India: the lines in your hands

I don't know how to read palms, but I'm learning to read hands. I'm learning to study the wrinkles of skin, the colors on a finger, the hands that are so worn that it's a wonder a fingerprint still exists underneath. I'm learning to study hands but not in a medical way. In a way that tells stories; stories about time, stories about life, stories about love. There are so many stories that hands could tell about a person's life: the first time they held their mother's hand, the first time they broke a fall, the time they took a test, the time they picked up a first paycheck. The time they consoled a friend, the times they clapped with happiness, the time they were sweaty from being around a crush, the time they brought a love closer. The time they cooked a meal for a spouse, the first time they held a baby, the time they held your grandmother's arm while she walked, the time they wiped away tears. And the time and time after that. All of the times they turned towards God, open-faced and vulnerable. Hands are the most tangible interface to life, they become our livelihood, the way we connect with people and how we manifest emotion. How can they not be beautiful?  

During my brief visit, I asked some people if I could photograph their hands to which I was almost always met with a puzzled look. But I got to hear some beautiful stories about lives in India that I would have otherwise never had a chance to encounter. Older women told me stories about how they married, how they built lives with their husbands and how much they struggled to raise their children, and some that are still struggling. Many of them spoke with a lightness of heart that I found endearingly captivating, never letting any one thing bother them for too long. They told me about how much India had changed, but they also spoke about how much harder young people make life for themselves. These women had an awareness of the cultural change that has been occurring over the last several decades that you can't read from any history book. They told me that while they had different hardships than people do now, they also had a simpler life, a simpler happiness. Many of them held my hands when we spoke, an universal act of love and respect. Younger girls were often shy as magnolias, but left me with at least a smile and if I was lucky, a hug. A young boy told me about his daily ride to school, who he is friends with, and how sometimes his teacher beats him for not doing homework, how he'd like to go see America.

There is much to be said about what some of these stories say about the fabric of India: the poverty that still exists, the scarcity of resources, the vast need for change in political infrastructure. But, there are many articles and authors more qualified to discuss those issues. If ever you find yourself in India, and I really hope that you do, I hope you'll meet some people to tell you stories about their lives. Beyond the endless beauty of the physical spaces in India, there is the infinite beauty of the people. Starting with the lines in their hands. 

Be easy, loves

- S 

India: for the soul

“Waking up in India is like waking up to life itself.” - R. Page

The world is a work of art. And in this world, India is surely a masterpiece. Only God could create a country that is at once both overwhelming and humbling, fill it with an incredible amount of life, and add more diversity than an eye could behold. Going to India is always a journey for the soul and maybe I have a little bit of a bias, but I don't know how it cannot be this way for everyone. For me, India always evokes a lot of emotion all at once. I feel a sense of belonging as well as a feeling of being an outsider. A feeling of being a part of a great something - steeped in history and a witness to the constant evolution of culture.

If you can manage to go and keep a part of your heart open, you will most definitely fall in love with it. I certainly fall in love all over every single time.

The prime example of the incredible beauty that is in India is in its faces. It is a country of many faces - and I mean this in the most obvious and literal way as well as in a metaphorical way. The population is booming, duh. That's going to give you a lot of faces to look at (lol, bad humor). But I also mean it in the sense that you can find so many different subcultures all within one country. India is made up of 29 states and 7 union territories and almost each state has its own language, cuisine, clothing. How, then, can one person go to India and expect to have really experienced it? You could live there for your whole life but never know the desert songs of Rajasthan, the tea plantations of Darjeeling, architectural marvels in Tamil Nadu, or life by the ocean in Kerala. SubhanAllah.

Here are some of my humble attempts at capturing some faces:

those eyes. 

He had no desire for his photo to be taken

Selling accessories and other shiny things to put on clothes

Jalebis for days

At recess :) 

beautiful boy

He told me, "What you do becomes you, do it with integrity and remembrance of God"

Casual beedi at work

Bargaining for green mangoes. Don't go to India if you can't bargain, you'll lose all your money.

so much life 

Inside a town bus

With all my heart,
- S

P.S. More India posts to follow :)

warm winters & sinking ships

"Admiring the temperature outside is like being in a sinking ship and admiring the coral reef" 

K'naan

K'naan, understandably, puts a wet blanket on any celebratory vibes of having above freezing temperatures this winter so far. Nevertheless, here are some snaps of how this alternative fall/winter has been dressing me.

Long Cardigan: Old Navy
Denim Shirt: Similar

Shoes: Lace-up ballet flats from Gap

I'm loving mini crossbody bags this season. There's so much selection out, but here's mine: Nordstrom

Wool Scarf: Streets of Chiapas, Mexico (so warm!)

