Yasser Booley's Blog

weineraai berlin

peace and blessings be with you .

the places that I find myself working most often tend to be coffee shops that have free wireless, common enough I suppose, but free coffee and food ???

that’s not exactly the case, though it is certainly surprising when you get asked to pay how much you thought the meal was worth….

welcome to weineraai , berlin , germany…

situated in prenslauerberg this was one of the my first “offices” in berlin. the people are friendly, the coffee is good, and so is the light.

a bit closer to home…

I took the train from muizenberg this morning and foolishly paid for a ticket to five stops before cape town station as I had heard about a delay at salt river station(2 stops before) and thought I would be clever by getting of the train and taking a minibus taxi!! DID I MENTION THAT IT MUST BE CLOSE TO 36 deg c IN THE CITY TODAY! I eventually got to the city, and made my way to my first appointment vie Government Avenue running through the Gardens and that’s where I met Isaac… yasser_booley_20090306_16979

who was born and bread in gugulethu, cape town. the hat he is wearing is from 1983, and belonged to his grandmother , who was Sotho. it is easy to forget the actual diversity that is present in the mother city…. Isaac is an aspiring animation artist currently working as an intern at clockwork zoo.

further along my walk I encountered another reminder

and that is that capetonians know how to kick back and relax, hence the nickname (mainly given to us by people from up north) “slaapstad” which rhymes with kaapstad (Afrikaans for cape town) ans means sleep city.

I hope you have a splendid weekend, and if you in cape town that you get to take a dip in one of the oceans at our disposal!

before I go, just to give you an idea of my current “office”

yasser_booley_20090306_16983

salaam

yasser

haze…

peace and blessings be with you.

there are few challenges when faced with the task of posting daily, especially when one wants to present quality imagery, and content ie words that do not totally destroy the various moods induced by the images.

I shall therefore keep the content in this post to a minimum.

driving from the city centre for about 8 minutes on the N2 one encounters the m5, running perpendicularly…. this is one of the main roads running from milnerton on the west coast to muizenberg on the east. it also tends to be on of the most congested roads in morning traffic! I found it one evening resting magically in a haze of mist.

the 2 main points connecting this and the previous image is that what is produced at this installation is used to power the vehicles that travel on the previous main road , and many others all over the country, at a slightly increased price 46cent / liter if I am not mistaken due to the petrol price increase recently. a fire burning in the field next to the petrol refinery added the photogenic haze.

salaam

yasser

post move….

peace and blessings be with you .

the last time I uploaded to the site must be over one week ago at least. everything that we own in the way of furniture as well things too big to put in the car has been put into storage. this is where this post should actually begin , and that is by saying a very grateful thank you to the men from ASSIST-U-MOVE. initially we were meant to move two days earlier though we changed our minds when the men from the previous moving company arrived and literally balked at the sight of the stairs that was their lot, numbering approximately 50 , uneven , and constructed from mountain rock it more resembled the well-known platteklip gorge hiking trail that takes one to the top of table mountain than a stairway. combine this with the formidable collection of cupboards dating back to when my mothers parents married and you shall understand why I bare no grudge towards the initial team for turning around almost immediately. I would like to at this stage highly recommend the above company to any one who has the laborious task of relocating home from cape town to anywhere in the country….

…….on to new frontiers…

did I mention that it feels amazing ? during the process a realization was reached, one that pointed to the fact that we have too much clothes , i.e. some the items had not been worn in one year!! had I been wealthy enough to qualify to pay Zakat ( “an annual payment taken from livestock, certain kinds of agricultural produce, and monetary wealth and goods provided they exceed a minimum amount and have been owned for at least one year “ it is obligatory on all Muslims as it one of the five pillars of Islam ) I think we would be eligible to pay an amount based on the unworn clothing. as it turned out, this was the criteria we used when deciding what to keep, and what to let go.

so now that a large percent of our baggage has been removed the heady feeling related to the unrestricted capacity to move has coloured the mundane with an exciting hue of possibility……

like many things in life, the things we strain towards, the goals we desire, the successes we wish for, are things we focus on. stay focused on the light, is a reminder to me and you… its all very simple in theory, to strive towards that which our heart desires we must act accordingly, though often we find ourselves off course as it were, “floating” in see of indecision and indifference, yes, our vision becomes impaired and we see things “wrong” with ourselves, with others etc, etc, etc. as you may guess, this is a familiar ground for me. take the time, make the time to do what is important for you. this is my advice to me and you. if we take the opportunity to count all the things that are “right” with ourselves , taste buds for example , I am sure it would outweigh by far the things that we think are “wrong” with ourselves.

