#theusafrican

[usafrican]

I Took A Trip To India...In Atlanta

I spent about two months in Georgia this summer and one of the places I wanted to visit was this Hindu mandir (worship place) just outside of the city of Atlanta in the suburb of Lilburn.

When my sister and I used to live in Atlanta way way back we would always explore the city and attend events together. So when she recommended we visit the temple, I knew it was one of those opportunities that we don’t often come across. My sister picked me up from the airport and we headed straight to the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Atlanta.

Here’s a quick lesson on BAPS and the mandir. BAPS is a Hindu religious organization within the Swaminarayan sect of Hinduism. This mandir in Atlanta took 2 years to build with 34,000 hand carved pieces of stone shipped all the way from India. Construction finished in 2006.  

No picture taking was allowed beyond a certain point closer to the actual building in reverence of the worship grounds. I don’t think I could justifiably describe the intricacy of the bricks, walls and ceiling...UGH!!!

The architectural detailing was reminiscent of the cathedrals of Europe. At certain points there were ivory white details of the different Hindu gods within the pieces, one after the other. In my sister’s words, it is an architect’s dream.

First impressions...”It’s a lot smaller than expected”.

That disappointment was quickly overtaken by the beauty of the grounds.

It was when we drove around the building to exit the premises that we realized the enormity of the temple!

I’m not sure why it didn’t occur to me that the United States of America would house such buildings. In a sense it seems so un-American because once you approach the security gate, you’re almost transported to India as the Indian security guard with his matching accent welcomes you. But then it is America. I’ve driven by so many mosques, European Christian orthodox cathedrals, synagogues and so it only makes sense that obviously there would be beautiful Hindu temples across the country. Visiting such places reminds one not only of the ethnic and cultural diversity - which makes this country great, but also the religious diversity. Maybe I should do a series of traditional religious buildings I come across in America. What do you think?

[usafrican]

Unplanned Trip to Savannah, GA

THE AUDACITY OF MY OWN FLESH AND BLOOD! I wasn't invited to my family's trip. If I hadn't asked what they were doing the weekend of, I would've been left behind in Atlanta. And I wasn't the only one almost abandoned. My brother was also left out of the secret trip. So, we invited ourselves to their weekend vacation to Savannah GA. We spent half of the time in downtown Savannah and the other half on Tybee Island.

Savannah is about three and a half hours from Atlanta. I've been to Savannah a couples before and what I always remember are the Oak tree canopies with Spanish moss hanging from the branches.The first time I visited Savannah was with the whole family and we did all the tourist activities including a historical trolley tour through the city, jet skiing with dolphins in the Atlantic and a night time ghost tour. This time around, my brother, his girlfriend and I decided to just chill and walk around City Market. 

Since honesty is the best policy, I have to confess that I barely took any pictures while we were out. Mostly because we had gotten buzzed at the hotel's complimentary cocktail hour before leaving. I had a very strong rum punch and gin and tonic, plus a few sips of margarita. Anyway City Market is this area downtown near the squares with restaurants, bars, and shops. It's pretty much like an extremely tame and small version of Bourbon street.

We ended up at this Scottish restaurant for dinner. I had the bangers and mash because sausages from the UK are the best!! I also had a glass of scotch which I would feel the next morning.

Speaking of next morning, we spent the day on Tybee Island which is about 30 minutes from Savannah. One of my fondest life memory is going on my first ever jet ski ride and having dolphins swim up and play around us. It's always an amazing experience encountering animals in their natural habitat. Well this time around, due to shallow pockets, we just hung out on the beach; swimming in the ocean, flying kites, and just general lazing.  

