A few days ago I was sitting at my desk as always doing some pictures. I was writing the caption on one of them and could not remember the name of the person on the picture. When I am out and about I always have my notebook with me and write the names and notes to the pictures. This makes the Meta data input easy when I get home. For some reason the name was not in the description on the file.
But anyways… When I opened it up and started to browse the pages this sort of sweat garbage smell emerged from my notebook. I guess the street atmosphere from Setti Zeynep was trapped inside. Funny enough some weeks ago during a meal at my brothers house we where talking about association with smells, and sitting there at my desk it got me thinking of the time I was walking around in busy Damascus on one of my adventures.
Published on April 8, 2010 11:28 pm.
Filed under: Photography Tags: damascus, setti zenep
Still browsing my hard drives, and still finding old photos that sets a good mood around me.
Right after I was done with my work at the refugee camps around Aleppo, Ein El Tal and Neirap, I bumped into two German guys, Jan and Kris, that was traveling Syira and Lebanon. We fell into a conversation and ended up traveling to Latakia together for some days of relaxing. After that we split up, I went to Damascus and they went to Lebanon for a bit of an adventure with the Hisbollah. Taking photos in the wrong part of Beirut can get you into trouble if you don’t know what your doing.
We joined in Damascus after they got released in the Omayyad Mose, for a drink of water in the shade of the sun. Then back to my house for some food, a swim and yet again to be split up.
This photo here is at a buss stop in Latakia. We just arrived from a day of drive in the mountains. The view from up there was amazing.
Published on February 11, 2010 11:23 pm.
Filed under: Photography Tags: aleppo, damascus, refugee, Syria
While working on a very special project I have come across some pictures that just stood out and got me in the right mood. Once more they do a fine job and I just wanted to share one of them with you. This also means that the COP15 pictures will be held back, but priorities have taken over.
This one is from the fantastic city of Damascus. A place I’d like to call my second home.
Published on February 9, 2010 12:52 am.
Filed under: Photography Tags: damascus, Syria
Finally I got around to posting the collection from my recent trip to Syria between 2008 and 2009. This is a fuller then normal series that shows Syria as I see it. There is a sense of both chaos and calm over each image, like Syria in general is. All have been captures from the passenger side of our Volvo, as we rode Syria thin from downtown Damascus to the suburban areas and out in the countryside.
Please go to the dedicated page for this collection –> Riding shotgun in Syria
Published on February 10, 2009 11:53 pm.
Filed under: Photography, Syria Tags: damascus, Syria
So it was the big day for the newly weds. I must say it was impressive. It was held at The Four Seasons hotel, and previously I have only had coffee there and some years ago I spend the new years.
The grooms farther is a high level manager at the hotel so they didn’t hold back in showing how you party here in the Middle East. It happens rarely that you get your food served on plates. Usually they set out a buffet were you can eat until you burst. At this formal event we got three courses and then a dessert buffet so they had the best of two worlds. The amount of dessert that you end up eating equals the actual 3 course dinner. It’s lovely.
The music spanned from soft chamber music preformed by 3 musicians in the center of the room, to some dance remixes of different dance classics from the 90′s and early 2000′s. The other guests seamed to enjoy them selves and so did we.
Any type of formal event here in this part of the world is used for networking, not only business but also social networking. Meaning that if you have a son or a daughter who is just about the right age for marriage then you would also be looking for interesting prospects. Everyone plays along, they dress to kill and make sure to be on there toes throughout the whole night. I’m used to being asked by friends in regards to my interest in the different females that would be at the same parties as us, “What do you think about her? Ohh she looks nice!” When it comes from an aunt or a uncle it seems different. As I have said before there is only one way of dealing with this, and its to take a huge spoon and east it up! The selection for this post had to be the wedding cake just about the tip over. Too many chefs actually do spoil the food.
Published on December 30, 2008 1:15 pm.
Filed under: Daily life Tags: damascus, party, weeding
Yesterday I went to a pre-wedding. As a lot of things down here the way of doing things are so different from back home that you just want to take a big spoon and eat everything without questioning it. Well some questions cant go unanswered…
It was held at a big function hall in central Damascus, that was made in a French colonial style. Very impressive. Only men attend this formal event. You enter one by one saying hello to the groom, his farther, her farther and the close family. Then you find a chair preferably together with either your own family or friends. The invited are either the family or close friends so your bound to bump into some one you know.
The reason that I chose the picture above for this post is that it was more or less the main attraction together with a very delicious buffet afterwards. 7 Imams were sitting on a small stage, singing and chanting verse form the Koran while the guests sat and listen. The reason for this is to “seal the deal” said in plain. They bless the new couple and pray for a happy future for them. A member of the brides family is also an Imam so half way through he borrowed the microphone to say a few words while the on stage imams could rest a bit.
All around the hall there were white statues that I’m guessing were naked. Due to the religious nature of the party they were covered by a white cloth.
Today I’m attending the actual wedding that is going to be held at the Four Seasons hotel. I’m sure it will be impressive.
Published on December 27, 2008 2:40 pm.
Filed under: Daily life Tags: damascus, religion, wedding
On my journey trough Syria I stumbled upon 2 German backpackers, Jan and Kris. We traveled together for the last part of my trip, ending it in Damascus with a dinner at my house. A lot of the time we discussed various questions about society and life in general. The one thing I love most about meeting new people, and the thing that really for my sake is the driving point, is that I always find myself opened up to new point of view. Not that I constantly change my standpoints, but more in a way of better understanding the reasons for the opposite belief. While in Syria this happened to me on a daily basis, making life both hard and interesting. In regards to Jan and Kris, I hope to again have the pleasure of exchanging ideas with these two in particular.
Published on October 5, 2008 7:48 pm.
Filed under: Daily life Tags: damascus, Jan & Kris, Syria
I finished the framing today. Now there are at the center in a stack ready to be hung up on the wall. I bumped into the editor of the other Arab newspaper we have in Denmark. Other one then the one that interviewed me yesterday. They will also show up, so now the coverage in the Arab community is pretty good. Apart from that I send out a press release yesterday to most of the media outlets, hoping to get some coverage there as well. A small newspaper had a bit about the exhibition today telling there readers to go and check it out.
The picture above is of the Wine-leave-with-rise-wrapping-machine seller I came by In Damascus. He is up against the wall of the Omayyad Mosque in the center of the old city. This may seam like bad business, but while I was taking pictures of him he sold 3 machines.
Published on October 3, 2008 10:40 pm.
Filed under: Photography Tags: damascus, exhibition
