Tribute to Bayt Lothan | تحية لـ بيت لوذان

Tribute to Bayt Lothan | تحية لـ بيت لوذان
Originally uploaded by radiant guy

Three days ago, I was invited to visit (not participate) Bayt Lothan by three different persons, I never went to any exhibitions before although I was invited plenty of times...It was fun to meet people from flickr who I've never met or even see how they looked like before, funny thing happened when I went the day before thinking that it's the opening day LOL

For people who doesn't know what is Bayt Lothan, It's an art place in Kuwait where they exhibit their work and/or take photography lessons...Designed as Arab used to design their old houses (Roofless huge hall in the middle with rooms around it, usually have more than one floor).

I've taken my baby camera with me, I thought I would take some photos but then I left it in the car...I thought it will not be allowed to take photos so I went in solo and now I regret it because everybody else did take his/her camera even some of them were carrying 4 cameras at a time...OK I am exaggerating but you get the idea LOL

Some of the participate were from Qatar, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates and that's where I found an Emarati guy who I met in Bahrain last year on my short vacation there...It was good to see you again Hamad Al Mansoori :)

From Kuwait I met Dhari (a member in flickr), I wasn't really sure if it was him because I only saw a tiny photo of him (his buddy icon in flickr) but he did recognize me, we've talked to for a while and currently I am surprised and curious about a certain thing he told me...
It was nice to meet you Dhari :)

There was one person I never imagined that I would actually find him there but I am certainly happy to finally had the chance to meet him :)
Here is the story...I did already saw all the photos in the middle hall, but I didn't know there were more photos in all the rooms around the hall so I almost left before finding that out...However I did see people get into that room so I followed them and I saw some photos through the window and that's when I decided to get in...
I didn't notice who was there but I looked immediately at the photos on the left wall the second I got in the room and I was thinking....My God where have I saw those photos before :S
I have the worst memory in the universe (I don't even remember what universe is LOL) and that's when I noticed the photographer was standing by and looking at me...It was Abdullah Al Nasser from flickr, he is probably my first contact in flickr studying abroad, that's why I didn't really think I would see him there, I am glad I did :D

I met Abdulrahman Al Turkeet who I've seen many times but I never had the chance to talk to until now, I would like thank him for the great job he did and still doing which is revealing the how some unfortunate people are living in poor under developed countries...
Abdulrahman, because of you those people are being heard and seen by the whole world...I really can not thank you enough.
His seminar in the Kuwait Volenteery Centre and his flickr made a huge impact in my mind, soul and emotions...Everybody should visit his flickr to have an idea of what I am talking about.

I also met Hamad Al Shaijy, Nawwaf ِAl Saleh and Fawwaz (known in flickr as funzy) who is my favorite portrait photographer in Kuwait.

Now I want to thank Zainab Al Mahmeed and Dhari Al Fozan for inviting me, I also would like to thank Al Anood ِAl Otaibi for inviting me too, I really wanted to meet her and thank her in person but I don't know how she looks like so I didn't do it at the time.

Photo was taken for Brownbook.