For a while at the event I felt like I belonged. It was my crowd and for once Dubai had character.
I find myself to be a very weird and distinct soul. I am awkward and usually do not fit in with the norm. I am still trying to figure out where I do fit in, or if a place like that even exists. Being an artist, one would think I should fit in with the art community, and I do believe that to an extent. Which is why I usually attend all the art events that happen in Dubai. Mind you, there aren’t that many, and usually the art events are an opportunity to flash your highest Louboutins, or your new Channel purse in Dubai. When I went to this years’ Street Nights DXB, I did not expect much more than that. However, to my surprise, there was something different about it. There was no flashyness. This was unexpected, and I was taken aback. It was filled with people actually appreciating the street art, and while it was still somewhat commercial, that was outshined by the girls hoola-hooping, and the Bboys breakdancing on the roof of a spray-painted bus.
For a while at the event I felt like I belonged. It was my crowd and for once Dubai had character.
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1 km far from Burma, in the Northern Thailand, I walk along the dusty but picturesque road in my search for the Dee's House Homestay. I was supposed to be met by Dee (that is what I was thinking before) in the bus station but I have arrived earlier. Now I see three bamboo sheds similar to the ones captured in promotional photos, and also a tiny woman getting into the car. I am shouting from afar - Deeee.. This was my first encounter with Horm, Dee's daughter, which I was naming mistakenly as Dee. Horm who is born in the same month and day as her mom, who is as tall (or better to describe - short) as her mom, having as strong willpower and wish to succeed as her mom had, and who has dedicated her newly-built homestay to the memory of her mom, who passed away a year before. During three days while I am in Thaton I am spending a lot of time with Horm who becomes my friend, and I hear so many stories about her mom who seems to be still in the centre of Horm's life. Almost fairytale-like stories, unbelievable but real. And I want to share them with you (as my dedication to Horm). Horm (on the left) and her mom Dee (on the right) From Horm's personal archive, Dee's Birth Dee was born once upon a time. It is not clear for sure when exactly, because at those times, for those people (Dee was born in a family of Shans, which is a Tai ethnic group of Southeast Asia), and in that country (Burma) it was not usual to note down the exact day and time of the birth. However, later, when Horm asks her dad if he really does not know when exactly the mom was born, he says that it was late August, and the day of the birth was exactly the same as Horm's. I knowingly smile because their horoscope sign is Virgo, exactly as I presumed, because of the strong character and willpower of these women. Dee's Escape from Burma As a Shan being born in Burma, Dee experienced discrimination in her country and had to leave it. From 70s Shan people had to face extensive human rights violations in Burma (from the source -http://www.burmalink.org/background/burma/ethnic-groups/shan/): According to SHRF & SWAN (2012), the largest and most intensive forced relocation program was carried out in 1996-1997 in central Shan State where more than 300,000 people from over 1,400 villages were forced out of their homes into relocation sites. Most of these villagers are still not allowed to return home, and over half are estimated to have fled as refugees to Thailand (SHRF & SWAN, 2012). Dee was already married with Horm's dad, when they both were escaping from the war and extortion into Ban Therd Thai village in Thailand. This village had a very vivid history - it was the first Akha (indigenous hill tribe living in Thailand, Burma, Laos and China) village in Thailand, it was the basecamp of the notorious drug leader known as Khun Sa in the years 1974-1982 (in the early 1980s the US Drug Enforcement Administration estimated that “70% of heroin consumed in the USA came from his organization” ) who set up the Shan United Army, and also until 2001 it had a big role in drug trafficking. But for Dee's parents it was just a short-term home, as they fled to Chiang Rai, and further. Dee's Shelter in Pig Sty The beginning of the Dee's life in Thailand was very tough. They did have neither money, nor home where to stay. Both Dee and her husband were working as auxiliary workers for different farmers but it was not enough to have their own house, and not even enough to rent a little room where to stay. One farmer from whom Dee and her husband asked for a shelter, suggested to use his pig sty. His old pig just died and the place was empty. It only had to be cleaned and then it could be used for living. That's how Dee got a shelter in a pig sty. Dee's Bamboo House Dee was a hard worker - she wanted to have children and to ensure them a good life. She decided that she would not stay an auxiliary worker for