Travel Story / Los Angeles / chapter 1

We were driving on Interstate 15 towards south west. It was 10 pm and from a faraway point we could feel the warmth of light that shimmered in the sky, setting a sign of curiosity, attempting convincingly to enter the boundaries of a place unknown.

As we were charging on the roads of America, we were about to enter a city that we thought would be mesmerizing enough to hold us in its awe for some time. We were to enter a place that would give us the sincerest experience of all time.

But... after reaching this city, one could only feel a dis-relation, where you could only survive if you knew the norms of it, where infinite permutations raced around of dos and don'ts, where every second would make you feel regretful of that decision of coming to this place. Obviously, it was only me who was having these fits of rage. Maybe, only because I was so unaware of this place, it made me feel displaced.

As we proceeded further, we could witness the same shimmering light reflecting from the glass of the windows of the tall enough buildings scattered all around. Till now we were pretty much satisfied by the overwhelmed welcome of this place. Well! who wouldn't, we had traveled almost hundreds of miles from Las Vegas in the late hours of the day with no stay over in between, in search of this piece of land in the state of California.

However, the route we were heading on was ripping us apart from our connection with the city lights. It seemed as we were going to a different area now. We were following the 'global positioning system', which showed our journey did not end at this exhibition of lights. Our location appeared to show us crossing the downtown area of the famous city named 'Los Angeles'.

So where were we going? My heart kept sinking, my brain was unable to think due to exhaustion... and this was making me worry because we still had a journey of almost half an hour and we had crossed the great city. Its skyline was blurring out and the road started to get over crowded with cars of all shapes and sizes, honing at each other. The drivers seemed to be very impatient, the middle finger being the figure of expression for that whole journey.

... and we disengaged from LA. 

Now, this suburb we entered was a mystery in itself and it remains unsolved till date... for me at least. My consciousness was hit with a surge of anxiety as we were heading towards our hotel... to be continued.

"the disengagement" ~ art work (LA01) by Sameer Aftab                    
(Prints for sale - order now)

I thought that my words would not do justice to describe the place so I started drawing my experience of it, an art work that would exist in my memory forever. Anyway, a picture is worth a thousand words, they say. Although an unfinished work, but it forms the bench mark for starting of my travel story. Some places that we drove through, some hotels that we had to stay in, some eateries where we had to buy food from, and who can forget the motel where we stayed for a night.

[Heart] of Sharjah

 

 

The day I got my offer letter... last year in the UAE.

At my friend's place in Sharjah, I received a call from Australia, early in the morning. The voice told me that I had been chosen to serve the firm that provided services in the healthcare sector.

Puzzled! haan...

0800 hrs___I felt like celebrating but then also crying as I was half asleep and the horrible ring tone of my phone had struck my ears like thunder bolts. However, there was only one thought going round and around my brain, and that was a place that I had been reading and researching since days.

" a visit to the Heart of Sharjah"

How did I come to know about it? It is simple if you are a freak at exploring places. Try using guide books that you can find at every forgettable corner of the airport. It will give you a very rough idea about the related city. The rest depends on yourself, how you want to explore its discovered or hidden gems.

If you ask me, I would always go for the places that are not touristic, the places where every traveler would not go. Such places make you more aware of the city's essence.

Somehow, this place reminded me of a city with which I have very strong connections named 'Jhang' back in my hometown, Pakistan. Therefore, a visit was quite necessary, I suppose.

A place that reminds you of home is worth thousand visits, I believe.

1100 hrs___ I should treat myself... right? A new job for a person who is new to the city deserved a special treatment on this particular day. And how was it supposed to happen. Not one of the most celebrated ways but I just grabbed a bus to reach this heritage site.

Travelling in Sharjah is comparatively easy and cheap, lets assume. I really did not know where to get down and somehow the maze of streets that the bus was running through made me more and more anxious, until I saw a park where I could see people running like ants. So I decided to make my first stop over.

This was not an ordinary place, it was the "Rolla Square Park" a memorial park built in remembrance of the plantation of the first banyan tree in Sharjah in 1800s. Locally this type of tree is called Rolla, hence the name for the landmark was kept to commemorate that moment.

History! history! history!

I had already started to enjoy the unorganized historical patterns of the city. This was the time where I felt the urge to use a city map that would take me to the place where I had planned to make my next stop.

It was a long walk and somehow my urge for seeking absurd architecture details made me detour. And then what I saw is right below...

On the outside___



As I walked through the back mid-rise residential areas, I could see a long endless wall.



 

Now this is pure vernacularism... the construction technique of the wall spoke of a technique used in a specific time without technology serving the basic need. What does a boundary wall do? It provides 'privacy'.

The are coral reefs used as building blocks for the walls.

The back entrance to the site and guess what! no ticket required... it is all for free.

At the inside___

Alright! now this is interesting. This is from the inside of the Sharjah National Theatre. They had hung hundreds of portraits of members from its first days till date. I managed to meet a couple of actors too, they were just spending some time as you can see the place is very cosy. I will say it was a 'Diwaniya' for people who did theatre.

At your right are the stables for horses that were kept in the past.

Observe!... the mystery of the architect's imagination.

This was the entrance to a small museum... the entrance fee is 5 dirhams as far as I remember. It is worth going inside and read a bit about the area.

On the roof___

 

1700 hrs___My visit to this forgettable piece of land was a feast for my brain. Vernacular, but from the time when this city started to build up. The architecture spoke of stories of people who once lived here and imagined a prosperous emirate for future.