The world moves fast, so I would rather slow down.
I follow the hands of people who still work with them; people whose knowledge lives in practice as much as in words.
This is a growing project, one I keep adding to as I experience this life.
A craft, a place, or a story I should know about.
Tell me about it
Right close to Mount Bromo, I booked a hostel and stayed. One day, I decided to walk, and there they were: tomatoes on the ground, the masters working.
I did not understand their language, neither did they understand mine. But we understood each other enough, and they agreed I could follow them. For the next few hours, I was lost in time.
They carved my number on the ground, in the dust.
They gave me some tomatoes to eat, and memories to live on. Beautiful Java.
In Egypt, life exists outside Cairo, the capital. But we, Cairo people, are occupied by running nonstop through the never-ending demands of the big city, and we tend to overlook the precious tranquillity outside it.
I learned that through two weeks of staying in Tunis Village, a very well-known pottery village. I became addicted to the slowness, and to time passing through craft.
Did you know about white tea? Neither did I, until I went on this tea tour and understood so much more about some of the tea we drink every day.
For green and black tea, the leaves are the same; the process is not. For white tea, it is the small little ones at the top.
It was right next to where I was staying, and every day I passed by on my scooter and saw them. I was curious, really curious. But I was shy.
Could I just leave the scooter, walk over, and tell them I wanted to stay for a while and take some photos?
I stayed in Indonesia for 25 days.
On the 23rd day, I did.