all her life but she would work even harder to buy land and to build her own house. Dee's first house was a house made of bamboos; she built it by herself and her husband (that is the reason why Horm decided that her homestay dedicated to her mom would be consisting from 3 such bamboo houses, similar to her mom's first house). Later on when Dee and her husband obtained more and more land for agriculture, they also built a brick house, but the house made of bamboos was always in their warm memories. Dee's Children Dee had four children: three daughters and one son. She wanted that her children would receive good education, then would create their families and have a good and traditional life close to other family members. However, among her children her daughter Horm did not fit into this model - she did not want to return to her family village, she wanted to travel and to see the world. Though always quarreling, both mom and her daughter were similar like two rain drops: both tough, independent and strong. Despite their love and hate relationships, it seems that Horm was the dearest one for her mom. Dee's Forebodings Dee felt that her time on this earth in her current body is coming to the end - less than a year before her death, while padding rice, she reflectively revealed that she was not sure if she would be around when the rice would be ready for eating. Her relatives got upset about her speaking such a nonsense but she was contemplating further. About 6 months before she died, Dee dreamt that she was lying in the cemetery (where Buddhists burn the dead body) of her hometown in the Shan country. This was the first bad sign. After that, she was noticing more and more signs that soon she should die, therefore, she prepared herself carefully - Dee bought a cover for dead body; and she requested to buy a motorcycle, which had to be donated to the temple after her death (now her motorcycle is in the temple where monks and villagers can use it for temple-related issues; once, as one monk told, a villager took her bike for his own mundane business, and it immediately broke down). Dee's Death from the Wild Mushroom One day Dee decided that she had to go to pick mushrooms. Neither it seemed to be the right weather, nor the right time, but she was very stubborn - she wanted to find mushrooms. She went alone to the nearest hill next to the village but she came home without any of them found. Then she requested that her son would take her by motorbike to the other side of the river, to the hill where the temple and pagoda is located. After not very long quarrel, the son agreed to take her there, and soon she returned with several mushrooms for soup. The soup was very tasty and all family members enjoyed it, but soon after having it, everyone who ate it, became very sick, including Dee herself. But Dee was laughing in the face of sickness - when everyone was throwing up, she ascetically endured her stomachache and was teasing others about being too weak. She was the only one who did not vomit, and she was the only one who died. Dee's Rebirth Family members and villagers believe that Dee was reborn in her granddaughter, the daughter of her oldest daughter. Only few months passed after Dee's death when her daughter unexpectedly became pregnant. All villagers concluded that it has to be Dee herself because, as one villager told, some weeks before passing away, Dee's older daughter and her husband has begged Dee to come to live with them in Chiang Mai. If Dee's daughter would make an abortion, maybe Dee would still be alive but now she is in different body in Chiang Mai and lives happily ever after. That was the story of Dee. PS. If you are visiting the Northern Thailand, do not hesitate to stay at Dee's House Homestay where you will experience the lifestyle of the Shan's villager and can listen to Horm's old and new stories.
This morning I wake up from loud and rumbling sounds of something in between of shooting and unloading cargo. My first thought is that it is an earthquake - because I am in Chiang Rai (Thailand), which has been an epicenter of so many devastating earthquakes in the past, and I also have never experienced any earthquakes before but, at the same time, so scared of them. However, the sound ends quickly and the earth is not shaking, and I am drifting back in my sweet sleep. It turns out later that this was the noise of fire crackers, which repeats more and more often, supplemented with the sound of gongs, cymbals and drums played throughout the streets. The Chinese New Year is coming tomorrow, let's welcome the year of the goat! 2015 Chinese New Year celebrates the Year of the Goat, the eight animal honoured by Buddha, and in the Western calendar this officially begins on 19 February. Chinese New Year customs are numerous and they bring a colorful sense of renewal to this period of the year. Many of the rituals are imbued with a magical meaning - there is a lucky food to eat during the celebration and also certain taboos to be followed. Lucky Food Certain dishes are eaten during the Chinese New Year for their symbolic meaning.
