CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
CONVERSATION
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
HUMAN TRACES:
ETHIOPIA
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
THE BALANCE OF FACTS
DESTINATIONS
DESTINATIONS
The Dreamtime, or the Dreaming, portrays the Aboriginal beliefs in spiritual existence. According to the tribes that first settled down in the continent, the Dreaming's roots date all the way back to the very begging of the creation of the world. The meaning and ideology of the term is generally not so well-understood by non-indigenous people as it is referred to as part of the culture of one of the early nations, which differs from modern perceptions.
The Spirits were the creators of everything. They made the land and the seas, the rocks and the plants, the sky and the earth. They were the higher power and the Australian Aborigines spent their lifetimes honoring this power, which guided their path and shaped their way of thinking. Not only creators of everything, which could be seen as well as felt, the Spirits also gave the Aborigines the Dreaming.
The time when everything started existing according to the initial Australians, was called the Dreaming. This is the foundation of the continent's culture. The origin of the Dreaming goes way back - 65 000 years back in time to be exact. The Ancestors of the nation shaped the land, forming some parts of it as sacred. The Aborigines were very careful and overprotective of those places, strongly believing in their significance.
The Australian Aborigines are known to have believed that the world didn't have any shape and was therefore empty. Darkness dominated, and life was simply asleep, but this changed when the creation began happening. After the Dreaming and the influence of the Spirits, objects began taking shapes and came to be. They created the four elements: water, earth, air and fire, as well as all the planets, the Sun and the Moon. The Dreaming therefore is a continuous process, which never ended. It is a small cosmos on its own, unifying the past, present and the future into one.
The Australian Aborigines' home riches so many vivid areas of the continent, including Fraser Island, Tasmania, Palm Island, Groote Eylandt and Mornington Island. The Aborigines had very strong believes in relation to the powers of the land, claiming that they never owned it - it rather owned them. The only reason they were able to call it their home is because they were looking after it and the land was taking care of the people in return.
Equally important to the Dreaming was the tribes' understandings of the disappearance of the Spirits. There came a time, when the creators of everything vanished from sight. Some of them were thought to have started living in sacred places, which is why the Aborigines perceived their homeland to be so sacred. The ancestors of today's Australians used to believe that the creators started living in rocks, in water holes and some went up to the sky to guide the people from above and keep them safe. Others transformed completely, taking the forms of the rain, the lightnings and the thunderstorms so they could be part of peoples' life.
Among the hundred's different Aboriginal languages, there isn't a word to describe 'time', because to them this simply doesn't exist. Dreaming and Dreamtime are used to replace it and summarize the ideologies of the Aborigines about everything they knew, everything they could see, feel and experience. This is why the Dreaming has such a vivid, and overwhelming meaning and has survived the obstacles of time. For the past couple thousand years, the Dreaming has built a rich cultural heritage that can identify a whole nation.
Read more about the Land, its connection to people and the way it has been perceived from different generations in the very first print issue of ORIGIN. The Land Issue covers varied topics, most of which remain related to cultural aspects of the land and its importance.
A lot of people travel to explore places and learn about them which is the message that ORIGIN wants to spread. With traveling, however, comes certain responsibilities that we should all be aware of. Elephants riding has become a popular way to explore locations by land. People have been doing this as part of their trips, mostly to places such as Thailand, Nepal, Cambodia and other parts of Asia. It is a common thing to see in certain places in Africa as well. We investigated the activity to explain why it is wrong and riding elephants should be banned everywhere.
Our first print issue studies culture and traveling represented through the land. We explored various location around the globe and learned what makes the land so valuable, which nations cherish it and how it helps us establish an identity. Traveling is important to us but traveling responsibly and making an impact is what we feel proud to stand behind. This is why riding elephants as a way of amusement should be reconsidered.
Let’s talk about the details. Elephants are very caring and extremely intelligent animals. It is a well-known fact that they never forget anything. When kept in captivity instead of spending their life in the wild, elephants die younger. Unlike in other species, this is common for the gentle giants and is often a result for stress.