Shoes: Rebels Alberta Leather Mules

Amrita Singh Half-Moon Necklace: Similar

Deux Lux Maggie Fringed Crossbody Bag: Similar
Scarf: Guatemala
Jacket: vintage

-AB

Renwick

In the quest to seek more art, I came across this exhibit aptly named 'Wonder' at the Renwick gallery in the District. It's a small space and the building itself is beautiful, as well as its light fixtures and all of the pieces within. Here are a few:

I highly recommend those in the DC area or stopping by the nation's capitol anytime soon to pay a quick visit. Definitely worth it.

je ne sais quoi

“The gold in you does not rust.”

blue layers & San Cristóbal

Have you ever heard of Chiapas? Chiapas is the southern-most state of Mexico. I had the blessing of being able to visit Mexico for the first time this past June, and such a beautiful area of it. If you ever have the opportunity to go, don't hesitate. To get there, either go from Guatemala by shuttle, or fly to the Mexico City airport and then connect to Tuxtla, Chiapas. From there a vibrant and buoyant town, San Cristóbal de las Casas, is a 45 minute drive. What I remember upon first entering the town in the evening was the flattery of the perfectly lit town, comprising of warm, cream-colored buildings, against the carrying blue layers of twilight.

I learned of this area from my earlier visits to Antigua, Guatemala from helping to run mobile women's health camps there with Humanity First. Travel excursion offices frequently advertised shuttle rides to this beautiful city. After Humanity First Guatemala began making contacts there, through confirmation of some local socially active women, we soon realized the same women's health problems exist in Chiapas, too.

Chiapas has a very similar culture to Guatemala and is unique from the rest of Mexico--it was even annexed from Mexico for a year. It has a complex history filled with brilliant civilizations, war, and oppression. Chiapas had a long history of pre-Mayan civilizations, and this society had even developed a calendar hundreds of years before the Mayan people. The Mayan people then settled there and built a successful empire. After the decline of the Mayan empire, the rule changed between many different groups. Notably, Spanish colonists violently conquested the indigenous population through constant warfare and disease. The Tzotzil group were among the most resistant bur eventually succumbed forming the town that I visited.

The natives there still speak Tzotzil today, as we saw in our Women's Health Camp. This was the reason for my visit. After we conducted several successful women's health camps in central Guatemala, we decided we were ready to initiate these women's health initiatives in Chiapas, Mexico. Like in Guatemala, we provided preventative health services along with medicinal treatment, as needed. We provided cervical cancer screens, topics on preventative health education, and collected research to better customize to the needs of this population, all while using Tzotzil to Spanish and Spanish to English translators. We found new cultural barriers that we had not previously experienced in Guatemala from the Tzotzil culture. It's an ancient and fascinating culture, and we hope to understand it accurately in order to progress in an educated and sensitive way.

Culturally, Chiapas has contributed richly. Jaimes Sabines is a Mexican poet from Chiapas who is regarded as the "sniper of literature" and one of the greatest contemporary poets.

After learning more about this area and seeing images of this magnetic place with similar looks of my beloved city of Antigua, Guatemala, I had no doubt that I would be there soon. I had complete certainty that I would love it at first sight. I did.

My first photo on the drive from the airport in Tuxtla, Chiapas.

A couple of photos from the first Women's Health Camp by Humanity First Guatemala-USA

Morning walks in the beautiful San Cristobal de las Casas

Some main sights around central San Cristobal.

A lemonade and parque central morning in San Cristobal. Sigh. 

"What are you looking at, though?" Little boy playing in a very impoverished rural area of Chiapas.

Breakfasts in San Cristobal de las Casas

PS: Carajillo Cafe is a requirement for anyone who appreciates coffee.

Also, if you love chocolate, you will love Cacao Nativa, a charming and ADORABLE Mexican chocolatier.

"No es que muera de amor, muero de ti. 
Muero de ti, amor, de amor de ti..." 
Jaime Sabines

-AB

For more information on women's health efforts abroad with Humanity First and/or to volunteer, please email womenshealth@humanityfirst.gt

poetry: salt.

the night was busy making the moon
so
i gathered my quilt
and softly
told my heart
we'd come back
tomorrow. 