sometimes its possible to stay the course, hold the line, and yes persevere and it is then, on account of the belief that you invest that you move so swiftly your feet hardly touches the ground……

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salaams

yasser

light….

peace and blessings be with you .

this is my screen save , this is the arabic word which means light… light has many meanings …it is a currency , it is an understanding …. it is an unveiling , and it is dedicated to everyone who sees it . it is especially dedicated to jon and lily with best wishes for their marriage !!! thank you for your support , it is much appreciated.

the dash of abdul aziz’s beautiful merc , which he graciously allowed me to use for a test shoot …

there are signs that we encounter when we undertake a journey …. sometimes glaringly obvious and necessary , sometimes more hidden , but as glaringly necessary …. people in their everyday existences give and receive signs and we see them with the lenses of our own idiosyncratic momentary fluctuations . (does that make sense? , it feels right ..ish) this is in-fact a volatile cocktail that can leave composure and peace in ruptured shards if we refuse to recognize our “selves” in the whole business. righteous indignation becomes the detonator , and a chain reaction of incredible proportions can ensue , depending on the hardness of the head and the thickness of the skins of those involved.

breathing deep , calculating the actual “damage ” ( ie , not the damage to the ego and pride ) are all coping mechanisms, and then , to seal the deal as it were , the realisation that in any way , we are all , yes , every single one of us , a collection of particulars , particle in nature , that blip in and out of existence a million times in the time it takes you to say blip….. so why the fuss?

easier said than done , most definitely , practice what you preach , eventually insha Allah .

and now for something completely different….

i like the colour of this wall , what it has to do with relationships , atoms , or eruptions i dont know.

have a wonderful weekend everyone !!

salaam

yasser

packing up….

peace an blessings be with you.

aka , surfers corner …. and we leaving , well in a manner of speaking. slowly our intentions and energies are being directed to packing up the beautiful house that we have been living in for the last year , which is about ten minutes walk from the above . i must admit that i have calmed down considerably since my last post … i find myself rather encouraged to put more effort into self marketing and “self” sustainability as it were.

i forgot to mention that the post cards are now also available at “helloagain” in bloem street, 41 was it ? thanks lyn , for putting on the final touches.

also the cards have been going steadily from u&me at 210 long street , thanks to ahmad & tamburai. yasser_booley_20071223_4377 wind in the reeds

sometimes all one longs for is to be taken by the Wind and blown to where we need to be…… is not always easy to let go and be taken. which is why we have sometimes to push a little , close our eyes a little , and leap blindly a little….

this is for all the folk out there who keep going , day in and day out , keeping their chins up , and their hearts Light.

salaam

yasser

aluta continua

peace and blessings be with you.

like the picture above , which comes from a demonstration organised by the south african communist party , where people were protesting against the xenophobic attacks that spread like a cancer through south africa not too long ago , i protest !!

i protest and i console myself at the same time , i i console myself because i now know that i am doing the right thing by creating an alternative to the photo editor project manager from cape town path in my photographic career. i got informed today , 3 days before the “job” was meant to start , that it was given to someone else. the only reason i found this out at all , was because i went in to find out in person.

so generally , i am of the opinion that affirmative action has no place in a society where respect exists and people are evaluated on the basis of their ability. particularly today i find myself feeling that especially in cape town it is a necessary, and possible to please be directed at …….. !!! no , thats not what this blog’s about , though there are somethings that exist in our society that need to be opened like that proverbial can of worms….

the only other possibility is that i am completely crazy … though i think i am not.

down with gatekeepers down!!!

salaams

yasser

what is freedom…?

peace and blessings be with you .

maybe far to an ambitious topic for the short space of time i have to upload todays images?

i took this picture in berlin almost a year and a half ago… to be completely honest , i cropped this image from a picture i took almost a year and a half ago…!

