Anti-Trump protester

This picture was taken in June 2019, during the first Trump’s term .

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Withdraw US troops from South Korea

June 2019. A solo South Korean female protester at the Lafayette Park behind the White House. She was an exchange student and every weekends, she told me, she comes to downtown DC to hold a sign in protest against US military presence in South Korea. She told me she was part of the Party of Democracy and Peace expedition to the United States.
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Lake Louise

Lake Louise one of the most beautiful and the most visited destinations in Banff National Part in the state of Alberta, Canada. Due to high demands, you have plan ahead. Parking lots fill up quickly but you don’t have park at the lake, you can park car at the park and ride and take the shuttle.

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Sensing robotic crawler

In July 2019, the Smithsonian’s national air and space museum celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission with a series of the public events on the lawn of the national mall. In one of the stalls, a bunch of robots were introduced and organizers asked the kids to lie prone on the red mat so that they could let the robotic crawlers crawl on their back. When the kids were done with their fun experience, a group of women who were standing and watching jumped on their way to experience the fun as well.

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Beargrass

Beargrass, a native plant and a member of the lily family in the GNP giving a stunning view of the landscape of the northern part of the hidden lake. This narrow trail leading to the lake winds through the valley where the lake sets at the bottom where abundant of bears room the area.

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Hidden lake

A view of Hidden Lake from the Hidden Lake Overlook on the north side is nothing short of breathtaking. The striking centerpiece is Bearhat Mountain, rising majestically above the lake. Like many other lakes and mountains in Glacier National Park (GNP), this lake and mountain were formed by glaciers. To reach this spot, you can take the trail from Logan Pass, a relatively short hike of under 2 miles. But venturing through the forest can be risky due to bear activity during the day. On my excursions to this place, I’ve often seen mountain goats and bighorn sheep roaming the area. One memorable time, I even witnessed a grizzly bear chasing a mountain goat.

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Raaf: a medicinal herb

Raaf is a Hazaragi vernacular name for this plant. It’s from the asafoetida family but slightly different. This plant grows in the higher elevations. When it sprouts, people collect them for medicinal purposes. The roots and flower sprouts are eaten for digestive reasons and as a treatment for acid reflux. Sometimes it also used as appetite booster.

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Pennsylvania Avenue: a linkage between two landmarks

Pennsylvania Avenue, an iconic avenue and a linkage between two landmarks, the White House and the Capitol building. I took this photograph from the top of the Old Post Office tower, i think it also called clock tower or bell tower. The building later leased out to Trump when he became the 45the president and he turned it into a hotel until 2020 when the pandemic hit and he lost a nearly $70 million dollars. In 2023, Trump sold it to Waldorf Astoria.

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Fiery fall trees

Autumn landscape: Fiery fall trees reflected in water. The photo was taken at the end of October 2024 at the centennial park in Ellicott City, Maryland.

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Fog and a misty sunrise

Receding fog in the early morning and misty sunrise over

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Avalanche Lake in GNP

Avalanche Lake in the Glacier National Park
The lower Avalanche gorge half a mile from Going-to-the-Sun Road in the Glacier National Park.

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Mountain Goat on the Summit

Mountain goat on the summit of Mount Aeneas

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Avalanche Lake in GNP

The Avalanche Lake in the Glacier National Park a little under 6 miles from the Trail of the Cedars Trailhead, located 5.5 miles east of the Lake McDonald Lodge. This is one of the lakes that opens up summer time earlier than any other places on the west side of the Glacier National Park.
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Gardeli: my village

This is where I was born and raised, in an idyllic world. The village is called “gardeli,” in Hazaragi vernacular, which means dust of Ali.
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Blacksmith men in Herat

I don’t remember exactly when this photo was taken, probably in 2008. I was there for a UN conference and then walked on the streets and ended up in an old part of Herat where there were several blacksmith shops. These two men just prepared their lunch in this pressure cooker. It seems it is just out of the furnace.

Uzbek girls

young Uzbek girls at a ceremony organized by the prominent Uzbek leader, Abdul Rashid Dostum
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The Hell of Opiate

In 2009, a U.S. Department of State report estimated that there are two million drug users in Afghanistan with at least 50-60,000 drug addicts in Kabul alone. (more…)

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The unknown future of children

grimmest news comes from Afghanistan that parents are selling their children to feed themselves, here’s a recent news
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Elementary school in Hazarajat

An elementary school in the district of Malistan in Ghazni province. The structure didn’t look like a school, it was a dilapidated building with a few tents outside that held several classes during the day in two shifts: morning for boys, afternoon for girls. It seems it will have an afternoon shift any longer.
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A Hazara child in Ghur province

People in Afghanistan are facing starvation, children are the most vulnerable group to bear to the brunt. Many parents decided to sell their children to feed the rest of the family. Hazaras are are vulnerable at most.
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