The Color of Shape

In a complex world of color and noise that constantly bombards our senses, I welcome the stark bareness of a white building. The simplicity of nothingness, that straightforwardness of a facade devoid of color leaves me to appreciate other aspects to greater extent. Like the curve of a stairwell, the size of a dome, or the rigid uniformity of the windows. Sometimes when you look at something less, you see all the more. 

Wishing you all a wonderful and fulfilling year ahead.

Location: Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles

Admission: Free

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Mornings Far Away

There’s something wonderful about waking up in another city.  Suddenly, the sounds that gently nudge you from your slumber are unfamiliar and somehow unreal. Did I just hear someone calling out in Spanish? you ask yourself, as your drowsy mind tries to make sense of reality. And since when did you hear sharp whistles for a cab at this hour of the day? It takes a while for consciousness to sink in and for you to fully awaken to take in the  newness of your hotel room. 

Then the adventure that a new morning brings starts to unfold.

I love tiptoeing in the dim light to draw back the curtains to reveal another world framed in the window. A bustling street scene of Barcelona, the rhythmic movement of the ocean, an expanse of towering buildings in New York, or the mountains of the Austrian Alps — all the possibilities of the world hidden beyond an enchanted curtain. And all that magic right at the start of a day. 

As I crack open the window or step out onto the balcony, another whole wave of sensations fill my senses. How could the smell of mountain air be so fresh or the salty ocean breeze be so inviting? How could the crisp chilly air of the north transport me right back to my earliest childhood memories? Everything seems surreal. 

Oh yes, how wonderful it is to wake up in another city, where your soul arises as your body awakens. Everything is recognized more keenly. The foreign sounds and smells are perceived and not merely overlooked. The beauty of the world is appreciated and not just ignored. Each morning brings hope and excitement. Life is lived intimately. 

And all begins with mornings far away.

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The Indistinct Holiday

December came one Monday morning. The sombre grey city donned it’s most festive attire while the scent of roasted chestnuts pervaded the air. It’s Christmas. And it’s almost here. As I watched the flurry of activity around me, I realized how much we get caught up in a holiday whirlwind. So, I set out one day with my camera to capture that atmosphere. Yet, as the evening sky darkened and the lights began to twinkle, the mood of that day evoked something else within me. I somehow ended up capturing something entirely different from what I set out to do. 

And I began to wonder.

Do we all truly know the meaning of Christmas? Do we all recognize the reason why we celebrate this season? In a society where every holiday has been turned into some profit-making event, I suddenly questioned if we even see Christmas for what it is...or do we see an indistinct image the world offers us and claim to see clearly. 

In the rush of buying gifts and partying with family and friends, do we ever take time to even say a word of prayer to the one whose birthday we are actually celebrating? Christmas represents the birth of Christ. It’s not about exchanging gifts and decorating your house. It’s not about parties and gatherings. It’s about rejoicing the birth of Jesus. It’s taking time to remember the birth of our Savior. We celebrate Jesus this day and not each other. Until we truly understand the reason Christmas is celebrated, we see nothing but blurred shapes and hazy lines.

So let’s truly celebrate Christmas this year.

Let’s celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ! Only then do we see Christmas clearly.

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