'Why Is the Sound of an Onion?'

'The tongue is a counsellor, the mind an interpreter, and it is the heart which is influenced.'

The location was Dhanmondi Lake, which is the centre of much activity daily in Dhaka city. Today was particularly vibrant, and extra dirty dusty, but the activity of all were noisily orchestrated as usual in the city.

Focused on the park kids, immersed in their activities, I guess could best be described as loitering, but always full of purpose and genuine expression, which is more than can be said for the various other public such as the 'couples', 'vendors', 'walkers', 'sporty ones', and the general diaspora.

Found some cool graffiti too, thought till now Dhaka was bereft of urban street art. Sure it doesn't exist much as a collective form, but the bits I found were rather interesting.

Lastly, found what was this large red brick building with a minaret type of tower and vast sprawling fancy tile work, and thought it was a temple or something, but it turns out that it is someones house! Now I'm immensely curious about what people actually live here, and what the hell I would do with a tower in my house.

Art and Headache in Dhaka

Was probably a hot day, couldn't tell. Was engaged in some discussions about work and some freelance projects that had kickstarted a fast approaching headache. Nonetheless, had this lingering creative nostalgia, and with the onset of the last couple of intensively energetic days: found myself in a strange mental space of wanting to do everything and nothing. Mustered the energy with a colleague to visit this one gallery downtown: The Bengal Art Lounge. After much deliberation and lunch, went on the spur of the moment: was worth it. 

On the way found a really interesting subject to photograph, calling the camera into action early. The street girl had a very stunning face and eyes, which told of many deep pains and joys and the hardened conditionings of the Dhaka Streets. She seemed to be hiding behind a wall playing a game of shadows with the sun, a skinned knee and a sack which contained her few findings during her day scourings of the streets.

Arrived at the scene of the Bengal Art Lounge, the exhibition was called: Freefall, curated by: Giorgio Guglielmino, exhibiting the works of five different Bengali artists. Today was the last day, and really I was glad I came, because the space was awesome. The works were modern and contemporary and entire composition had nice and bubbling effect on the persistent headache. Left with an inspired taste and the feeling that theres no excuse not to keep creating works and presenting materials to the world at large. 

Through many of our troubles we are stopped short, or through lack of organisation and mental preparation we get stuck in our minds and many excuses. No more. Head Ache go away... I shall create and fall, then rise again to un-blur the layers of yesterdays sorrows.

A flow of things

"In an instant, rise from time and space.
set the world aside and become a world within yourself."
(Shabistari)

Feels like the days are getting longer, not physically but with the amount of information within this little world. Sometimes when we breathe a second may seem five minutes, and five minutes a month... Getting all things into order, the trick has been to understand how it all make sense in the scheme of things. Sometimes I know, and sometimes I don't, what is to be, but the only thing that helps is not to stop the imagination.

Did some shopping and updated the 'workplace' today, gave me enough energy to dig around and find a gallery close to home with an exhibition. Went there and afterwards a cafe: was a decent little exhibition, liked the guy's outlook, and presentation was good by standards. Photographer's called Shahadat Parvez, a 30 something old Bengali photographer and photojournalist.

The event was called 'wayfarer of a hundred years', focusing mainly on a subject 'Momin Ali Mirdha' now an old man, with a reputation here as a traveller and is known throughout the region as 'the eternal grandfather.' Found there some interesting concepts in the photography mixing art and the subject and playing with perspectives. For further reading here's the link: http://shahadatparvez.com/?gallery=a-wayfarer-of-hundred-years

Its refreshing to see creativity in this place and indeed all around us.

Two pennies per day for my thoughts

Found an article about sports productions in bangladesh, and the operations in factories, especially for the upcoming olympics events. Here's the link for further reading, and a video:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/video/2012/apr/30/sports-manufacturing-bangladesh-video

What is interesting to note is that, the issue being clear: most do realise in this world that, a huge portion of the industry, resources, materials, man-power, sweat, blood and tears, to make the 'games' happen, is coming from this part of the world, and since this is the 'WAY THINGS WORK' for a long time, I wonder what people think about the fairness (forget about equality and all that nonsense to begin with, cos clearly there's no point discussing an issue without considering the general law of humanity that things are NOT as they appears) of this process (in a global context) and especially how this is evident through the distribution of wealth within the whole process (across all nations and individuals involved). (I'm briefly outlining the Internal power structure of individual wealth systems and the mechanism of economy upon the 'human')

The manufacturing process is a very important one for the Olympics games, (and all things in modern society in general) because otherwise athletes would be running barefoot on the tarmac, as they do here! but the money involved goes back in the pockets of the corporations and industry and all the ticket price money from the games goes there too, so what about our statuses? how about these poor folks (i refer to poverty as a growing mental condition, not just physical) with lifelong ambition, and five kids to feed, but no education and learning to understand how to be developed like the corporate dudes?

To sidetrack the main issues, most media only reports the information, fuels the 'fire and emotions', spreads 'awareness' like a disease, and displays 'activism' as the new 'EFFORT' to change the world! (I speak of this from a wide angle perspective, trying just to outline the 'mechanism' or 'systemisation' of certain things that we are all doing repetitively) In the last 200 years of humanity, has the CORPORATE and CAPITAL agenda been strengthened or weakened? All this is words and propaganda (even my bla bla bla, probably gonna make the fire bigger and the gap between individual awareness and change bigger), the intellectual stuff we do just adds more fuel to the fire. the KEY to change has been removed: INDIVIDUAL FREE WILL. Thing is everyone knows 'What' to do, but not 'How' to do it, except the 'materially rich guys' who also are dependant on factory made shoes, which they probably own. I'm not saying that we have to be rich to be happy or anything like that, but we do need a buffer, or a minimal amount of self drive to make the 'money' work for us. INNIT!

I'm leaving all these points broad and open ended. Neither do i intend to provoke too much thought, nor perpetuate too much blame. Just offering some subjective personal thoughts and insights into how I observe how things appear to be. I am a product of my own lifelong conditioned dependancy on the 'developed' system. I love it, I aspire to it, but morally, for now and the future: I hope I can carve out the 'lesser evil' and remain sufficiently far from political stress.

Dust on the Mirror

"Life/ Soul is like a clear mirror; the body is dust on it.
Beauty in us is not perceived, for we are under the dust."

Dhaka is cooling slowly, but there are thunderstorms on the horizon. Big flashy displays of lightning and rain, humid and dense. Went into the city to sort out some IT issues... always think that a computer is the extension of the person, unfortunately the greater condition of the human race is now dependant on technology. So when my computer suffers, I suffer. What a state! my previous machine came to the end of its life as a windows survivor, but truly broken, and that is the state it made me adopt as well; we mirror our objects. Now my Mac has photoshop issues and I feel graphically impaired. Wonderful!

So anyways after the 'computer city', found some interesting sculptures made out of circuits and electronic parts. and caught some other 'vibes' around the city.

I learn everyday from this city, indeed any environment, which makes me reflect upon the statement at the beginning of this entry; I was going to dive into a whole lecture into philosophical analysis of this, but i'll resist! Let the perceptions of each discern its own interpretation.