Vienna seems confused in this title—the magic before us unfolds in Venice. Whispers of daylight kiss the acqua alta, casting a serene glow over St. Mark's Square, where locals wade through reflections of history. A tranquil ballet of resilience and beauty. Time stands still, just for a moment.

The Himalayan ambiance with Mt. Annapurna as seen from Chhomrong village during our Annapurna Base Camp trek perfectly balanced for those willing to begin their trekking adventure journey in the Himalayas.

For more details on Annapurna Base Camp Trek: https://himalayatreats.com/trip/annapurna-base-camp-trek-10-days

Embark on a journey through time. All expanses paid.

You step into the time machine, excitement coursing through your veins, as you eagerly anticipate where and when you will be transported. The gears whir and the machine hums, enveloping you in a strange mixture of anticipation and fear. Suddenly, with a jolt, the machine comes to a stop, and as you cautiously step out, you find yourself in the bustling streets of Fez, Morocco, in the year…

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Get a glimpse of the cultural beauty and vibrant atmosphere of Chiang Mai, Thailand's enchanting city.

Attempting to capture in the style of Henri Cartier Bresson

Wandering around the Wanglang street market #wandering #walking #locallife #streetlife #walkingstreet #siriraj #wanglang (at ตลาดวังหลัง Wanglang Market) https://www.instagram.com/p/CpY8FMhvlvm/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

丘の上に教会堂の建つ街 #丘の上の教会 #churchs #ザビエル聖堂 #cathedral #fukuokawalker #福岡散歩 #自由ヶ丘南 #青葉台 #宗像散歩 #munakata #rurallife #locallife (at Munakata-shi, Fukuoka, Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cngfl14vEkz/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

SunSet in my mind Device use @redmiindia #mymumbai #sunset #sunsetphotography #shadow #photosofindia #shutterhubindia #instagood #shotonredmi #oppo #realme #iphonography #locallife #kunalmalhotra #fal2grapher #natgeoyourshot #bbcearth #discover #opportunityindia #shutterhubindia #mobilephotographyindia #instagram #india (at Mumbai, Maharashtra) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cj0wCxLI-Px/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

手間と愛情を注いで、大切に育ててこられた薔薇。

通りがかりの人や地域の目に触れ

すっかり癒しの場所に。

Hedgehog Keychain Small pleasures 🦔💨 . . . #mehoi#hedgehoglove#hedgehogsofinstagram#hedgehoglife #madeintoronto#torontoartist#toronto#locallife#etsy https://www.instagram.com/p/CdUR48YtA0t/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Nestled in the charming Creekview Crossing, this house is a true gem. As you step inside, you'll immediately notice the natural woodwork that adds a touch of warmth and elegance to the entire space.

This home has been lovingly updated with new windows and blinds, giving it a fresh and modern feel. The kitchen is a true highlight, featuring a striking ceramic backsplash installed in 2019. It's the perfect place to unleash your inner chef and create culinary masterpieces.

Comfort is key, and this home has you covered. Just two years ago, a new furnace and air conditioning system were installed, ensuring that you'll stay cozy in the winter and cool during those hot summer days.

Step outside and you'll discover a lush and thriving landscape, thanks to the inground sprinkler system. Take a moment to relax on the spacious 14x30 patio, surrounded by the beauty of nature.

On chilly Minnesota nights, the family room beckons with its inviting look-through gas fireplace. It's the ideal spot to gather with loved ones and create lasting memories.

Throughout the kitchen, dining area, and main entrance you'll find beautiful laminate flooring that adds a touch of elegance to each room. The ceilings are vaulted, giving a sense of grandeur and spaciousness. The bedrooms are generously sized, offering ample space for relaxation and rest. The Owner's suite boasts a large walk-in closet, providing plenty of storage for your personal belongings.

To add to the ambiance, LED lighting has been strategically placed throughout the home, creating a warm and inviting atmosphere.

