abdullah

/of cobblestoned streets February 5, 2024 The quintessential ‘things that stood the test of time’ (which is getting rare at a worrying rate in today’s day and age) are cobblestoned streets. And charming at that. When we think of them, it brings down memories of cute little alleys and winding lanes in fascinating European towns. Not just pretty, cobbles are quite functional. They are one of the most hardwearing and extremely durable materials for pavements. Around 238 BC, the Romans […]

/sunstars in Western Europe pt. 2 January 31, 2024 “Sunstar”. It’s an interesting term. Isn’t the sun a star? Sure, a 1.4 million kilometers in diameter glowing hot ball of Hydrogen and Helium from a vantage point 150 million kilometers away called the Earth, or a mid-sized white dot from a vantage point 26660 light years away taking 230 million years to revolve around the Milky Way or a faint white blob holding other microscopic blobs together on its gravity […]

/sunstars in Western Europe pt. 1 January 30, 2024 There are days when the sun is just up; it shines obstinately into his eyes like a child who has just been given a flashlight. Its fierce light illuminates the darkest of cul-de-sacs. It stirs the Earth, around and around while maintaining its luminous intensity. What do you do on days like that? If you are like me, you take any device that can convert light to digital pixels (or translate […]

/buildings of Western Europe January 29, 2024 Wandering through the streets of Western Europe and observing the architectural blend is a philosophical journey. For instance, take images above. They form the 4 sides of the Brussels square. In the midst of the square, the Gothic arches stand as guardians of the human spirit’s timeless pursuit of higher meaning. Their soaring heights, adorned with intricate details, echo the intricate journeys each individual undertakes in the quest for enlightenment. The juxtaposition of […]

/a different kind of beautiful January 27, 2024 You’re a different kind of enigma,A symphony of glass and stone.In every arch and iron gate,A mystery, an unspoken fate. Amongst the arches where shadows play,In this architectural ballet.You’re the kind that sparks a fear,A love that draws me near. In the city’s heart where echoes ring,A kind of beauty, silent and serene.Gothic spires and modern dreams,Each structure whispers tales, or so it seems. In the cobblestone streets of old,A different kind […]

/dead center January 25, 2024 We humans absolutely love our amazing adverbs and astounding adjectives. Almost as much as we love vanilla—the essence, the ice cream flavor, or the figure of speech, take your pick. It’s no secret how much we adore the added flavours but at the base of it, it’s always plain old vanilla. Did you know that Vanilla is actually a wonderfully complicated, intriguing, and luxurious spice? Chemists who have studied the vanilla bean have concluded that […]

/take a walk with me January 23, 2024 to the streets of Belgium— a country that wears the atmosphere like us mortals wear our khakis: with relaxed confidence. Pastel colors – check Textured clouds – check Aesthetic mix of R, G, B – check Shades of blue as in a child’s painting, mysterious yet pure – check Soft amber sunlight illuminating the symbiotic existence of nature and man- check It’s as if the untrammeled beauty took precedence over everything but […]

/of castles January 22, 2024 From a very young age, we are besotted with expansive mansions featuring tall triangular towers set in the backdrop of a lake with a veil of trees hiding the landscape just enough to be inviting and not hinder the majestic built structure we all often call castles. Blame Disney’s logo or Harry Potter, or whatever is the rendition of the idea for Gen-Z, castles hold a dear spot in all our hearts—kids and adults alike. […]

/same colour as the sun January 21, 2024 All electromagnetic radiation is light, but we can only see a small portion of this radiation—the portion we call visible light. Cone-shaped cells in our eyes act as receivers tuned to the wavelengths in this narrow band of the spectrum. Other portions of the spectrum have wavelengths too large or too small and energetic for the biological limitations of our perception. The Sun is the dominant source for visible-light waves our eyes […]

/featuring facades January 19, 2024 As you traverse the labyrinthine streets of Amsterdam, you are presented with the fascinating facades of the buildings resonating with the echoes of centuries past. Their pastel elegance, embodied in soft hues, speaks to a city that has mastered the art of harmonizing aesthetic charm with historical significance. Rows of buildings, painted in tranquil tones, nod to a rich cultural heritage that recognizes the role of color in Dutch architecture. Contrasting this serenity, the city’s […]