Many African cultures respect elephants, believing they symbolize strength, loyalty and power. However, power can be a very tender concept. Elephant used as a tourism tool suffer from great pain daily. Elephants can be hurt very severely from the weight of carrying people and a trainer on their backs. The reason for this is the design of their spines. They have sharp protrusions, extending upwards from their spine instead of having round spinal disks. The protrusions and the tissue that serves to protect them can be harmed easily from weight pressure. Once a damage to their spine has been made, there is no going back and sometimes the harm can be irreversible. While this can’t be physically seen, the harm that the chairs can do to the elephants’ skin is. It is often the case that the chairs and the weight on their back can damage the animal’s skin and cause pain to their body. The chair, called Howdah, that gets attached to their backs, rubs on their skin and can cause blisters, which can sometimes get infected.
The training that elephants are required to go through when in captivity sometimes adopts a traditional Thai ‘phajaan’ or ‘crush’ technique. Explaining the technique would compare it to the animals’ spirits constantly and continuously being broken by the means of torture and social isolation. This is done in order to tame them. Elephants are wild animals, this is their nature as they are born in such conditions. Making them safe and obedient around people requires them to go through such training. As horrible as it sounds, in some places young elephants are taken away from their mothers to be abused with nails, bull hooks and bamboo sticks to make them obey rules, given by people. The animals often lack sleep and are starved to become submissive.
Actions from such nature are cruel and harmful as the technique is used to crash the animals’ spirit. Once wild and free, elephants become a source of tourism and entertainment. Nobody, who cared about sustainable tourism should ever ride an elephant.
In a sense, elephants have a human soul. They socialise and feel everything – pain, happiness, grief, sadness etc. They spend their life building families and finding friends. The largest land animals are a gift from nature and it is our responsibility to take special care of them and make sure they live according to their nature. Many animals, who are kept in captivity, are forced to live in isolation and carry heavy loads all day long, which is a wrong way to treat them. Their strength and power shouldn’t be abused but treated gently and celebrated by people. Elephants require minimal care to stay happy and healthy, which comes from giving them freedom to behave naturally and socialise. It is our responsibility to be culturally aware while traveling and make sure to spread awareness about the problem.
You can read the rest of the article as published in the LAND issue.
DIRTY GREY - HANDMADE SHOES WITH LOVE FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN
Introducing Dirty Grey - the light footwear brand that makes the handmade espadrilles of your dreams! In a conversation with the founder, Angeliqa Gidlöf, we talk about Mallorca, why she decided to go with the handmade approach and what the inspiration for the designs is
With summer just around the corner, it is time to start planning your next getaway adventure. The best way to begin is by making sure you're prepared and have all summer essentials, including comfortable footwear. Each time I visit a new place, I love wandering around because it gives me an authentic perspective of the destination. My number one priority for a summer holiday is bringing along a pair of shoes that are the right balance of comfort, sustainability and style. I found just the right brand - Dirty Grey!
The handmade espadrilles are a must-have for every nomadic girl. Their elegant look feels personalised as you can tie their knot in whatever style you like. Easy to carry around, they fit in any carry-on suitcase or beach bag. The espadrilles are the shoes of our dreams.
Born in Sweden, Angeliqa Gidlöf worked in the fashion industry as a styling assistant and later on an independent stylist. She had always wanted to start a brand of her own and her dream became a reality in 2017. Influenced by Mallorca where she lived for over 20 years, Angeliqa founded Dirty Grey. You can feel the rhythm of the Mediterranean lifestyle and wanderlust in the design of the footwear. The colours mimic the sandy coastlines and pastel shades of the sky; the deep blue of the ocean and the colour of the rising sun. Footwear made for the island girl, Dirty Grey will remind you of a the Mediterranean everywhere you wear them.
‘‘I just love the sea, the small villages and all the lemon trees. I want to reflect that to my designs!’’
