Arif Shahjahan

In harmony

These are our shared dreams that inspire a sense of community–we are all in it together.

1m ago

Essence of my travel

In my family, short trips were the norm. I would tag along with my parents even on some business trips. These were not exactly sightseeing trips, although some side excursions were always baked in. Those visits, prosaic to some, still drew me because there were always a few things in them that excited my senses. I’d scoop up and relish every opportunity just as the thirsty hands collect water and stay tightly together to keep every bit from slipping through. Lush countryside dotted with little villages, roadside hot tea, and unpaved roads bisecting the green fields were all a treat.

1y ago

The Fourth Dimension

Tucked in a quiet corner behind the busy chatter of urban Dhaka, she is truly a hidden gem that speaks elegance and gastronomy in the same breath. It’s like finding a cute little European family home that beckons the oft-finicky gourmet to a few tricks up her sleeve. You can easily mistake her for someone’s house in Dhaka, and drive right past it.

2y ago

Florence spirit of the renaissance

Certain aspects of travel are better left to imagination, but what happened this time threw us off balance.

2y ago

She could take it back

Many of these environmental disasters seemed distant once, they are now increasingly closer to home in the shape of more severe natural calamities often rattling us. To forestall such disasters, it’s imperative that we wake up to the existential threat posed by nature, abused for years.

3y ago

So old-fashioned!

The noise of every shifted gear was awesome. On a zigzagging upslope, playing catch-up to keep the car from rolling back with the perfect mix of clutch and accelerator wasn’t easy.

4y ago

The indomitable human spirit

A public bus once got stuck in an evening blizzard up a slippery slope and could not move with its engines revving. On board were small children who had not eaten for a while.

4y ago

Zermatt, the princess of the Alps

Zermatt, a paradise for skiers, is about three hours southeast of Geneva, nestled in the tall peaks of the Alps, hidden but from the most-zealous. It has a special cache because of how it attracts different clienteles, and what it possesses.

4y ago
April 23, 2019
April 23, 2019

The march of a dreamer

As I sip my smoking hot coffee in the flickering light of the fireplace, looking out the window, I feel the incessant rain has almost turned bland for my imagination.

March 12, 2019
March 12, 2019

So close yet so far

I could often imagine the anguish I might feel being away from my loved ones. Distance forces us to accept reality, but I could never imagine how it feels being so close, and yet be so far. Shared moments wrapped in laughter and sorrow shape a life, and those moments move into the rear-view mirror one day, where they can only be cherished afar.

  •