"Al Rams" Antonie Robertson

Photo:  Antonie Robertson

As readers of this blog may be aware, I have recently relocated to Dubai after three years living in Ras Al Khaimah, a small city in a rural area about 100km to the north.  Out my back window was a tree filled with birds in the mornings, and beyond that sand and bushes.  The morning drive to work took 10 minutes and I passed no more than a dozen cars.  The mountains were a 15 minute drive from work or from home. Life was unhurried and the place sparsely populated.  Here in Dubai, its all quite the opposite.  Six weeks later I'm still adjusting to my new environment.

Yesterday I opened The National for a bit of local news and discovered a collection of photographs of a small community near Ras Al Khaimah, a place called Al Rams.  The 15 images in this collection seem so redolent of place - deep shadows, cinder block, vivid building colors,  dusty streets, ramshackle shops.  Experiencing these images from a distance, a wistful longing arose for a place I once inhabited and which features in so many good memories.  

I took quite a lot of photos during my three years in RAK, but none quite as good as the 15 images in Antonie Robertson's collection.  I sent the photographer a personal thank you through his website, which you can visit here.

Enjoy.  

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