diary

Nice to see some lady bears in the mix too. Here they are taking a break by town park in Moinesti. #Romania #winter #beardance @dianazeynebalhindawi for @burndiary

Moinesti had its annual Bear Parade today. Bear dances are part of a number of age old traditions specific to this part of #Romania between Christmas and the New Year. These traditions are the reason I am visiting during the cold #winter. They are some of the things I miss most about #Moinesti. To explain …

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Grama’s corner where she works on her #needlepoint. One of her creations hangs above the light fixture. A #Orthodox icon hangs in the middle and a portrait of her some 30 years ago is on the top left. I was mostly raised by my grandparents until I was 7 years old. I remember well when …

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Hello everybody! I’m Diana Zeyneb Alhindawi @dianazeynebalhindawi, and I’m very excited to be sharing this week with you all. This is my brother and his dog, this afternoon in my parents’ backyard in Long Island, New York. Our Christmas day starts a bit late because we celebrate on Christmas Eve, as is traditional in Romania, …

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I’m a wedding photographer, yet I don’t always believe in love. I see couples that marry out of duty and obligation, so I keep my peace. In fear of having the same emotional roller coaster apply to me, I reject emotional attachments in my personal life. And then, I meet couples like the Kishan and …

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Last minute shopping on Christmas Eve at Dubai mall. @tasneemalsultan for @burndiary

Back to Dubai where the West and East co-habit. You can wear and act however you want, while remaining sensitive to local culture and tradition. Dubai represents everything we consider progressive and developed while at its core it is anchored by a proud culture and identity. A welcome home to all @tasneemalsultan for @burndiary

Finished shooting yesterday’s Saudi wedding at 3am and took the noon flight back home. Rushing from one car to another, and on the plane I finally sat for an hour to think calmly. Observing the Saudi man sitting across me, working on his laptop throughout the flight, I started wondering. We take our jobs for …

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Weddings in the Arab world usually begin late in the evening. Tonight’s Saudi bride has started getting ready at 2pm but has asked her guests to arrive at 10pm so that she can enter the grand ballroom at 11pm. In Saudi, and all the neighboring countries, this is considered normal. I’m expecting the wedding to …

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As the young Saudi woman browses through the many books in a local setup market she checks her phone. Everyone here is plugged to a smart phone. I think I saw my 7-yr-old cousin with a phone, too. She has an Instagram account too. @tasneemalsultan for @burndiary