Taboos
Chinese people believe that, as the Spring Festival is the start of a new year, what you will do then will affect your luck in the coming year. This is how to start a great New Year of the Goat: On New Year's day (on the 19th February):
Spring Festival season taboos (from 19th to 24th February):
Happy New Year! The Hadith says that every Muslim man should know archery, swimming, and riding. Horses and camels are of utmost importance to the Muslims. Hence it is no surprise that these animals are such a large part of their culture. Horses can be seen everywhere around the UAE, to the extent that they have a 3 week long festival dedicated to horses and horse culture. Sharing the love for horses myself, I have begun going riding to Al Jiyad stables in Dubai. Owned by Ali Al Marzooqi, the stable is one of the best in Dubai, training champions in endurance riding. This weekend Ali took me through his private stable to show off some of his champion horses. It was here that I saw the side of the man that is not usually associated with Arabs. His love for his horses was something I had never seen before. It is a love that has ruined every relationship he has been in, because there is no woman that Ali has loved more than his horses. Seeing the way Ali touched, cared for, and talked about his horses inspired me to show this side of him to the world; it was the purest love I had ever seen.
Visiting Thai Buddhist temples can provide one not only an aesthetic and spiritual experience but also allows to learn the basics of Buddhism and its principles, which are explained sentence by sentence on metal boards also in English (rarely, with funny accidental mistakes). This is the collection of 52 such Buddhist pearls of wisdom captured on photos: 24 of them coming from Wat Phare Rachsamjammadhevesrnechai (Buddhist temple near Tham Chiang Dao cave complex), and 28 - from Wat Tham Pha Plong (Buddhist temple in Chiang Dao 500 steps up a beautiful mountain in the middle of jungles). Buddhist Pearl of Wisdom "Today is better than two tomorrows" in Wat Phare Rachsamjammadhevesrnechai, Thailand, 2015. By Kristine Sergejeva Buddhist Pearls of Wisdom from Wat Phare Rachsamjammadhevesrnechai Buddhist Pearls of Wisdom from Wat Tham Pha Plong Shaking Blood-Covered Hands with Respect: Finding Philosophy of Goodness in Brutality of Thai Boxers12/2/2015 When you visit a Thai boxing (Muay Thai) match either in a respectable Bangkok's stadium or in a shady place full with smoking and drinking tourists (mostly consisting of newly married couples in their honey-moon, when I was there), gamblers and ladyboy-waiters, located in Chiang Mai in the middle of warehouses, you might feel very, very far from the place of ethics and moral knowledge. But it might be a mistaken and superficial amorality you are seeing on the blood-covered hands and faces.. If you would like to dig deeper, you would find that in every fight there are at least two sanctuaries where goodness and highly moral principles are cultivated, and these sanctuaries are the bodies of the boxers. Wall picture "Scene from the court life" -- Prince Ransit palace (17th century), shows a Muay Thai match, accompanied by the music orchestra If we read books, which not only identify the basic forms of Thai boxing but also cover the philosophy of this martial art, we can notice that there are 3 basic features of character each Thai boxer has to develop and cherish: modesty, patience, and, most important, respect. Respect This is one of the features, which are visible immediately, also during the fight. At first, both boxers often smile to each other. And I do not mean contemptuous or mocking smirking, as they really have sincere smiles. They also "shake hands" (I mean - all the gestures and friendly interactions they try to do with their boxing gloves on them) and are very friendly to the team and coach of the competitor. As Jerry Heines and Amorndet Ranjanthuek in their book "Explosive Muay Thai" write: ... the real battle is within each of us; our opponent serves merely to help us conquer ourselves. For this reason, respect to our opponents and training partners is key to our success in Muay Thai, no matter the outcome of the match. Respect is paid not only to one's opponent, but also to teachers, parents and things, which fighters hold sacred and pray for their safety and victory. This respect should not be only internal, but it is also expressed in the external aesthetic ritual, the so-called "Wai Khru Ram Muay". The ritual usually differs for each fighter, however, this video on YouTube can provide you the general idea how it looks like: Modesty Modesty is a very important feature in order to grow and to develop one's (fighting) skills. The idea is the following - only if you recognize that your technique and skills are not as good as other's, only then you can see the need to improve and also the aim in front of you, which you can reach (with patience and specific attitude only, of course). Modesty also means an ability to ask for help from more advanced fighters, for example. Patience Patience is the must skill to be cultivated if one wants to reach certain level of mastery. But this is only one of potential benefits of patience. Maybe even more important is to be patient in your reactions towards external stressors and "irritants". As Thomas M. Steinfatt writes in his book "Working at the Bar: Sex Work and Health Communication in Thailand": ... violence is quite out of character in Thai society ... Smiling is equated with patience, and those who are patient are greatly admired in Thai culture. One Thai