when i asked the question , i was thinking of all the many different dimensions , concepts and definitions that freedom possess. there is one man in particular that i am thinking of , miyere ole miyendazi , quite a mouth full right , wait till you hear what he has to say…. http://www.maasaiwarrior.com

… a picture i took of miyere at andre’s farm in tamboerskloof for publicity for an interactive exhibition conceptualized by miyere called “NO BORDERS”.

the above picture i took when i met miyere , actually , the first time i saw him , i had to look again.. loping with the graceful gate of a gazelle on a cloudy day in the mother city ,the ochre and red clad maasai warrior stood out like a sore thumb on a foot … i remember twitching involuntarily as i scrambled for my camera… then i remember thinking no , not now… if i see him again , i will approach him. that same afternoon i saw him in the company gardens , walked up , and introduced myself to him. this was 4 years ago…? is that right ? anyhow, at the time i was working for the mail&guardian and organised for us to do an article on his mission.

i think freedom is a theme that we shall return to again and again , we all have a notion of it , what it relates to and how we meant to ” achieve ” it.

i hope everyone had a wonderful thursday !

salaam.

yasser

boeta maan’s birthday !:)

peace and blessings be with you.

just before i sign out for the day, yes , this is my second post in one day …

the day before yesterday it was boeta maan’s birthday , so officially according to the gregorian calendar he is 98 and according to the islamic (lunar) calendar he will be 101!! boeta maan knew my grandfathers grandfather… an incredible man, with incredible knowledge .

happy birthday Boeta Maan!! may The Maker Bless you with many more years , health and an increase in Light , insha Allah.

salaam

yasser

new page…

peace and blessings be with you.

i went and watched a play by Shakespeare called “as you like it” last night at the maynardville open air theatre last night i strongly recommend it to those in the city as its the last week. it was brilliant!!! it was very well adapted to the south african context though still maintaining all the subtleties and nuances of old will. i was inspired by the use of language and reminded at the same time of its value beyond the mere communication of a message.

anyway i wanted to tell all about a new page that went up earlier (ten minutes ago) upon which i shall put my published work ( self and otherwise ) look at published above…

to keep the flow going , here’s a moment i waited for , having spotted what must be someone’s work of art on a wall in the city …any ideas whose responsible for the turquoise stripes ?

take care , be safe..

salaams

yasser

another new week has begun…

peace and blessings be with you.

we are well on our way , and making good progress into the month of february… time is as ever slipping through our fingers and all we can hope for is that we somehow are living in a way that impacts our immediate environment in a way that contributes . living in a way that has regard for what lies above and beyond the apparent “reality” or is that “apparent” reality ?

last week i went to delft … yasser_booley_20090204_14979 delft…

working as a photographer has its advantages… sometimes work takes you to the places that you need to see, even though ordinarily you would not make the missions of getting there . delft is one of those places …

windswept and sandy, the kind of sand that gets every …. delft is on the cape flats, one of the areas set aside for low cost housing for the poor, one of the areas set aside by the ANC (african national congress , viz. the ruling party in south africa) to do a door to door campaign for the upcoming elections.

the anc's door to door campaign in delft

the interesting thing about the western cape ( the province that i live in) is that it has never been one of the places where the ANC won an outright electoral victory. delft is a very interesting place in that traditionally and here i mean as a result of the “tradition ” of apartheid people of different race classifications “naturally ” stayed in groups , though among the more affluent middle class the mixing of races is more prevalent, but in delft , the poor black , and coloured live together …

i am no political analyst , so perhaps i should leave the social theories to the socialists….hmmm thats not right is it? anyway , what i do know is what i hear when i speak to people . the ruling party has been in power for almost one and a half decades and many people want change. they want change in their living conditions, change in the crime situation, change in the employment levels ….

don’t get me wrong, i favour no political party, i favour people. a political party by its definition must have vested interests…. it must win to acquire a majority , to acquire decision and policy making power and ultimately the power to a large extent to decide the direction and flow of resources… is there any other option in our “modern” era?

i do not know , but what i do know that our “modern” era itself is a conglomeration of concepts , cognitive structures and meanings that has gained supremacy to the detriment and leading to the disappearance of others. democracy could be one of them for all i know….

maybe a bit to much rambling today, interested to hear your thoughts.

salaams

yasser

ps. thanks to all die hard yasserbooley blogspot checkers out there!!:)