Poem

Re: Poetic injustice Did you ever Did you ever consider that I wanted to stay Did you ever consider that You pushed me away Did you ever consider that It felt good at first but 4 years I felt neglected Did you ever consider that My heart wasn’t well protected Did you ever consider that you felt too much Did you ever consider that It was the reason we weren’t in touch Did you ever consider that I didn’t wantRead more

Book

Recommended reading on the Black, Arab & Berber people and diversity of the Sahara | From the Atlas Mountains in the Sahara to the Hoggar plateau, there was a huge desert, where a traveller could see vast areas of land covered by sand: the sand alternated with rocks in many areas of the desert. The sand dunes were at times as high as two hundred metres: the powerful desert storms from the north east along the Gassis corridor contributed immenselyRead more

Photograph

Algiers Series | Timimoun Connections | A young boy orders some snacks from the tea hotspot in central Algiers. Customers are plenty at this favourite snack hut in the heart of the capital. Friendly chat is exchanged as people wait for their orders of fresh mint tea. The tea shop resembles a hole in the wall but one that is not easily missed. In a box-like store in the wall, a window allows passersby to peer in from the sidewalkRead more

Poem

On loved ones we have lost or never met| There | I will always be hurt there pain there can’t describe there sometimes there is on my mind when I imagine that you may have been there too pause break Une douleur imortalisee* let there be Sabar* for me for you there. Phrase and Proverb Glossary: Une douleur immortalisee (a pain immortalised written in French), Sabar (the patience wished on those who are especially grieving the loss of a lovedRead more

Photograph

Marrakech Series | Musical Chairs | An impromptu tour of the Kasbah leads me back to questions around the nature of North African street socials. It has been a thing and continues to be a thing since the region’s pre and post colonial liberation periods. Men drag their wooden stools and ideas from corner to corner in pursuit of a conversation. They speak of politics and daily struggles, family woes and causes for celebration. Depending on cultural and religious etiquette,Read more

Photograph

Sti Fatma Series | The Very Real Side of Tourist Entertainment | My mother and I find ourselves serenaded bank side of a waterfall footpath as we tuck into lunch in the middle of a hiking excursion of the Sti Fatma mountains. The sound is upbeat and airy, with the thud of the bendir (frame drum) played by the gentlemen on the right. In full traditional attire (or Djelleba as they call it locally in most Moroccan regions) he nodsRead more

Photograph

Atlas Mountains Series: Berber Woman make Argan Oil I Berber women in the Moroccan Atlas Mountains show me how to extract argan oil from the argania spinosa fruit using traditional methods. The argan nut is carefully cracked and the containing kernal grinded down to a thick paste using a stone quern. The paste is then squeezed by hand to produce the oil. For making argan cooking oil, kernels are often roasted before the grinding process. These women sit outdoors inRead more