term for patience is jai yen (or cool heart). One may lose the respect of others through loss of temper and displays of frustration. Thais believe in hiding their negative feelings, and public displays of anger are un-Thai. Irritability and loss of patience also leads to irrational actions during the fight. In the above mentioned book "Explosive Muay Thai" it is noted that Being patient makes one less irritable. When irritated, one is prone to irrational actions - which we typically regret later. Besides the respect, modesty and patience, there are also other qualities, which Thai boxers have to cultivate in them, for example, trustworthiness, politeness, on the one hand, and inward-directed elements, such as self-respect and confidence. Important thing is to remember that one should not be a Thai boxer to develop and cultivate these features. Either one is a fighter or a peacemaker, or someone in-between, cultivation of these qualities internally and using them externally could make the life of people around so much better and nicer/safer-to-live place. With this photography-based story, our new regular contributor, Latvian photographer Magda Jentgen who is currently living in Dubai, UAE, starts her series of weekly posts on exploring visually and conceptually the "strange" and different culture she is now living in. These posts will investigate the concept of "otherness" as well as similarities and differences between radically distant cultures, the one of the viewer, and the one of the viewed. Last night was spent at a friends' goodbye BBQ party in the Al Warqaa desert in Dubai. When we arrived at location, before us lay the trashed desert. While once it used to be the home for the Bedouin population, it has now become a popular hangout spot for the younger generation. The desert used to be sacred, but now it has become a dumpster for the used plastic cups and cigarette buds.
The term Badawî which is where the term Bedouin comes from, literally means plain or desert. They are the people of the desert. It is their home and was once their way of life. However, here in Dubai, with the boom of the oil industry, a large part of that lifestyle diminished in just a few decades. While it may be easy to transform the lifestyle of these people, it is much harder to change the culture and the mindset of them. I found that out last night, when I spent the night in the desert with the descendants of the Bedouins. While they did not grow up being nomads like their ancestors, the love for the desert is still in their blood. It could be seen in everything, from the way they set up camp, to the way they served their traditional tea. As an outsider it is always fascinating for me to see the few people left of the younger generation who still embrace their Emirati heritage and try to upkeep their traditions. However, it is sad to see the beautiful red sand dunes become trashed by the ones who do not understand just how much they used to mean to a Bedouin. Do you remember being bullied and/or being a bully during your childhood and school years? Have you ever wondered why did it happen; why children often seem to be more cruel than grown-ups; why you, such a good girl or boy, found yourself in one camp or another; and why, after all, these bullying practices were sometimes taken over even in our adult lives, for example, in our offices? Have you ever thought - how could you stop yourself from being a bully or being bullied? Bangkok, 2015, by Kristine Sergejeva I would like to share with you two experiences or my friends who chosen not to disclose their names - one of being a bully during her school years, and another one - about being bullied at his workplace; as well as their thoughts of what works or not to cope with bullying. Being a bully Now, when I am a "grown-up", I know that I was an unconscious bully during my early school years. I was one of those many children in my class who considered ourselves as the "cool" ones, the ones of the higher "caste", because I had the best marks, I was one of the best in sports, my parents were cool and adorable, I was loved by teachers, etc. And for some or another reason I behaved as if it would give me a power to laugh about those who had problems with their homework, who had weird clothes, whose parents were older or when they came to school, they smelled of alcohol. We were like a group of wolves who were sniffing weaknesses of others and were ready to torn apart the ones who had them. Being bullied Share with us how you have coped with being bullied or changed your own bullying behavior. Funnily enough, my one and the only (but prolonged one) experience of being bullied like a bad karma dropped on me in the most unexpected place (in the office of respectable international company) and in the most unexpected time (in the middle of my adulthood when one could presume that there is no place for children games and behaviors; and when I had reached a top of my career - becoming the youngest manager of the senior managers' team). On my map, the Chinatown district of Bangkok seemed tiny and walkable within one hour. But it took me a half day to stroll through it. So many colors; smell of rubber and fried food; little doggies, cats and also birds, which are treated as good as humans; entangled cables; Chinese symbols mixed with Buddhist and Hinduism icons and hideaways; canals covered with oily layer; roaring bikes, cars and buses mingling with bicycles and tuk-tuks; eyes feeling sticky from the heavy pollution; kind and non-inflicting smiles of strangers.. |
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