"Belief + Doubt = Sanity", DC

At the Hirshhorn National Museum of Modern Art and that small figure at the far right is me. 

Nature's Art at the Brick Works, Toronto

I visited the Brick Works last spring for the first time. It is one of those moments that make you wonder, "Why have I not thought of coming here before?" It is an oasis in the middle of the city. Glad I saw it right before my move from my beloved Toronto. 

Beauty in Asymmetry, Singita Sabi Sand

What caught my attention about this setting was the beauty of the asymmetry created by the position of the vase contrasted with the exaggerated sense of 'horizontality' of the table top. At the background, there are two horizontal lines - the wooden column of the gazebo and the tree to the left. The proximity of the vase to the wooden column creates another layer of asymmetry in reference to these vertical lines.

There is something to be said about the vase on its own too. The minimalism of the design and its earthy color is most suitable to the whole setting  - sun, earth, wood, greenery, and distant sky - and its attractive qualities.

Most importantly, I was there to see it all with my own eyes. Every time I see the picture, I am pleasantly surprised how the memory of that afternoon I took the picture feels fresh. It was a warm, serene, afternoon under a bright sunshine.

Chekhov at the Tarragon

My country of origin, Ethiopia, was once part of the communist bloc and the USSR was a natural ally. In fact, there was and still is a Russian Center for Science and Culture in Addis Ababa, near Arada, the oldest center of the city. When I was in my late teens, my friend who was a major in literature at Addis Ababa University, introduced me to the center and its library, full of Russian literature. I immediately became a member and borrowed books, back to back. The first summer, all I did was read these books -- the entire season. Fyodor Dostoevsky, Leo Tolstoy, Ivan Turgenev, Anton Chekhov, Nikolai Gogol and a few others whose names I have forgotten since. The theme in most seemed to be misery and suffering. That, I truly disliked and was affected by but I kept reading, I don't know why!

Dostoevsky was a favorite; either my friend shared with me his literary grandeur or I naturally gravitated towards him, I don't recall. I read The Gambler, Crime and Punishment, Notes from Underground and I believe The Insulted and Humiliated as well. My memory is fuzzy on the last one, though. I deliberately did not want to read The Brothers Karamazov. I knew what the book was about. I was dealing with my own uncertainty about God and I made a decision not to exacerbate the guilt I was experiencing by getting ideas from it!  At the time, I also thought I wanted to write about my own experience, thoughts, and uncertainty and I didn't want it to be influenced by the book in any way. I still have not read it. The Idiot was his other book that I picked up at that time. I loved it ... the thing is I have not still finished reading it. It is an inexplicably mystery to me. Twice, I restarted it with the intent of finishing it. For some reason, I stopped somewhere half-way. I still don't know how the story ends. I also have the movie adaptation, which I still have not watched. The few times I tried, there were technology glitches. A Russian friend of mine told me the Toronto Public Library has the DVD and I kept postponing borrowing it!

The stage setting for "I take your hand in mine..." at the Tarragon Theatre

I read Anton Chekhov's compilation of short stories as well. If memory serves me correctly, I think his writing was lighter in tone than the other writers. Out of his many short stories, one stood out for me; the story whose titled I forgot but was about a civil servant who unknowingly sneezes on a superior. In any case, one morning in March, I tuned in to listen to The Sunday Edition on CBC Radio One and to my delight, the episode was about the writings of Anton Chekhov! It was an hour-long discussion with Chekhov experts. One of them was the director of a play about Chekhov entitled "I take your hand in mine...", which was playing at the Tarragon Theater in the Annex. I was not going to miss it.

On the Easter weekend, I invited my friend to go together and see the play at the Tarragon - we did and we even stayed for the Q & A. We told the director that we enjoyed the played. Credit should be given when it is due. I took the opportunity to ask him for the tile of the short story about the civil servant. It was: Death of a Civil Servant.

The Tarragon Theater, Toronto

On St. Patrick's Day

This is an Irish pub in Adams Morgan, DC. I took the photo in May 2015. As I was going through my files today, I saw this. It is only fitting.... Happy St. Patrick's Day! 

Balloons, Toronto

The Yogini's Den, Toronto