked myself this before.

Afterall there is a huge crisis in the country, - a war in the scenic northern areas of Pakistan as the army finally moves into areas terrorized by militants distorting Islam’s teachings, causing a huge wave of nearly 2 million people fleeing the crisis and in dire straits in the extreme heat and poor conditions.

One could feel slightly guilty over wanting to be immersed in and taking delight in beautiful interior and design pictures that reflect luxury.

But I realize what it is about loving to look through beautiful pictures of homes: Not just a love of aesthetics but dreams and desires reflected : Peace, security, happiness and comfort, and identity. Serene, entertaining mirrors to human life, if you will.

Home is, or is supposed to be, the ultimate haven, where we can just be. Be safe and free to be our selves especially.
And it’s okay to want that, and only natural in times like this.

Whatever the budget, location, style – any place is home that holds beautiful hearts at peace with themselves and one another – living and letting live.

I wish Pakistan and all the countries of the world would just become home then.

Fave From Stylists

Featuring : Jenni Booth.

I was led to her work when reading an interview of Pia Jane Bijkerk. Pia started her career assisting this stylist, and credits her with what she learned, so naturally I wanted to see Jenni's work.

This is my favourite picture from her portfolio.

As far as the aesthetically inclined oxygen molecules in me go; this took my breath away. Just for a fraction of a second, while I forgot to worry about getting on that plane and demanding it take to me to the Maldives for my lunch hour. Elegant, fancy, oh so up my alley, that look!

I have a regular,old black trunk in my bedroom that I love to keep. Some people suggested I get it out of there. But I just like it.
But I may just polish the brass on it now. And drag it to Lahore Airport and ask to have my picture taken with my trunk, here, like that….

Sky, Dunes, Action

This is the kind of picture that can inspire feeling.
The one that makes you take note of the photographer.
The kind that makes you want to see something fresh and exhilirating yourself, and capture it. This picture is by Chase Jarvis.

I love that the action puts still more emphasis on the beauty and majestic grace of the dune and desert sky. Soon after, I am sure, nature would have blown away the footprints of the dancer, and the sands shifted once more, unimpressed, unaffected.

Squint

Delightfully eccentric and stylish at the same time, Squint is Lisa Whatmough's success story of merging various textiles with furniture to create one off pieces that showcase a new dimension to traditional upholstering. I particularly like the graceful tone in the above pic, and the bold armchair below !

Even a chandelier gets the treatment:

Warm Light, Apple Pies and Gratefulness.

Feeling down, I am making myself think back to a few nights before when I could not help be grateful.
A warm glow from the kitchen illuminated the last slice of a warm delicious apple pie Mama made and that ended up as my late dinner - rivers of cream cascading down, and sitting in the semi darkness a welcome but sadly forgotten feeling came: gratefulness suddenly filled me.Cradling my tea, I realized I havent often felt grateful in so long, and suddenly I savored every blessing, and it felt wonderful.

Silently loving the people in my life, grateful that they slept soundly nearby, or that they must be happily and safely - I hoped- busy in a different time zone somewhere far, I thought of things - good things, positive things, that somehow at that moment had the power to outweigh heavy burdens and shine bright enough to light me up even as things seem dark and dim.

Sadly, today is not a similar case, but that magic feeling made me happy - and perfect or not - I loved myself, my gifts and my very own room for its comfort,happy that there was this space for me in the world, even as entire families live in single rooms less than half the size, that many out there were feeling cold and hungry, and I was aware, drifting into sleep under cozy blankets,

that while I had my burdens, I have much to be grateful for, and much to love about me and my life, and that I had God to thank - for blessing us Kindly,Patiently even while I can be oblivious.

And even as we like to be appreciated for whatever we may give someone, and may be angered by the lack there-of !

Above painting by Erin Pendleton