View allAll Photos Tagged conquer..
Hatred is not overcome by hatred; hatred is conquered by love, and so is the order of things from eternity. Unless your name is Henry Ford and Enzo Ferrari just let you down by having lunch with his lawyer and then not returning to the negotiating table. The story is of course known to every Ford and Ferrari enthusiast. Ford developed the GT40 and beat Ferrari fair and square at Le Mans. But the chance of ever buying a Ferrari has gone forever since that afternoon. Fortunately, both brands are still going strong today and Ford uses the GT40 every few years as an excuse to put the most extravagant and excellent sports car on the market. The previous Ford GT was actually a slightly larger GT40 with a huge V8 and a supercharger. This generation of Ford GT, on the other hand, is not a retro car but a futuristic spaceship that forgot to return to the pits after a successful race at La Sartre and pulled into your parking space. What a beautiful machine. This 2021 copy is a so-called Carbon Series. This means that the car is slightly lighter than the already very light “standard” Ford GT, the car has extra visible carbon, a Lexan engine compartment cover, no cup holders, carbon wheels, titanium wheel bolts and a stripe over the hood consisting of blank carbon.
The second generation Ford GT, as this car is referred to, is a car built at Multimatic in Canada. The base is a carbon fiber monocoque that is not only extremely stiff but also feather-light. The drive is provided by a 3.5 litre Ford Ecoboost V6. The engine produces 647 hp and enables the car to reach a top speed of no less than 347 kilometres per hour. The car was unveiled in 2016 and Ford immediately announced that it would be taking another shot at victory at Le Mans 50 years later. The Ford GT is therefore also one of the few cars that is basically designed as a race car and not as a street car. This means that for the designers the objectives were very clear in advance: this car must be able to drive as fast as possible at Le Mans and then we must be able to make the car street-legal with not too many adjustments. Finally, it should be noted that this is an almost unique opportunity to obtain a Ford GT Carbon Series. When Ford opened the order books for the GT, it was not the case that everyone could buy such a car, no, buyers had to go through a real application procedure to get a Ford GT. If Ford didn’t think the story was good enough, or the buyer didn’t like the GT, it wasn’t possible to buy one. In addition, buyers of the Ford GT were not allowed to resell the car shortly after purchase.
This copy has German papers and is in absolute mint condition. The car comes with delivery miles and is beautifully executed. Black goes perfectly with the car’s sinister looks. The body is unmistakably recognizable as a Ford GT and yet almost incomparable with its predecessors. The carbon wheels are not only very beautiful but also very light. The finish of the car is of course as you would expect from a top product of this calibre. The paint is beautifully sprayed, the finish on the wheels is exceptional, the panels fit together sublimely everywhere and we are only talking about the exterior of the car. The interior is pure practicality. The steering wheel is equipped with many buttons to operate many vital functions of the car and makes driving the car a breeze. The ergonomics are of course perfect for each other and finding a good seating position is child’s play because the seat cannot be adjusted, but the steering column and the pedal box have to be adjusted. Unlike previous hardcore versions of the Ford GT, the Carbon Series is still equipped with the Ford Sync 3 system. This makes covering longer distances a wonderful activity. Things like air conditioning and an excellent sound system make the party complete.
In short, an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire a Ford GT Carbon Series and an absolute top opportunity for the serious investor.
“It is better to conquer yourself than to win a thousand battles. Then the victory is yours.
It cannot be taken from you, not by angels or by demons, heaven or hell”.
(The Buddha - Hindu Prince Gautama Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism, 563-483 B.C.)
Those fingers belong to the huge statue of Maitreya Buddha which is in a temple at Thiksey Monastery in front of the Himalayan hills of Ladakh.
Join the photographer at www.facebook.com/laurent.goldstein.photography
© All photographs are copyrighted and all rights reserved.
Please do not use any photographs without permission (even for private use).
The use of any work without consent of the artist is PROHIBITED and will lead automatically to consequences.
Beaumaris was originally a Viking settlement known as Porth y Wygyr ("Port of the Vikings"), but the town itself began its development in 1295 when Edward I of England, having conquered Wales, commissioned the building of Beaumaris Castle as part of a chain of fortifications around the North Wales coast (others include Conwy, Caernarfon and Harlech).
The castle was built on a marsh and that is where it found its name: the French builders called it beaux marais which translates as "beautiful marsh".
The ancient village of Llanfaes, a mile to the north of Beaumaris, had been occupied by the Anglo Saxons in 818 but had been regained by Merfyn Frych, King of Gwynedd, and remained a vital strategic settlement. To counter further Welsh uprisings, and to ensure control of the Menai Strait, Edward I chose the flat coastal plain as the place to build Beaumaris Castle. It was a menacing finger pointing directly to Garth Celyn, the headquarters of the Prince of Wales prior to the Edwardian conquest of 1283, on the opposite shore. The castle was designed by the Savoyard mason Master James of St. George and is considered the most perfect example of a concentric castle. The 'troublesome' residents of Llanfaes were removed en bloc to Rhosyr in the west of Anglesey, a new settlement King Edward entitled "Newborough". French and English masons were brought in to construct the castle itself and the walled town.
Beaumaris was awarded a Royal Charter by Edward I, which was drawn up on similar terms as the charters of his other castle towns in North Wales and intended to invest only the English and Norman-French residents with civic rights. Native Welsh residents of Beaumaris were largely disqualified from holding any civic office, carrying any weapon, holding assemblies and were not allowed to purchase houses or land within the Borough. The Charter also specifically prohibited Jews (who had been largely expelled from most English towns) from living in Beaumaris. A requirement that all trade in the immediate area be conducted at Beaumaris meant the town became the main commercial centre of Anglesey.