Angeliqa Gidlöf, founder of Dirty Grey for NOMADSofORIGIN Magazine
Inspired by her mother's passion to craft, Angeliqa worked alongside her in their own little workshop for years. From shoes to bags, the two of them had fun establishing their own style in hand-making products that represented them both. Since Angeliqa started focusing on her own brand, Dirty Grey has been nothing but a success. She has had customers from Europe and beyond all the way to Australia because who wouldn't want their own pair of stilysh espadrilles that they can combine with pretty much anything!
Primarily sold online, the brand focuses on two main collections - the Nudo Collection and the Island Collection. The Island Collection was the first one released and comes in 7 colours - from brown sand to summer pink, blue lagoon and beige love, take your pick. Keep an eye out for any limited edition items that Angeliqa works on seasonally to bring some more fun into the brand.
NOMADSofORIGIN: Dirty Grey are handmade and each product you sell is unique. Why did you decide to go with this approach and put so much attention into every pair of shoes?
Angeliqa: I grew up watching my mom sew, so I must have got it from her ;) For years before I started my brand, we both have been making bags and clothes just for fun in our workshop. So I've always loved handmade, I think it is more fun and special to put more love in each product and then see people around the world wearing my designs and what I've been making with so much love in our workshop.
NOMADSofORIGIN: Where do you find inspiration for the design of the espadrilles?
Angeliqa: I find my inspiration here on our island, Mallorca. I'm from Sweden, but moved here 20 years ago and just love the sea, the small villages and all the lemon trees. I want to reflect that to my designs: Mediterranean-summer-girl with style!
NOMADSofORIGIN: As a Mediterranean based brand, you’ve decided to donate 10€ of each sale to the Spanish hospitals to support their restless fight to keep people safe and healthy. Do you think more fashion brands, independent or bigger ones, need to take this approach and help out their local communities?
Angeliqa: Definitely, I think we should all help each other during this time. As we all need to continue to sell and keep the economy going, doing this donation is a good way for us all to help in some way.
Photography: Aura House
Photography: Aura House
NOMADSofORIGIN: We love the espadrilles! There are so much different designs and colours to choose from that it’s hard to decide which ones to order. What are your favourite designs from the collections?
Angeliqa: Thank you :) My favourites are our Nudo collection that comes in many different colours, it's also our best-seller. I see them as the signature piece of the brand. But I'm obsessed with every new collection that we launch!
NOMADSofORIGIN: Is there a designer or fashion brand that you love, and we should know about?
Angeliqa: I love 'For love and lemons', 'Steele Label' and 'Sezane' summer collections. Those brands give me a lot of inspiration and I think our espadrilles matches perfectly with their clothes.
NOMADSofORIGIN: Your shoes are made for the nomadic traveller so that people who love heading to sunny destinations can feel comfortable in their footwear and look stylish. What are the places your team can’t resist visiting whenever they book a holiday?
Angeliqa: Wherever there are beaches and small towns to that holiday evening! Magical places like Balearic island and the coast of Italy, and Sri Lanka and Costa Rica for more adventure, for example :)
NOMADSofORIGIN: We love seeing brands that put so much attention into what they do. Your handmade style is inspiring. What should we expect from Dirty Grey in the future?
Angeliqa: We are hoping for many more collections! Every season we add some new espadrilles collections to the family and we love making limited edition collections like bags, baskets...It's always fun for our costumers to buy limited edition products that are more unique and there's not many of them!
NOMADSofORIGIN: Thank you so much for this interview. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?
Angeliqa: Thank you very much!! We are very happy that our small brand, crafted on our little island, can reach so many places around the world and we are forever grateful for all of you that support small businesses!
Shop the products online
See below some of the products we love. Follow the brand on social media.
NOMADSofORIGIN x Dirty Grey
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NOMADSofORIGIN is an independent annual publication with a focus on sustainable travelling and global cultural values. Each issue features interviews, engaging articles and photo guides, which take our nomadic readers through different destinations and introduce them to local people's perspectives.
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