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity! Presented by Chris Fritch with the Chris Fritch Team at eXp Realty, you can reach out to them at 763-746-3997. They'll be more than happy to guide you through this fantastic home and help you make it your own.

https://chrisfritchteam.com/homes-for-sale/MN/andover/55304/1292-142nd-ave-nw/bid-36-6375396

The beautiful view of Mt. Annapurna ranges and surrounding ambiance at and around Annapurna Base Camp. The magnificent just like you.

For more details on Annapurna Base Camp Trek: https://bit.ly/trekabc

Naxi couple heading home after work. Dali, Yunnan

#Dali #Naxi #locallife #Yunnan #China #Chinatravel #travel #street #streetphotography #travelchina #streetportrait

#scooter #cuba #trinidad #travel #scooters #varadero #vacation #drivingtest #postoffice #cuban #architecturelover #varaderocuba #travelphotography #holiday #холод #отпускзимой #puestadelsol #зима #cromatismo #winter #suzuki #sun #playaesmeralda #moto #havana #driving #locallife #wanderlust #travelgram #cubatrip https://www.instagram.com/p/ClFOK33PO94/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

A Baladi “Wedding”

We approached the turnoff for the event. It was a dirt road off the highway, with no signs other than a string of flashing purple string lights showing the way into an unfinished compound. There was gate for the area as if it was a secure compound, but the security detail sat drinking tea and nonchalantly motioned for us to enter and follow the dozens of cars entering and parking anywhere there was space. The parking “assistants” were rushed to help, making tip money for every car that parked in the stretch of street they had claimed as their own. We tried to find a spot that didn’t include the compulsory tips, but failed and gave up.

Our group approached the event, which was across the street from the area mosque and was surrounded by a high concrete wall and had sounds of the live musicians and the emcee on the microphone pulsing out and into the gravel street. We were a group made up of four Egyptian men and myself, the lone female “guest” at the event. It is against social norms for respectable women to attend these events; the only women inside would be the vendors selling snacks and packs of tissues and the hired dancers who would work on stage. As we entered, we were greeted by men working as ushers, who immediately asked if we were German (meaning they were guessing at us being tourists). “la3 la3 masry,” my group responded. We walked down a long red carpet inside the courtyard that had white floral archways every 2 meters. On the left was a tea and coffee stand with some small catering options, and straight ahead was the main party: a huge structure covered in hanging fake flowers, teeming with male guests, workers serving them, and at one end, the stage with singers, a large band, and one lone female dancer sitting bored on a chair smoking cigarettes. She was wearing a red belted coat over shorts and was playing on her phone in between smoking. Stage lights flashed and the event was filled with men wearing galabeyas sitting and drinking tea.

The event workers rushed to bring us a table; rather than seat us at one that was already set up, they brought an entire table into the party, complete with a tablecloth. We were ushered to our seats and along came the parade of “services:” foam plates of fresh fruit, bags of chips, wax paper containing various substances, a shisha guy, tissue packs, children offering sunflower seeds, sodas, and a man who was a professional “cigarette” roller. Each person walked by and put their wares on the table, and for the things that were from the event, we could take whatever we wanted for free (with the expectation that we would contribute). The children selling sunflower seeds dropped them on the table and if you said no, they grabbed them back up just as quickly.

 I settled in to survey the chaos.This was like a cabaret but with less rules, and more forward about money. The cabaret is all about getting you to spend money for fun, but this event, although it is normally called a “wedding,” is actually a gama3a (gamaya), or a type of community fundraiser. There is no marriage or groom, and the sole purpose is to crowdfund money.

 There is more than one kind of gama3a, but at its simplest, it is a community saving program. You can go into normal gama3as where each person commits to paying in 1000le every month, and every month someone takes the whole amount. Each person in the gama3a has a number and the length of time of the gama3a determines how much money will be in the amount you take. It may seem like you could just take the money and run, but these are community-led and a bit like a mafia, so you can’t just back out after taking your money. The more trusted you are in the community, the sooner you will take your money.

