Ambassadeur Everlasting
Bad Attitude
Continuing the series of people watching in Shoreditch and a bit of history for you; there are two explanations of how Shoreditch got its name. The more romantic version - after Jane Shore, the mistress of Edward IV, who is supposed to have died or been buried in a ditch in the area. The more plausible origin for the name is "Sewer Ditch", in reference to a drain or watercourse in what was once a boggy area.
People of Shoreditch.
Trying to photograph the colourful people around Shoreditch was challenging but I like a challenge and when I saw her in her t-shirt that perfectly blended with the street art background I knew I had to capture her, so using the techniques of Asia - small talk (at least we spoke the same language) a smile and a polite request she obliged and I think enjoyed the attention. This was taken in Allens Park a great place to people watch.
People of Shoreditch.
I mentioned earlier that Shoreditch is a predominately Bangladeshi area, where authentic barbers shops that would not look out of place in Dhaka, stand next to hip tattoo parlours or alternative vinyl shops. The melting pot of London
People of Shoreditch
Its not only the colourful street art that Shoreditch has to offer, until recently the area was predominately Bangladeshi, but now turning in to London's new alternative hip scene. An interesting blend, mosques, spices shop and Bangladeshi restaurants mingle with tattoo parlours, grunge fashion and vegan restaurants. At first glance this guy with his pitbull looked quite daunting, but there is something compelling about it, the rough and rugged appearance and yet there is a very sensitivity and gentleness here. The intimacy between the person and dog, the bonding and relationship show very clearly.
Street art in...Shore
Whilst walking the streets of Shoreditch, you sometimes come across a piece of street art no bigger than a postage stamp that you may very well overlook, but there are also collaborations from a few artists that cover an entire house or two, as here in the Nomadic Community Garden. The passer-by gives scale to this work. Over a 2 day period graffiti writers and street artists from Brazil to Russia via Spain and UK threw a wild ribbon of colour around Shoreditch.
The Royal Mall Train
While walking through the streets of Shoreditch I saw this artist busy with his work. The Royal Mail train, under the arches of Brick Lane. 24 hours later the work was almost completely covered with other work, flyers posters. Walls are painted, sprayed, whitewashed and sprayed again. Hoardings are taken down. Pieces are vandalised or hidden under posters. The temporary nature of street art is part of its appeal, but it’s also sad when a favourite piece disappears forever.
Street art in...Shore
This past week I was in London. As a born and bred Londoner, I’m sometimes guilty of taking the city for granted, and while avoiding the normal tourist places there are places that fascinate me. Shoreditch is home to a thriving street art scene that’s ever-changing and never boring, If you walk the same route from one month to another, you’ll never find quite the same pieces. Walls are painted, sprayed, whitewashed and sprayed again. Hoardings are taken down. Pieces are vandalised or hidden under posters. If you want to get a glimpse of London’s street art scene but don’t have much time, Brick Lane and its immediate surrounds is the place to go. It feels like there’s a new piece waiting to be discovered around every corner. Whilst I was walking around I saw an artist spraying The Royal Mail train under the train arches, (I'll show you next) 24 hours later it was covered with other artwork and flyers.
Mezquita Madonna
My last upload before I leave today for Corsica depicts the Madonna in Cordoba's Mezquita. Difficult to photograph but so eye-catching I had to try. See you all at the end of September.
A natural blend
One of the aspects that I found fascinating in the Mesquita was the natural blend of the religion. Here is a good example, a crucifix set in a niche of a original mosque.
Accent of light
The final Mezquita had 19 doors along its north side, filling it with light and yielding a sense of openness. Nowadays, only one door sheds light into the dim interior, dampening the vibrant effect of the red-and-white double arches. But providing a beautiful accent of light.
The arches of the...M
The arches of the main hall are the mosque’s most intricate and sophisticated, forming a forest of interwoven, lavishly decorated horseshoe shapes. Equally attractive are the maksura’s skylit domes, decorated with star-patterned stone vaulting. Each dome was held up by four interlocking pairs of parallel ribs, a highly advanced technique in 10th-century Europe.