- Nayyirah Waheed

indígena & color

Strangely, I rarely buy things when I come to Guatemala, a country popular with markets filled with skilled local handicraft. I do always go to the markets, mostly to bring new people to shop, but I just enjoy looking. I've bought the odd thing here and there (a light-blue and white wool blanket, a hammock, a purple cloth notebook, etc) but nothing related to personal style. Then, this last trip in March, a dear friend bought this lovely handmade bag for me from one of the markets in Antigua. The leather is a very soft higher-quality leather and the body of the bag is a typical material and design that many indigenous women have on their shirts. As a person that generally is wary of too much color, I loved this instantly. It is a piece that is not abundantly versatile, but when it works, I think it works well. I also receive more compliments on this bag then anything I have ever worn in my life, so basically, it gives me an excuse to talk about Guatemala all of the time.

Comfortable mohair mix sweater: boohoo.com cage leather flats: Steve Madden "Ditaa"

Also, I love much of what this writer writes. I really value this thought, because it is difficult for me to understand why people use the idea of destiny as an excuse to not take charge of one's life. We have the ability to make decisions for a reason and we have the opportunity to control the outcome of our lives with our way to pray, our way to see, our way to treat others, our way to carry ourselves, our way to speak, and our way to love.

I can control my destiny, but not my fate. Destiny means there are opportunities to turn right or left, but fate is a one-way street. I believe we all have the choice as to whether we fulfill our destiny, but our fate is sealed.

P. Coelho 

-AB

pray...love

Winter is back, how...I have already suffered the first snow of the season, and had a minor car accident within ten minutes of being in it, as only most fitting. Here is how I keep warm. Feather down, fleece lined leggings, and need I say, layers.

Puffer coat- London Fog via Macy's Bag- Zara

Sweater- boohoo.com

That's all for now, keeping it simple and practical. Keep praying, keep loving. Peace.

-AB

“People think a soul mate is your perfect fit, and that's what everyone wants. But a true soul mate is a mirror, the person who shows you everything that is holding you back, the person who brings you to your own attention so you can change your life.

A true soul mate is probably the most important person you'll ever meet, because they tear down your walls and smack you awake. But to live with a soul mate forever? Nah. Too painful. Soul mates, they come into your life just to reveal another layer of yourself to you, and then leave. 

A soul mate's purpose is to shake you up, tear apart your ego a little bit, show you your obstacles and addictions, break your heart open so new light can get in, make you so desperate and out of control that you have to transform your life, then introduce you to [God]”

smoke & coffee

the marked first memory I have of Antigua is the minute we drive  from the airport in Guate city into the small town. It smells of fire with the scent of a familiar clean, wooden smoke. It is dark, in the way American cities will never be. The streets are beautifully lit with soft, yellow street lights and small fires in the corners illuminating only its intimate vicinity. The darkness keeps the surrounding scenes well hidden in the night. The next morning we wake early, not per our usual leisurely traveler schedule to explore the town as much as possible in the daylight. Our first mission is as it has been in every city and every country - finding good coffee and breakfast. Luckily, we are told that there is homemade pancakes, plantains, and beans where we are staying and our roots would never let us stray from this. We eat breakfast on the rooftop and it would have been worth the entire trip to have only seen the views from that rooftop. There are volcanoes to the north, monumental in their stature and Mayan ruins to the east and surrounded by mountains behind us. We are shattered, hearts soft, and eyes once again humbled by the inexhaustible beauty of the creations in this world.

I'll limit this post largely to pictures of the rest of our trip, for in situations such as this, words will undoubtedly fall short of capturing such grandiosity. 

view every morning. Its a surprise we did anything else beyond sitting here all day 

this much romance in just a breakfast

Rooftop views of volcanos and ruins

rainy stone streets of Antigua

Town square, stone streets of Antigua 

you could never fatigue of the amount of color

plantación de café 

If you're not tired of hearing this yet, it still bears repeating...Lake Atitlan is quite possibly one of the most beautiful places Anila or I have ever been to. It is one of those dangerously beautiful places, one in which you could completely lose yourself, in all your senses while at the same time remembering your place in this massive expanse of the world. There is the giant and magnanimous San Pedro Volcano in the middle and it is surrounded by water. The lake is dotted with villages around it and each village boasts a slightly different personality, some renown to be a haven for artists and craftsmen while others have preserved the most indigenous culture of Guatemala. 

To stand at the foot of a 10,000 ft volcán and to look up is to have an experiential knowing of God. 

Arriving in one of the many villages surrounding Lake Atitlan

Drove around the village of Santa Cruz in tuk-tuks of course

Village of Santa Cruz - where a carnival of some sort was ongoing. The entire village was on the streets eating, walking around, and dancing. 

Santa Cruz still has much of the original Mayan traditions, beliefs, customs in practice

 “Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Lake Atitlán is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a good thing.” Aldous Huxley on Lake Atitlan

que te vaya bien, 

besos.