The last time I was by the ocean was about a year ago in the Caribbeans. I think this is the longest I’ve been separated from it. I was longing for it. And it sure was nice to be back. My body, mind and soul were at ease. That’s what nature does to me. It’s God’s creation unbothered by humans. It’s beautiful and innocent. You know God takes care of nature regardless of human interference. And the crazy thing is that we are even more special to Him than the creatures that fly in the skies and the ones inhabiting the land. I know the world makes it hard to have faith sometimes, but if you just abandon your ego and the human interference, stop looking for reasons or something to blame for your situations, and just let God take care of you (easier said than done)...just imagine how awesome you’d be no matter the circumstance.  

As for Savannah, I’ll be back another day. There’s so much fascinating history in that city that needs to be documented on this blog. It won’t be a spontaneous trip next time. 

[usafrican]

Chasing Balloons

Back in the peach state again!!! Georgia has a lot more to offer than the city of Atlanta especially for those who love to explore nature. You’ve got the beaches by the Atlantic ocean to the east, mountains to the north, caves, waterfalls, rivers, lakes etc.

The last time I went to Helen, an old Bavarian town two hours from metro Atlanta, I chased waterfalls and tubed up the Chattanooga river. This time around I visited with the intent to ride a hot air balloon during the hot air balloon festival. 

The traffic entering the town center was ridiculous. The Georgia summer heat held nothing back. The air was filled with the smell of sweets, and the sounds revving engines from motorcyclists attending a bikers convention. For lunch my family and I stopped at Two Tire Tavern for German sausages and one of the local ice cream shops for dessert. And then we began our God knows how many miles trek looking for the festival grounds.

I’ve always been fascinated with hot air balloons; particularly how they navigate the sky. This was my first time being up close to a hot air balloon and I gotta say, I was quite blown away (PUN INTENDED). As I saw two balloons take off into the sky my eagerness to ride elevated (PUN INTENDED).

Alas, we were distracted by the need to document everything we spent way too much time trying to get pictures (I’m beyond disappointed with myself for this). By the time we decided to line up to ride it was pretty much too late in the evening. 

Thankfully American skies are full of balloons during summer. I’ll make another attempt at another festival

[usafrican]

In The Desert

So I haven’t traveled anywhere in a minute. At first I blamed life circumstances for that. But at the end of the day, life is just mind over matter. And I’m really trying to mentally get over myself and make things happen especially when people let me down. I’ve been working on my photography and videography skills which has been helpful. It keeps my mind focused and creativity challenged. Through this new venture, I even found a group of creative women that has ended up being a source of support and motivation. 

We recently went on a mini trip to the west coast of Michigan to take some test photos for a project we’re working on. Last summer, I went to Saugatuck, a beautiful little town with dunes overlooking Lake Michigan. This time I ended up at Silver Lake. We specifically went to catch the sunset on Lake Michigan from the sand dunes. Oh my goodness, the sand dunes!!!! They are a natural wonder to me. I felt like I was in the middle of a desert as I walked through the high hills and valleys of sand. 

The winds were unfriendly. They were great for picture and video purposes but oh so painful on my skin! I felt like I was being shot at with tiny needles. But when the wind calmed down, the peace I felt was like no other. 

In one moment I was in the middle of nothingness. The next moment, I could see the gorgeous and seemingly boundless Lake Michigan. 

Once again, I attempted to catch the sunset on the lake. Once again, like last year, the sun was hidden behind the clouds as it disappeared into the water. The whole experience was a metaphor of my life.

Let’s cut to the chase, life has been hard. I honestly wish I could go into the future to make sure that things turn out well and that I’m happy. Like genuinely happy. Scrolling through Instagram I see people posting about their opportunities and achievements, and I can’t help but wonder why is it difficult for me to accomplish things that seem like an “easy” check on life’s generic to-do list?  Why do I frequently find myself in deserts and valleys? I’m actually tired of having to find the oasis and lilies. I’m tired of having to see my glass half full even when I feel like I’m empty. Like God, I know you’re teaching me to be patient but when will it be my turn? What’s worse is that I hate that I feel this way because God has been faithful and provided for me. I just didn’t think I’d still be wandering at this point of my life. But thank God for His promises on which I can hold on to.

Philippians 1 v 6: Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.