Now that's a forced smile!

Theme: Surviving Storms

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Call home

Thanks for the favs.

I am celebrating 500 favs for my Elastic Reality photo from Flickr. Here is a big thanks for everyone who have visitied and faved it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/ahmedzahid/154059690/

The Flypast

"The other big social trend seems contradictory: the spread of a more conservative strain of Islam, in a country where professing the religion is, in effect, a condition of citizenship. These days about three-quarters of the women in Male are wearing headscarves. This is a recent phenomenon: the Maldives has no tradition of women covering themselves and, in general, prides itself on its liberalism."

Article from the Economist.
http://www.economist.com/world/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8345577

Thanks to Opinionated Indian for pointing this out: http://www.flickr.com/photos/notorious_indian/

Group photo after lunch

A close up of the Sultan's Seal...

Inside the compunds of the Old Friday mosque... small, single roomed coral houses protect the buried royals. From a past era. This mosque is supposedly 800 years old. The surrounding area itself is an old graveyard. The protection, from houses (called tombs) comes as a form of respect. The incricately carved stone slabs are an attraction for the curious tourists who visit the Capital Island insearch of something meaningful.

Pre-preparations by the neatly dressed staff before lunch hour at this resort restaurant. Guests come in by the hundreds.

All eyes on you... but the kind of attention you really don't crave for. From dead fish anyway. Any afternoon is good to find action at the fish market, quite near the tourist jetty. Ditch the 100$ guide and spend some time by yourself to observe the busyness of fish business.

Refuelling at sealevel. Unfortunately the cute Air Taxis of Maldives (Canadian actually) don't fly much distance without a stop to refill. Is it refuell? From a trip to far South... this is the first stop at Medhufushi. The chairman, who was also travelling but not in the pic had to pee...:P, so a stop was imminent. Did I say pee? Peeing on aero planes... Worth another entire post.

Camera ready

An almost transparent pink. Spotted from a friends home. My favourite, however is the intense red... I have uploaded one recently in my Flickr photostream.

The dynamics of prayer boys

Hovering over Alcatraz! :P
Fuel depot and Airport accompany this shot of Maale from air. Nowadays a breeding and a jungle of concrete and crime... Life for residents is hard and dangerous.

False alarm!

Rain and grey skies go hand in hand. I have given up hope on seeing blue for sometime to come. The weather seem to dampen hopes of fellow photo buddies and tourists in Maldives. So it is back to archives.

Greedy

Smells good. Morning glory, I think. I notice the very obvious color change from white to reddish pink of this bunch flower.

Sunset chaos. Mosque at a busy junction of the Capital Island. Houses for living and light towers from the National Stadium is visible in the back. Green light for traffic and chaotic pedestrians... criss crossing Maldives style.

Unharnessed hydro power

View infront of Dharubaaruge. Waves over here are quite large and powerful. The sea wall around Capital Island protects from these waves.

Shabnam Residences

Horse power provided by man. Spotted from a trip to Huvcadhoo, some time back. Weather was quite rough. The guy is trying to harness the small boat from which, we were planning to land on to the island.

Fanta smiles

The frantic rush to shake with the groom

TIME: The Best Photos of the Year 2006
http://www.time.com/time/yip/2006/


ARTICLE: Arctic Ice May Melt by 2040
http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=06/12/12/2029215&from=rss

Dark days are over... I think.

View of the storm. As I am writing, sky over Maale has cleared up and blue is visible again. If you are wondering about the location of the photo... Villigili island is in view. Hospital, Radio building and Traders association Mosque... from a visit to Foriegn Affairs Ministry.