“It is impossible, said pride. It is risky, said experience.
It is pointless, said reason. Give it a try whispered the heart”
Ali Lamu (copied from art in Ali’s gallery)
I never met Ali, however, I did bring in the New Year on the delightfully historical island of Lamu, where he lives – just off the coast of Kenya.
How do I describe the enchantment and mystique of a place so rich with culture and one thousand year old trade stories?
How do I explain the array of sights – dhows proudly sailing on the Indian Ocean with sails that even make the sun smile or the sounds of waves splashing against the sea wall, the donkeys braying down little streets where the only other traffic is transported on human feet? (There are no cars on Lamu!)
I would love to share my conversations with Said, a young Lamu man studying in Uganda to be a socially responsible doctor for his people … and his mother, Hafswa who shared the island’s deeply rooted Muslim traditions as they relate to women during the ancient-modern times juxtaposed on Lamu. Or Omar, a charismatic silversmith who said Oprah touched his heart (he saw her on T.V.) and that “If every country had an Oprah, the world would be a better place”. He hopes she comes to Lamu!
I was deeply grateful to bring in 2013 on such a place – and wish to share a visual splash of life on Lamu that I witnessed during my one-week stay there.
Dream big … it’s 2013!