Mesmerising...Multia
It’s impossible to overemphasise the beauty of Córdoba’s multiarched Mezquita and one perfect reason to visit Cordoba. A symbol of Islamic culture that flourished here more than a millennium ago with all its lustrous decoration, at a age when Muslims, Jews and Christians lived side by side. Arab chronicles recount how Abd ar-Rahman I purchased half of the Hispano-Roman church of San Vicente for the Muslim community’s Friday prayers, and then, in AD 784, bought the other half on which to erect a new mosque. Three later extensions nearly quintupled the size of Abd ar-Rahman I's mosque and brought it to the form you see today – with one major alteration: a 16th-century cathedral plonked right in the middle (hence the often-used description ‘Mezquita-Catedral’).
Ayeyawaddy hats III
And yet another style of traditional hat found in the delta region. The rounded tops are often worn by the men, Buddhists and Muslims alike.
Ayeyarwaddy hats II
Although hats are worn occasionally in many areas in Burma. In the Ayeyarwady delta everyone, male and female would adorn a traditional hat, the styles vary but all have the one job protecting from the sun.
Ayerwaddy hats
A detail of one of the many styles of the handmade Ayerwaddy hats. Worn my almost all in the Delta region. I have three different styles as souvenirs, bought on three different occasions.
Past colonial glory
It is obvious by its old derelict colonial buildings that Myan Aung was once an important river stop but now just a sleepy town along the banks of the Irrawaddy River. The shops you see here are so typical of the delta, where everyone wears the traditional hat and using such baskets and utensils. Luckily cheap Chinese plastic has not yet reached here, but I fear it will not be long.
Fresh fish and warm..
We stay in the morning market of Myan Aung, which is situated on the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy River. Only one guest-house in the town that is licensed to take foreigners and that's pretty basic but run by welcoming people that do their best to provide a service. if you're there for any other reason than to witness the authenticity of the town and the photogenic market you"ll be disappointed.
Dried beans and warm.
Myan Aung a small settlement of 192 households in the northwest of the Irrawaddy Division. It has a beautiful setting along the banks of the mighty Irrawaddy River. It is obvious by its old derelict colonial buildings that it was once an important river stop but now a sleepy town with a thriving morning market far away from the tourist route.
Midnight's Children
At the stroke of midnight on 15 August 1947 the partition of India and the end of British rule became official. The lines of the new borders – hurriedly drawn up just weeks before – were not even revealed until two days later. What ensued was massacre. More than a million were forced to migrate finding themselves on the wrong side of the border. No-one knows the precise numbers, but it is believed that between 500,000 and one million people were killed, tens of thousands of women were raped or abducted and about 12 million people became refugees. 70 years on, much has changed or has it, does Nehru and Jinnah rest in peace or toil in their graves?
Pretty in blue
Remember the little girl that I showed here a while ago, trying so hard not too laugh, this is her younger sister, very serious but oh so photogenic.
Seville Marmelade
Seville wouldn't be Seville without oranges, and an English breakfast wouldn't be complete without marmelade. Bitter oranges were originally cultivated as medicinal use in Andalusia by the Moors. Britain has been importing this fragrant and bitter fruit for centuries, for the sole purpose of making marmalade. Spain grows approximately 15,000 tonnes of Seville oranges every year to meet this demand. Funnily enough, they are not really eaten in Spain. You are more likely to find these oranges on the trees that line the pavements and parks, rather than in a market. This photo is for Corrie and Piet, again thank you.
Seven Up or a...cigar
I stayed a while in the fishing village, it was too hot to drive the motorbikes back to Ngwe Saung and absolutely no problem with the fishermen to walk around and take photos. A cold drink or coconut would have been most welcomed, but only a warm Seven Up or cigarette was offered, I past and stuck to my warm water.
Sunday = restday
And while the women and children relax in the village, the fishermen spend their time mending their nets in the shade. The two motorbikes on the beach are ours for the day.
School's out
Its Sunday and as I just mentioned, even in Burma there is no school on Sunday and no fishing with means no market. In this fisher village, the men use the time to mend their nets while the women and children relax by the miniature TV.
Community-updates
NEEM DEEL AAN DE COMMUNITY OP FACEBOOK
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UPDATE: COLUMBUS COMMUNITY GAAT STOPPEN
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