l'art et contemplation

Photography portfolio + personal contemplations + personal blog

[haamsaaveni]

Same view, different perspectives.

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Malaysian sky against a Malaysian Airlines aircraft.

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an ode to jinxy

Jinx (or Jinxy to me) is a cat that lived in the same building I was renting in as a newcomer student in London. An eight-year-old tomcat that loved chilling in the garden and hissed at dogs, he was the popular kitty on the block.

 I always had a distant relationship with cats. My mom hates them due to her childhood cat rubbing itself against her legs and has despised them since. Their stereotypical personalities that clashed with my dog-person subconscious programming did not help. I never learned that cats are just different to dogs and are quite fearful at times of other beings. 

I saw him one day meowing at me and decided to feed him milk using some little jars left in the kitchen cupboard of my shared flat. I loved the availability of vegan milk in the UK but after researching that soy milk was NOT suitable for cats, I decided to keep a bottle of milk for him every time I saw him lurking around the communal garden, his territory. 

The more I fed him, the more he trusted me and we began this interesting relationship. I found so much solace and calmness with him while facing a challenging and time-consuming legal education. I find it funny that through nurturing him, I nurtured myself. I had something that I could focus on beyond my academic studies and CV-building obligations. I just could be chill. 

I found myself loving cats as much as I loved dogs and resonated with certain qualities he had. I am not sociable nor excited all the time and that is okay. We do not have to fit the expectations, real or perceived, of networking events or classmate interactions. 

Taking care of a pet is something Jordan Peterson recommends in his book on the rules of life. We often do not commit to routines on self-care such as neglecting exercise or committing to an indulgence of rich food but as humans, we do take responsibility for ensuring our children are fed or your cute doggie has its daily walks. If I ever saw him and he meowed for me, I could not leave until I had given him something to eat.  In many ways nurturing gives our lives an added meaning and Jinxy gave me that opportunity. 

I took this photo with him the day before I had to officially move out of my place. I was so happy to catch him when I could and he will always have a special place in my heart. 

[haamsaaveni]

Brunswick Square, London

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Nymphéas by Claude Monet, Tate Modern

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Tate Modern, London

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Rain-loving Jinxy

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Mural at White Mulberries, St Katharine’s Docks, London

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Lille, France (2011)

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Le Louvre, Paris (2012)

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Victoria and Albert Museum, London

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Canada House/Maison du Canada, London

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Chinatown, London

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Mosteiro dos Jerónimo, Lisbon

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Sky Garden, London

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White Cliffs of Dover