I had my second opportunity to serve during an Iftar meal, in a neighborhood community center, about a ten minute bike from where I live. Iftar (Arabic: إفطار), refers to the evening meal for breaking the daily fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar during Ramadan is often done as a community, with Muslims gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib (sunset) time. Traditionally, a date is the first thing to be consumed during Iftar when the fast is broken. (Thank you, Wikipedia!)
There is something about doing this that I absolutely love... working alongside a group of people that I would never normally rub shoulders with, serving them their dinner, a dinner with food I would never make for myself (only because I don't traditionally combine these foods or know the recipes, but it is super yummy!!). It is such a gift to be able to share in the customs and cultures of others from different parts of the world. This particular evening was a meal shared by people who represented the neighborhood well: both Muslim and Christian, young and old, Dutch and Moroccan and Surinamese...and who knows how many cultures were represented at these tables?! It was beautiful to see everyone coming together to share in a meal. There is something so sweet about sitting together to eat food with one another: delighting in the tastes simultaneously, sharing conversation, sharing hearts.
In between setting out plates, cutting lemons, and carry bowls of soup to the tables, I had the opportunity to pull out my camera, which, as a pleasant surprise, was warmly welcomed by those around me. Everyone was more than happy to oblige to my asking if I could take their picture. It seemed as though they were honored that I would want to capture them on my camera...they rarely smiled for the posing of pictures themselves, but their faces broke into bright signs of delight when I would exclaim "echt mooi!" to assure them that I thought their photo turned out beautifully.
Everyone made sure to inform me that the woman in this picture below was to be honored as the oldest in the room: 95-years-old! People were praising her in her accomplishment of living!
These are a few of the people that I worked with to prepare the meal and the tables. The women came from Suriname: they have known each other and lived together in the same neighborhood for years. The man to the far right was the head chef, originally from Morocco. He was very serious about making sure that everyone had enough food to eat. They were all a delight to work with!
Even the neighborhood police came by (to make an arrest!)...this picture almost gives the feeling of The Andy Griffith Show from the 1950's!:
This community center had a feeling of "home"...people stayed to the very end as we were clearing the tables and finishing up the last of the cleaning. This man in particular was determined to stick around until his crossword puzzle was complete.
I hope to continue to find ways of expanding my boundaries. Entering into worlds unlike my own...
It is a beautiful experience.
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2 comments:
So let me be perfectly honest in saying that I worry about being perceived as the creepy stalker guy who always comments within the first 12 hours of a new post... But knowing that artists enjoy interaction (bloggers especially)... And knowing that we are to do unto others as we would have them do unto us... And simply having the opportunity to be immediately notified of any new posts via my RSS feed-reader... I'm going to go ahead and react to your beautiful Iftar photos.
My favorites in this series were the end-of-the-table shot (it's especially cool how the vanishing lines of the table synch up with the vanishing lines of the perfectly parallel street out the window in the background)... and the "Andy Griffith" (or I might even say "Norman Rockwell) police officer picture. The pictures of the lovely ladies in the headscarves are interesting, too, but it might have been even better to see them even closer, the shots dominated by their heads alone.
All in all, though, you've got some very powerful shots here. Nice work, Naomi.
so then the question is, how do i continue the dialogue online while also making sure you receive my response?
it's true that i want to HEAR FROM PEOPLE!!! so i appreciate your feedback, Eric...i was worried there for a bit that you were stalking me, but you've cleared it right up : )
no, but seriously: i agree with you that the one photo has a 'norman rockwell' feel to it too! i also had the same thought about the women in headscarves. next time i would like to get closer...but how do i do this without feeling intrusive? with a long lens sticking right in their face? i'm still trying to figure out how to be and act as a photographer, capturing the desired image while being mindful of the people involved...
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