Tag: religion
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The bookstore slows you down
Tucked along a vibrant row of shops flaunting kaleidoscopic carpets, bags, and trinkets, stands a shop adorned with nothing but a modest chalkboard on the sidewalk. Passerby need to step inside to see what it holds. This is Wardah Books, a literary haven curated by Ibrahim Tahir for over 16 years. From its humble beginnings…
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Canvassing the city
I stumbled across a store stacked floor-to-ceiling with an incredible collection of paintings. The owner showed me around, introducing himself as “Art.” True enough, I noticed his unmistakeable signature on each canvas. While curious, I refrained from questioning his choice of pseudonym. “Art” has witnessed a fragile existence in his homeland. The Khmer Rouge’s brutal…
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Temple of Knowledge
Little Prayer Shop August is the month of the 7th month of the lunar calendar for Buddhists and Taoists. The gates of the Afterlife open and ghosts of the dead return to Earth to linger among the living. Families make offerings to appease the souls of the dead and pray for their well-being in the Underworld, and…
Shopkeeper Stories 