Blue Doors (and red, and yellow, and green)

I tell you truly, everything that you now see will vanish like a dream.

~Rumi

The windows are shuttered, the doors are bolted...

but there was a time when lives were lived within these walls. 

Is not impermanence the very fragrance of our days? ~Rilke

Return of the Tumbleweed

Sunset in North Bethesda

Wow, I've been gone a while! I've been living in North Bethesda for the past two years, just outside of Washington, D.C. Yet, just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean that this Tumbleweed has been sitting still!

Being from the Northwest, this whole D.C. vibe has been new to me, but I have loved every minute of my stay. I've gone to the ballet, the theater, and spent numerous evenings at the Writer's Center in Bethesda, where amateur story tellers get up and tell a funny or touching story about an event in their lives. (I chose to remain a spectator.) I've been to museums and art galleries, and had fun seeing Julia Child's kitchen in all it's glory. (Did you know that the many Smithsonian museums are free of charge?)

My friend Pako enjoys time in the National Gallery of Art

One of the many beautiful works of art in the National Gallery of Art in DC

Of course, not all of my time has been spent in the D.C. area. A Tumbleweed's lack of roots invites travel, and I've been doing my share. I went to New York and spent days walking around Manhattan, and to New Mexico to stay with my friend Elsie in Shiprock. In the past two years, I've made three trips to Paris, most amazing city in the entire world, and two trips to Morocco. Casablanca and Marrakesh... I ate wonderful food, bought some beautiful pottery, and, Oh! Did I mention that is where I attended my son's wedding? It was a beautiful time shared with family and friends. A time that will be treasured forever.

Little House in Shiprock

And, just in case that was not enough, this year I have had my first two personal essays published. (May and July issues of IDAHO Magazine.*)  I've been a busy little Tumbleweed! I'm so pleased to see a budding interest in my work, and I look forward to each new step.

http://www.idahomagazine.com/article/the-hardest-person-to-forgive/

http://www.idahomagazine.com/article/a-secret/

But it is time for me to say goodbye to Bethesda for awhile. I will be returning to Riyadh in about two weeks. I'm looking forward seeing... and sharing... all of the changes that have taken place since my last visit! Colored abayas, a cinema, women driving! Of course, food has always been wonderful in the Kingdom, and I will be back to making trips to the desert. And friends! I have missed my friends. Ready or not, Riyadh, here I come!

Tower of Raghaba - The Sequel

Be Vigilant, for nothing one achieves lasts forever.
~ Tahar Ben Jelloun

Back in February, 2011, I brought you a small story about the tower of Raghaba...  
http://aishabecoming.blogspot.com/2011/02/tower-of-raghaba.html     

Raghaba is a very small village, roughly an hours drive North West of Riyadh, the capital city of Saudi Arabia. The most defining bit of architecture of Raghaba, in my eyes, was a graceful tower, reaching for the sky, with a stairway spiraling upwards inside narrowing severely at the top. Unfortunately, rains this year have brought the tower tumbling down, and the village has lost a great piece of it's history. 

I don't have any clue as to how old this tower was, but it was stunning in it's simplicity of design. One could climb up inside the tower, and light would enter through small openings that were spaced all the way up along the staircase. At the time I was there, I was only able to climb partway to the top. I had vowed that I would return to conquer the tower, but I never had the opportunity to return for that climb, and now, sadly that opportunity will never be mine. 

Grab life's gifts when they are offered, my friends. For when we wait, we may very well lose our chance. Nothing lasts forever...

ISTANBUL.....The mere name is evocative of mazes of bazaars, exotic spices, palaces, minarets, and the call to prayer. What I wasn't prepared for was the intensity of color, the absolute vibrancy of life in the streets! 

The sights and sounds of Istanbul are staggeringly beautiful! For years I have wanted to see this gorgeous city, and it was well worth the wait! Istanbul doesn't disappoint!

I had the opportunity to stay in the older part of the city, just a stones throw from Hagia Sophia, the Blue Mosque, and Topkapi Palace. Impressive architecture everywhere you look. 

Galata Tower in the distance is a medieval stone tower in the Galata/Karakoy quarter of Istanbul, just off the Bosphorus. 

 The Blue Mosque....  It is hauntingly beautiful when the call to prayer begins from the multitude of mosques. each voice echoing and reverberating throughout the entire area. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Color surrounds and astounds.... pottery, carpets, towels, clothes, and lights! Everywhere lights!  

Texture...  Absolutely sumptuous! I would love to fill my entire house with these pillows! 

Antique Carpet Market... Yes, I ended up with a couple, and yes, I  probably over paid.... but they are so lovely!

Lights! I simply love all of the chandeliers throughout the city. Beautiful and functional!

Tradition and superstition... Trinkets and jewelry to ward off evil eye. Really taken more in fun.....

Vibrant... Scarves and pashminas are not only colorful and beautiful, but in the cold winter months are a true necessity when walking in the cold wind. 

What I found in Khobar one morning.....

The Bizarre....

 

The Macabre...

 

The Incongruous...

 

The Sensual...

And the Festive...

If you went walking in your area, what would YOU expect to find???

Beautiful Decay

The old area of any city is automatically my favorite place to go sightseeing. It gives me a window to the past, an idea of what was, and is (in the case of preservation), important to it's people.

The abundance of beautiful woodwork and design shows the expert workmanship of the past.

But while beauty was important to the people of Jeddah, as is seen by the artistry and the craftsmanship of the balconies and facades, it was not the only objective.

The open spaces and the lattice work is a case of form meeting function.

In a time when no modern air conditioning was available, this very beautiful balcony would allow this building's occupants to open doors and windows in order to enjoy a soft sea breeze, while protecting their privacy.

Although we can see the ravages of time on some of these buildings, their beauty remains, eternal.

The next time you see a work of art, whether arcitectural or otherwise, take a close look and see what is behind the design.

There may just be more than meets the eye.   : )

Arabian Graffitti