Sunday, September 25, 2011

Man's heart away from nature becomes hard.

I read this quote somewhere a while back and found it significant in my life. The more distant we are from nature, the harder it is to see its complex beauty and appreciate it. As an urban girl, I'm more likely to hear the noisy sound of cars than to enjoy the wake up call of a bird singing. Hence, whenever I'm traveling, I make a special time to be near nature, whether its hiking on the wilderness of Africa, or walking barefoot on a beach at home and abroad. It rejuvenates my spirit and humbles me by reminding us all how insignificant we are in the scope of the universe. In the words of Kahlil Gibran: Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair.

Here are some of my favorite spots from my travels 

Sunday, September 18, 2011

A nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.

Those beautiful words were spoken by Mohandas Gandhi. If you ever want to learn what is at the heart of any nation, just visit their local market and it will give you a glimpse into who they are and what they value. Whether it was the 'Suuq' of Somaliland, or the 'Bazaar' of Turkey, I was amazed with how rich in texture and color, what food and spices on display, not to mention how crowded and overwhelming it was. Here are few of the pictures I took while there.

Hargeisa, Somaliland


Wednesday, September 7, 2011

A Nation Under Construction.....Part II

While touring The University of Hargeisa and meeting with its sitting President, I came across this sign and thought how profound.

Monday, September 5, 2011

The other side of Somalia....AKA....Somaliland: Part I

I remember the first time someone asked me where I'm from, which is sadly more often than not and my answer has always been: Canada. In part because this is where I grew up and my whole identity has been centered on, despite the many travels I've experienced since childhood. Lately thou, I've been curious about my parents home country and its past before the misery of civil war and pirating became the global face of Somalia. Without boring you with the history and politics of Africa, Somaliland is the independent region that separated from Somalia in 1990, after it achieved victory over Siyad Barre regime. Its comparable to South Sudan with its history of oppression and political isolation and its quest to be recognized as its own independent country. This small country has been left alone to develop its own political system, election and social structure without foreign intervention, unknown to most people with the exception of UN and Western government officials. Its been truly an eye opener visiting Somaliland, the cities of Hargeisa and Barbera in particular.