Tag: place

by jad

Lebanon: Day 5

“Heritage is never rediscovered; it is only the objects/monuments or the material remains of past socio-cultural dynamics that are rediscovered. The interpretation of these objects creates what is commonly known as Heritage. This creation is carried out through a story-making/storytelling process in which all these ingredients are meticulously positioned according to their differential value and related significance, as Heritage is no more than a value-based construct.” (Assaad Seif, ‘Beirut as a Palimpsest’) I’m reaching the point of the visit when more of the things that make Lebanon “Lebanon” are beginning to grate on my nerves. This was bound to happen; … Continue reading “Lebanon: Day 5” →

by jad

Black Friday in Bellingham (Again)

When we drove up to Canada last year, we didn’t stop to linger at the border; with nothing special planned for the long weekend beyond some R&R in Bellingham, I jumped on the opportunity to come up here after connecting over a film swap with @night_bydesign. I took about 20 frames here with @christine.bingham.art, and finished the rest in Bellingham. Bellingham is where I did my half of my first (and last) swap with @____liturgy__ for #AdventWord a while back, so it felt like a full circle moment too. Don’t ask me what it all means though. x This is … Continue reading “Black Friday in Bellingham (Again)” →

by jad

Imprints of Instants

My morning walks to work are a lot less stimulating these days, now that I don’t crest the whole of Capitol Hill to get there; it’s a shorter jaunt, but much more sedate, given the neighborhood. I see the same things over and over, with barely a soul around, save for the constant mill of nannies and maintenance workers, tending to the properties of the rich while they go for a run or shuffle through their remaining retirement years. I see the same things over and over, so I notice the passing of time more acutely, when banal scenes suddenly … Continue reading “Imprints of Instants” →

by jad

Seattle on Belomo Agat18K

“Pictures… are not just inert objects, but lively, active forms that engage us on a deeply emotional level, often in ways that we do not fully understand or control.” (W.J.T. Mitchell, What Do Pictures Want?) Earlier this month, I walked the whole way down Madison Street from Madison Park to the Waterfront, and then through Pike Place, which is something I wanted to do before I ever heard of the new Rapid Ride Route G that very nearly does the same thing. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to test out the Belomo Agat18K half-frame camera. I’d specifically asked the … Continue reading “Seattle on Belomo Agat18K” →

by jad

One More Prayer to Keep Me Safe

I’m taking part in a weekly discussion group that touches on topics of (dis)connection and (not) belonging, among other things, and last night, the themes of “purpose” and “gift” came up in conversation. A participant at my table shared how he came to be an end-of-life caretaker, something he never “wanted” but found himself profoundly prepared and equipped to do. He talked about how his journey of finding his purpose was a process of learning to let go of what the ego thinks it wants. This was the second time in two days that the notion of “purpose” has come … Continue reading “One More Prayer to Keep Me Safe” →

by jad

Ecotone

I learned a word when I was trying to find more information about this hidden gem of wilderness, encircled all around by private property and technosocial infrastructure—like when it was established, who maintains it, etc.: the word was “ecotone.” Ecotone refers to “a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate.” They’re natural formations; swamps, marshes, and other wetlands are by definition “ecotones” because they are the crossfade between dry land and bodies of water. They’re home to a mashup of species from both environments, along with those specially adapted to that particular mix. But you … Continue reading “Ecotone” →

by jad

A Place to Linger

I had a conversation with a friend in between taking these photos and chilling on a bench for a popsicle break. We texted back and forth on what it means to be “boxed in” by an interest or a subject or an identity, and how our shared completist urge can get in the way of getting out of comfort zones and trying something new. And it made me think about how we all need containers to make sense of the world, and how “boxes” can be reframed as “neighborhoods,” or places we linger and repeat ourselves and become more and … Continue reading “A Place to Linger” →

by jad

A Place for Grief

Last week, I watched someone pour ashes by a bench at this park. I’d noticed her sitting with an older woman with a bright purple bouquet next to them that caught my eye, and within seconds, she got up and started pouring out the ashes from a small plastic baggie. My heart skipped a beat like I’d encroached on a private moment, but there was no helping it; I was seated in the car parked right next to them. I was sharing this moment, whether I’d planned to or not. I said a silent prayer as we peeled away. Eventually, … Continue reading “A Place for Grief” →

by jad

Water

Cosmically, they say I’m meant to be by bodies of water, but I never was much of a beachgoer, preferring the cool of the mountains over the oppressive heat down below. I figured it was more metaphorical—like I’m meant to be hobnobbing with the coastal elite, wherever they may be. But the amount of joy I’ve been feeling from being a stone’s throw from Lake Washington is changing my mind. Here’s our neighbor Chuck, the beaver, doing his daily laps. I don’t know if it really is the same beaver every day; all beavers are now Chuck, just like all … Continue reading “Water” →

by jad

Liminal Time

I’m writing this post on my phone in an almost completely bare bedroom with spackling on the wall in front of me covering up the many holes Christine drilled there, being the handy Andy that she is; she’s leaving the place better than we found it. We’ve been alternating several nights separately, staying here and in our new place to make sure our more sensitive cat has time to acclimatize by herself, while not leaving our more spunky one alone for too long. And all of this shuttling back and forth, packing and unpacking, sweeping and spackling, is happening on … Continue reading “Liminal Time” →