 In a “wedding” type gama3a, things are a little bit different. The way it works is that each person who is part of it has a day for their event. On that day, they are the host and they will take all the money that is thrown and they have the emcee who records everything and also pushes the next events. The emcee will take his own personal payment for the service and has a book that has every single name and amount given, plus they typically record the entire event on cameras as well so if there is any mistake, they can double check it.

 So, say that imaginary Ahmed has his event today. At the event, Mohammed throws 500le. When it comes time for Mohammed’s event, Ahmed can come and give him the 500le back, and now they are even. Ahmed can also give him more than 500le, and then when it’s Ahmed’s event again, Mohammed will have to either give him back the equal amount to be even, or he could give more. You can also join a bunch of gama3a circuits. Each area has their own groups, but you can cross-join different ones and the emcee will notify whoever has given money or owes money to attend the correct event. The emcee/organizer is really impressive here, I am amazed at their ability to keep everything straight. 

If Mohammed has his event and Ahmed (who owes 500le) doesn’t go to it, then the emcee will arrange someone to go to Ahmed’s house and take the money back in person. There’s no getting out of paying in this type of situation. 

As outside guests of this event, we had a few options. We could not offer any money (thus staying outside the gama3a AND being rude), or we could give money “by love,” meaning that we don’t need it back later, or we could give money to enter the circuit. One of the men in our group, who works as a singer at some of these events, gave some money “by love” so that way we are not just free-loaders but also aren’t entering into the event circuit. To enter, you see how much money you have given at other events, then you talk to the emcee and they will give you a date for your own event when you can take it back. If you don’t want to attend enough to have your own event, you can ask the emcee to get your money back at a later date on its own. In essence, a gama3a event is way to have a fun time and also save money in a way that you don’t “feel” it. It’s easy to spend 100le on entertainment but if many of the people don’t put it into a gama3a of some kind, then they find that they will spend that 100le on something else, so this way it actually saves them the money for the future rather than just being spent. The party adds to the appeal, with live singers and musicians covering classic and current shaabi songs for the guests who love live music. The dancers that are there are separately booked and also add encouragement for the men to attend, as they are otherwise not normally able to see women who are scantily-clad up close in public. 

As I sat at this event, listening to the emcee promote the next event (March 6, March 6, March 6 he rattled off over and over) while the band played pieces of shaabi improvisation music to accent the words and add to the enthusiasm, a video camera came by and panned over our table. As the only female and a foreigner, I quickly checked my mask was in place - better to be incognito and a nameless observer at at event like this. More dancers arrived, joining the one sitting nonchalantly on stage, all pulling each other up to the stair-less stage while laughing. They ranged in makeup style and dress, but most had on the similar jackets with shorts. One climbed on stage and after finding her chair, expertly took off her sweatpants to reveal a mini dress. It was cold so they huddled together, waiting for the emcee to finish his promotional part and start the party.

A woman wearing hijab and selling tissues climbed awkwardly up on stage and offered the dancers tissues. The main dancer joked with her, gesturing to all the dancers and then biting her thumb at the tissue vendor before breaking into a belly laugh. The tissue vendor sat on a dancer’s lap and joined their jokes before moving on to the next potential customers.

I asked my group if the emcee would be long with his announcements because I wanted to see the flow of the event, however the emcee was long-winded and our table abruptly decided we shouldn’t overstay our welcome; the longer we sat, the harder it would be socially to leave without giving more money “by love.” As group we all got up and quickly walked out, back through the flower arches and down the long red carpet and back to our car, to give the parking man 5le for his assistance. We drove away from the road lined with flashing purple lights and back out to the highway, as if we had never been at the event at all.

#sunsetview🌅 yesterday #sunset #fukuokasunset #fukuokasky #locallife #福岡の空 #lovenature #loveearth #lovesunsets🌅 (at Fukuoka-shi, Fukuoka, Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/CmyItkcPZAt/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=