Photo and video from a community skate session in early January with @7hillspark .
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I chose to overlay these clips with a reading of Rumiās poetry āyou wake the dead to lifeā for too many reasons to name. I can say that - at least - I feel like skating, surfing, any form of practice is a meditative sort of life giving force in essence. Though Rumi wrote this for his mentor and friend shams, I think this practice serves as a similarly dear companion and can assume shamsā position. I also chose to use this work because these sessions are alive with deep connection and friendship, itās sincerely beautiful and I believe Rumiās words here do what the crew at 7hill has built justice.
āSo much beauty we forget to be reminded
That you can be anywhere and find it
So much beauty we forget and then get reminded
that you can be anywhere, everywhere and find it.ā
Weāre back in action baby
Sunview luncheonette action w/ @calebcolpitts in the books! On one of the first sunny, warm days in a while we brought an old Greek diner back to life with food, ink and good company - ultimately raising 2500! Thanks to @thesunviewb , and the crew who made this happen šš¼
Foraging in the north does not always return flowers or food.
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As a part of a broad initiative to restore traditional ecological knowledge and stewardship in the north of historic Palestine we left the farm to forage. While some participants returned with flowers, others found gifts of another kind.
Before I leave the house there is a shrub full of incredible, vibrant orange-ish yellow trumpet flowers that belong to Tecoma stans, or yellow elder. Spending time photographing it, making quick observations of the plant really had me re-examine the idea of mutualisms.
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In my experience, in the world of ecology the conventional study of mutualisms frame relations as 1) fixed in time and 2) as strictly isolated, which I feel is not good enough. This plant is problematic, for a host of reasons, but I also realize there is no way to confidently label a plant parasitic if it does play a beneficial role in the whole landscape (in this case it is a garden..) The vibrant flowers attract a host of curious life from the honey bee, to the sunbird. The sunbird also finds shelter in the nearby mystica/Sarrise (Pistacia lentiscus). That same sunbird will play a vital role as a keystone species in the well-being of Palestinian plants.
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All landscapes, all ecologies are a surreal collage of context dependent relationships. Labeling yellow elder with this convention and line of thinking just cannot be the way in terms of sincerely grasping the continuity of relationships of life.
The camera and Laru Beya Collective have one thing in common: built to push beyond the expected. Our mentees are spending time out of the water capturing the world around them through our Surf Media Program. Getting a camera in their hands allows for new perspectives in an industry that often overlooks our stories. Canāt wait to share their works as change-makers behind the lens.
Thank you to @KEH for supporting their visions with gear that also pushes boundaries!
In the midst of loss @glidingbarnacles manages to still celebrate life. I will forever be grateful to experience this earth and all its gifts with dear friends, and new ones. This whole festival was incredible, It was a real privilege to see Eurico in the water, I have been a fan of his since I came across his surfing 5 years ago and was left even more in awe after seeing him draw lines on Portuguese coasts. Inshallah, this is not the last time! More to share soon, currently battling grad school.
Itās officially surf season on the east coast. The water is warm and the Atlantic is awake. Weāll see you at the beach!
Photos @__moaj_
#rockawaybeach #atlanticocean #hurricaneseason #surfing #surfboard #surfnyc #nyc #rbny #surfer #surflife #eastcoastsurf #queens #surfshop #localbusiness #supportlocal #phasesurf #dropinslowdown
