March in a photo a day – from street level
I like the discipline of a photo a day challenge (this one is set by Fat Mum Slim). The limitations of sticking to an abstract theme make you look closer at your every day life. Plus I add in an extra requirement – where possible I try to take the picture on my morning dog walk. It means you really keep your eyes wide open.
March was busy, it was the end of my sister’s visit, the Emirates Festival for Literature was on one weekend, Taste of Dubai on another. The weather has been beautiful – the summer sizzle is just around the corner…but not quite yet. We’ve been sitting in the garden for supper every night and there’s still a freshness in the air.
Click on an image to view larger.
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- L is for….little sister. Although we are not so little any more.
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- I made this. A painting I did in Jeddah – the flowers are on us, with tartan bouquet.
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- Key
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- Lucky. To be able to walk by the sea every morning.
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- Under. The rising sun appears under the canopy
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- Chair.
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- Fear. One of the many stray cats spots my dogs.
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- Favourite. Tomatoes fresh from the farmers’ market
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- Faceless self-portrait. I think my bedside reading says a lot.
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- I want… a slice of this soda bread.
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- Important. Not to neglect my own hopes and dreams
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- In the distance. I want my horizon back – written by graffitti artist Arcadia Blank
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- Sound
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- Tasty. Home baked soda bread.
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- Explore. Taste of Dubai – finding pink garlic.
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- 9 o’clock – at school dropping off for netball
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- Green.
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- Shoes. After the dog walk.
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- A sign. This one never fails to amuse me.
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- Clean. Blue sky, early morning after rain. I took 2 for this theme & this was the most liked on Instagram (the other one is below)
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- Working. Our Dubai streets are cleaned by an army of workers who most people do not see.
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- About you. I painted this self-portrait about 18 years ago
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- What you do for fun. Picnic in the park with foodie friends.
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- Up
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- In your drawer
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- Something you did. I taught my daughter to bake and this is what she made for a school sale.
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- Pair. Hazel and Rosie
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- In the mirror. The street reflected in glass.
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- Good night. Rosie.
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- Relax
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- Stuff. Amazing stuff lying around the streets of Dubai.
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- Clean. An alternative. The bins by the beach have new flowery covers.
All pictures are taken with an iphone4 and most use Instagram filters.
Mysterious mornings
Everything has taken on a new look during these misty mornings. Even in the early hours, the intense rays of the sun beat down on everything, little is hidden. The fog veils everything but makes colours glow. This broken dhow is a like beached whale stranded on the shore.
Walking in fog
It’s not just that vision is limited, but sound seems muffled in fog. There’s the novelty of being cold and wearing a jumper. Moisture clings to your hair. Everything goes on exactly as usual. Cars speed up the Beach Road, the road sweepers brush the sand off the pavement, women in lycra sprint around orange cones that glow out of the white gloom.
Related articles
- Things that inspire me to write #7: Rachel Vincent’s idea fog (likestrawberrytea.com)
- Fog on Sunday (limeyfish.com)
- In a Fog (girlwithadogandgoodshoes.wordpress.com)
Invisible airwaves
Looks strange doesn’t it? A mobile phone mast in the middle of residential housing. That’s because in other parts of the world they have to be at least a mile away from where people live. Thanks Du for putting one on our doorstep.
Blooms
Only in Dubai would they beautify a bin. I laughed out loud when I first saw them. This one complements its surroundings.
Flying the flag – 41st UAE National Day
The spirit of celebration seems to get more intense every year in the build up to National Day. Walking round my neighbourhood early morning, a few days before 2nd December and the bunting and flags were already out in force. I planned to take pics of some of the enormous ones but some thunderstorms put paid to that.
Dubai is a multi-cultural mash-up where the smallest things can be difficult but anything is possible. Although I miss Britain I am happy to have called it my home for over twelve years.
To view these pictures as a slideshow, click on the first one.
Related articles
- Happy National Day (walking on sunshine)
- Celebrating Emirati style (My Custard Pie)
- Wishing UAE a very happy National Day!! (reshumalhotra.com)
- The Dubai Mall fountains to play the UAE National Anthem during holiday period (gulfnews.com)
- UAE Royal Princess Princess Haya Urges the Empowerment of Women at First Ladies Summit for Sustainable Development (prweb.com)
- UAE at 41 makes history young again (Mich Cafe)
Dubai doors (2)
Wrought iron doors seen on my early morning dog walk in Umm Suqeim, Dubai, U.A.E. Part of my ‘Dubai doors‘ photo project.
Related articles
- Dubai doors (1) (trekforlebanon.wordpress.com)
Exit through the beach park
So I was intrigued when some resonant words appeared on a wall a few months ago, by the beach where I walk my dogs. And even more so when I saw a different phrase in another part of Dubai this weekend, on a temporary fence, by a remote bit of beach.
Wrong world go back – from Arcadia Blank
But this is just the tip of the ice-burg it seems. A friend on Twitter revealed this is Arcadia Blank, Dubai’s answer to Banksy.
@mycustardpie It's done by the graffiti artist named Arcadia Blank :) A good read about this work on The National: thenational.ae/arts-culture/a…
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Jasmine (@peartreediaries) November 25, 2012Dubai is a law-abiding place and laws are enforced rigorously. I daren’t take my dogs on the beach for instance as I could be fined or the dogs impounded immediately. A dim view is also taken about graffiti and there isn’t much around. Which is what makes Arcadia Blank‘s work even more interesting.
Random graffiti does offend me – nowhere more than in places of beauty like Florence where the whole inside of the tower and the actual bell itself in the Duomo is covered with thousands of scrawled names by tourists. But reading about the works and watching the film Exit Through the Gift Shop has made me appreciate these artists who comment on our societies in creative, thought-provoking and, at times, daring ways.
I’m now waiting for my next sighting….
Related articles
- One artist is altering the Dubai street scene (The National)
- The Politically-fueled Street Art of Banksy (hiddencanvas.wordpress.com)
Gulf graffiti
Joining Gulf for Good for a 13 km hike from one end of Jumeirah Beach to the other this Friday, I spotted this. A good 15 minutes walk from the previous statement. I wonder who the author is ….
