Simplicity is Happiness...My Trip To Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Family is posing with the "yayas" (means maids in Swahili)

Beautiful scenery in the morning

When there is no television, you find other ways to entertain yourself..

I did not want to leave my world of luxuries, and visit a place with no internet, no television, and most important - a place where my smartphone would not show the all-important three signal bars!  It was an unfathomable thought, and despite arguing with my parents, the inevitable had to occur.   As the days passed, my trip to Tanzania, East Africa, was approaching. Tanzania was the place where my parents and their parents grew up.  It was always a dream of my father to take all of us there in order to reconnect and learn where our roots were formed.  For me, a beach trip to the Bahamas would have sufficed. 

My arrival at the airport only seemed to confirm my initial view about a third world country.  Although, as one see above, it is hard not to fall in love with the place.  I could not stop gazing at the beautiful, luscious, green vegetation, and natural wonders of a place so undiluted with man made constructions, that we were familiar with in America.  However, the red bumpy and sandy roads eventually changed, and transformed to a smooth tarmac road as we approached the capital of Dar es Salaam.  I was astonished to see the contrast of modern buildings next to the miles of untouched areas of the land.

It was at that point that my thought processes about this adventure seemed to change.  We were greeted by relatives that I had never seen before.  There living standards were much lower than ours, nowhere was there a cell phone, nor did I see a color TV, or any modern appliances.  The flats in which they lived in were old, with cracked doors, and windows that appeared frail and thin.  Yet, to my astonishment, they seemed to be quite content, happy and secure.  How could such poverty and lack of amenities create so much satisfaction and inner peace?

As I slept cloaked under a mosquito net, I anxiously pondered about what I saw that day.  It was the humble and good natured behavior of my own relatives that forced me to question my own feelings and selfish demeanor towards my everyday expectations in life.  How could I crave for all the luxury amenities that the west had to offer and how could I complain about the smallest inconveniences when most of the world lived in such deprived conditions.  This contrast in lifestyle caused me to drastically alter my views during the trip.     Flying back to America, the in-flight movies and meals did not seem to matter anymore.

Steve Job, The Death of a Genius

Obviously, I do not take credit for this photo

October 5, 2011 was a heartbreaking day for apple users around the world, and those who admire the eccentric genius.  Steve Jobs was fighting Pancreatic Cancer for many years, and his body finally gave up.  Ever since I got my first green Ipod nano, I admired Steve Jobs.  There was an air of arrogance about his persona, but this was made up by his genius and confidence trait of always knowing what was best for us.

One thing I admire most about people is their ability to preserve, and I enjoy hearing about different success stories.  Steve Jobs story appeals to me the most.  Jobs was adopted, and his parents who had never went to college tried hard to supply him a good childhood.  He went to Reed College for a semester, when he came to the realization that college was not for him.  He worked hard a started Apple Computer in his parent’s garage with a friend.  Without a college degree, he made Apple the most successful company in the world.   Today, Apple is worth more than 1 billion dollars.

Another part in Steve’s life that inspires me is when he was fired from Apple.  He was left with nothing, and even more embarrassingly, fired from a company he created.  Although, Jobs used this downfall to be even more successful and created another flourishing company, Pixar.  Without Jobs, we would not have the animated movies we all love, like Toy Story and Finding Nemo! Later, he was invited to work as CEO of Apple, the company he created many years ago.  Jobs motivation to succeed is what inspires me.


Whenever I need inspiration, I go on YouTube and listen to this link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Even though it is 15 minutes long, every time I listen to it, I feel uplifted.

My Grandmother, My Inspiration

My grandmother at my 16th birthday

My grandmother is someone who I aspire to be like.  She is an incredible, and her life story amazes me.  My grandmother was born in Dar es Salam, Tanzania, and was one of  8 brothers and sisters.  Like many Indian families, she had an arranged marriage with my grandfather, but their love grew, and they had 3 children.  In Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, my grandfather was constantly trying to make “ends meat”, he had an electrical store, and he would sell peanuts on the streets.  Till this day, my grandmother is very conscious about her money, and is constantly looking for bargains and sales.  My grandfather moved around to many places including Karachi, Pakistan, and eventually went to London, England, to give my father and his brother and sister a good education.  My dad eventually went to Duquesne University where he excelled and got accepted into Ohio State Dental School. 

