Snapshots
Blurred Lines
A dancer in a safari gave me insight on a fast-paced life
The sun was quite high, as was the temperature when we set out for a safari in the deserts of UAE. The ride, driven by an Arab man, steel-faced and desert-hardened (I’d like to believe), started quite innocently, the Land Rover gliding over the highway that led into the interior of the country. Sixty minutes and a litre of water later, he made a turn to the right, off the road and into the vast golden desert.
Without taking anything away from the sheer beauty of the scene, the safari itself was the usual fare, with steep dune bashing, sand spraying over the sides of the SUV while the sun slowly set far into the horizon under the shimmering sand. We soon reached the campsite. Amidst a variety of delicious Arabian kebabs and drinks, we were about to witness some Arabian folk pieces.
A slim man strides onto the make-shift stage, adorning a colourful, voluminous outfit. Positioning himself at the centre, he looks around at his audience. A group of 5 men sits cross-legged to the left of the stage, setting up some instruments. An upbeat song springs to life. The dancer takes a deep breath, looks at his audience and smiles. He begins his routine, dancing and rotating with the beat of the daburka. Mid rotation, he taps his chest, and his outfit lights up, a rainbow of colours swirling around him. It was mesmerising, his pace increasing along with the song’s tempo. We can feel his giddiness as the colours blur in front of our eyes. Yet, despite this, there is a purpose, there is a story, and there is light.
I guess life is the same as well. Everything is a blur, a snapshot of which may seem puzzling. But there is beauty in this chaos, and there is order in it as well.
