on these here banks

H. Nasir Gents Tailors is a small hole in the wall family operation off the main clock tower roundabout in this city of Dehradun. The Central Post Office, a massive building, and the Clock Tower are within sight from the corner of Ghosli Gali or Ghosi Lane. Standing in Nasir Gents Tailors one feels that they could lay down in the store and perhaps with a little wiggle, their toes would dangle out of the store and into Ghosi Lane.

Mr. Nasir has recently stitched men's jackets and suits, pants, shirts and even now, some short ladies jackets. Behind his measuring table is a photograph of Mecca and three shirts in a plastic display case, with the H. Nasir label on them. H. Nasir claims to be the oldest shop in Dehradun.

Two years ago I got three suits stitched at H. Nasir Tailors for a wedding in California.

Less than two months later a journey of epic proportions began on sandy shores, at dawn, while the sun rose. The sky was clear and blue. The air was fresh. The light of the sun, warm.

This journey is infinite and forever. How many wavy banks and diverse nations, ocean currents and clear rivers has this journey travelled with and rested at before moving on? How many grains of sand are there in the world? Or high mountain passes full of snow, soon to melt and journey themselves? Right now, reading this, how many toes are wiggling in sand, currents lapping the backs of ankles, faces being washed in fast flowing alpine streams, boats braving storms on choppy seas... Glasses, hands full of water being drunk, bodies cleansed... Giving life...

One thing can be certain.

A journey of this magnitude has never been so well dressed...

this is the ghats of the mighty ganga at dusk. haridwar, uttar pradesh.

with a touch of silvio rodriguez and mercedes sosa, love and health to all...