My grandmother is unlike other members of the Indian community, who are typically stay at home wives.  She is very active, and at age 69 is facing her fear of water by taking water aerobic classes at the local community center.  One day, she hopes to learn to swim.  She passed the United States citizen test, which is quite difficult for a nonnative English speaker, and the material on the test was equivalent to what we are learning in AP U.S. History.  Also, she learned how to drive at age 61, and after failing the permit test many times, she finally received her license.  She has now been driving for 9 years, and to this day has not got in a car accident.  Driving has been the best thing she has done for herself, and after my father gave her a BMW, she stays active by driving herself to her doctors appt, swimming lessons, and to Bed Bath & Beyond, her favorite store.  Her perseverance, and her willingness to thrive, and succeed, amazes me.  She is my inspiration.

Why do the leaves fall in November?

10/27/2011

10/29/2011

Mother nature is a magnificent thing.  Every November, we admire the leaves changing color, and falling, right before the cold winter snow arrives. Today, I came into the realization that this happens so the leaves take off weight from the branches, and when the snows arrives, the branches of the trees do not snap.

It's hard to believe that the pictures of the trees were taken 2 days apart from each other!   My brother, who is currently in middle school, is doing a report on a tree, and the first picture was taken for his school project.  One can see how green the leaves are, standing tall and radiant, on the sunny, fall day.  Nature took a turn, and brought us a terrible winter storm in the end of October.  This early winter storm makes me question the world and climate change.  Does global warming, this controversial topic, really exist?  Is the evidence in front of our eyes?


This is the first time in history that we have got in 6 inch snow storm in October.  We have experienced snow earlier, but at max received 2 inches.  Take a look at the graph below!

All About Jerry Uelsmann

"Preaching a single way of viewing the world reminds me of intolerant fundamentalists who are threatened by other points of view" -Jerry Uelsmann

As one can see, Jerry Uelsmann, an experimental photographer, certainly challenged the way people view photographs.  Recently, I read an interview with Jerry Uelsmann, and I was fascinated by his daring aspects, which one can see in his work.  Uelsmann was born in Detriot, Michigan, and recieved his B.F.A degree at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and his M.F.A at Indiana Univerity.  He then began teaching photography at University of Florida.  He has won a numerous amount of awards including the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship in 1967 and National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship in 1972.

This successful man broadened the borders of photography by using the technique of combination printing.  Uelsmann’s work was very different because he combined fantasy with reality.  At the time, this was not done, and many did not consider his work as photography and believed that photographs were suppose to follow the traditional appeal set out by photographers like Paul Strand and Edward Weston.  Today, we have this broad perspective of photography thanks to Uelsmanm.  Jerry Uelsmann, and with the help of many other photographer and artists, have changed the meaning of art in the twentieth century, by allowing viewers to interpret art in their own way. 

Uelsmann believes that the role of an artist is to "open the world to other possibilities".  He does not view art competitively, and supports the idea that "artists need the freedom to explore and to risk failure.  To master multiple printing, Jerry began to use many enlargers, instead of one, so he would not have to constantly change the negative.  I recently used multiple printing in our theme project, but wish I would have used Uelsmann's technique of using multiple enlargers.  Uelsmann inspired me to work hard, and tells photographers that, "what's the worst thing that's going to happen?  I can waste ten more sheets of paper and a couple of hours.  What's the best thing that can happen?  I can astound myself".  We must remember Uelsmann's philosophy in our work, and be willing to take risks!

Pin Hole Photographer, Steve Salniker

Can you believe that the images above were taken from a pin hole camera?   I was astonished when I found out, and was curious to learn more about the photographer who made them, Steven Salniker.  Salniker began using this primitive art form when he was 15, because, as a child, he did not have access to an enlarger.  Salniker’s love for photography led him to create a home made camera, where he used enlarging paper in place of film.  When exposed to light, a paper negative would form, which Salniker used to make a positive image.  Imagine the dedication needed to complete this process!

Steve Salniker works in his studio in Dover, and to this day, he still prefers to make pin hole images.  Even though Salniker has access to an enlarger, he still prefers large-format negatives. When he is not making pin hole images, Steve Salniker is a videographer at NH Public Television.