Beaumaris became one of the three most important Saxon ports in the UK and the port of registration for all vessels in North West Wales covering not only every harbour on Anglesey but all the ports of North West Wales from Conwy to Pwllheli. Shipbuilding was a major industry in Beaumaris. This was centred on Gallows Point — a nearby spit of land extending into the Menai Strait about a mile west of the town. Gallows Point had originally been called "Osmund's Eyre" but was renamed when the town gallows were erected there — along with a "Dead House" for the corpses of criminals dispatched in public executions. Later, hangings were carried out at the town gaol and the bodies buried in a lime-pit within the curtilage of the gaol. One of the last prisoners to hang at Beaumaris issued a curse before he died - decreeing that if he was innocent the four faces of the church clock would never show the same time. Since that day - it's claimed - they never have.[citation needed]
Beaumaris in 1610.
Beaumaris Castle
Notable buildings in the town include the castle, a courthouse built in 1614, the fourteenth century St Mary's parish church, the town gaol, the 14th century Tudor Rose (one of the oldest original timber-framed buildings in Britain) and the Bulls Head Inn (built in 1472, which General Thomas Mytton made his headquarters during the "Siege of Beaumaris" during the second English Civil War in 1648). The hill leading north from the town "Red Hill" is so named from the blood spilled in that conflict.
A native of Anglesey, David Hughes, founded Beaumaris Grammar School in 1603. It became a non-selective school in 1952 when Anglesey County Council became the first authority in Britain to adopt comprehensive secondary education. The school was eventually moved to Menai Bridge and only the ancient hall of the original school building now remains.
Beaumaris Pier, opened in 1846, was designed by Frederick Foster and comprises a masonry jetty continuing out into the Strait on wooden and concrete pilings. The pier was re-built and extended to 570 feet after storm damage in 1872 and a large pavilion was constructed at the end which contained a cafe. It was once the landing stage for steamships of the Liverpool and North Wales Shipping Company including the Snowdon, La Marguerite, St. Elvies and St. Trillo, although the larger vessels in its fleet - the St. Seriol and St. Tudno — were too large for the pier and landed their passengers at Menai Bridge. In the 1960s, through lack of maintenance, the pier became unsafe and was threatened with demolition, but local yachtswoman and lifeboat secretary Miss Mary Burton made a massive private donation to ensure the pier was saved for the town. Today, although the impressive old steamers have long since gone, Beaumaris Pier is still a busy base for yachts and pleasure vessels of all kinds.
A marina on the western shore of Gallows Point has been proposed, but at present all moorings at Beaumaris are tidal.
The Saunders Roe company set up a factory at Fryars (the site of the old Franciscan friary to the east) when it was feared that the company's main base on the Isle of Wight would be a target for World War II Luftwaffe bombers. The factory converted American-built PBY Catalina flying boats and, after the war, produced fast patrol boats, minesweepers and even buses for London Transport (RT Double deckers) and single deck buses for Cuba.
The word I decided to do is conquer, and the way I portrayed this was by going up to lookout mountain, and posing my little sister to look out into the distance and see that "she can conquer the world" just like in the movies.
Day 1 of 2017 Mid-Season Invitational Group Stage at Jeunesse Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 10 May 2017.
With the right tools you can conquer the world! 💪 🔥
Having the right tools for the job is so important and I realised that even more since running my own business this year. It can make a massive difference in your productivity, sales, efficiency, overall health and well-being - let's face it, if you are overworked and stressed your health suffers from it. 😴
🕛
So think about what you are struggling with or where you think you can save time and I bet if you take 10 minutes to search through Google results you will get at least 5 tools and plenty of blog posts and reviews about it before you try it out yourself. Best of all is that most good online tools are either free or very very affordable ✔
🏁
As a small business owner or solotrepreneur you need all the help you can get and just some things to consider tools for that make them better are:
➡➡
Emails
Graphic Design
Social Media Management
Accounting
Calendars /Schedulers
Analytics
Marketing Automation
Mobile Apps
Reminders/alerts
Timezone Converters and many more! 💯
✊
Let me know in the comments below what are great tools that you discovered that makes life so much easier! 💡😎
147 Likes on Instagram
14 Comments on Instagram:
adeldemeyer: @tatedimech O my gosh, everything I use. Great minds! 😉 Awesome tools, love them all. I use Xero for accounting 👍
adeldemeyer: @elevateitnow Awesome, thank you 👍 😉
adeldemeyer: @citrinecollares 😊💃
tatedimech: @adeldemeyer 💁 I love using all of them too! Nice, I don't have clients... Yet
instagram.com/isabela.xela: Nice post @adeldemeyer 👏 I've spent last 6 months searching for my perfect set and it seems depend on your objectives⚙ so I am on and off with many of mentioned above. Last tests done on @Sotrender which I am saying only because it's #madeinpoland
anilagrawal64: Canva & pixlr.com for photo editing and cover designs, evernote for daily journal and clipping web stuff with proper tagging. Photoshop Elements special edition from Costco - recently was on $40 rebate! Toggl for task tracking plus a bunch here in this thread
anilagrawal64: Fitbit Charge for tracking daily 10k steps, sleep quality and water intake. I don't track weight and calories - it's pretty much under control :-)
Gangaikonda Cholapuram (Tamil: கங்கைகொண்ட சோழபுரம்) was built during medieval India and was erected as the capital of the Cholas by Rajendra Chola I, the son and successor of Rajaraja Chola, the great Chola who conquered a large area in South India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Sumatra, Kadaram (Kedah in Malaysia), Cambodia and others at the beginning of the 11th century A.D. It occupies an important place in the history of India. As the capital of the Cholas from about 1025 A.D. for about 250 years, the city controlled the affairs of entire southern India, from the Tungabhadra in the north to Ceylon in the south and other south east Asian countries. As of 2014, the ancient city exists as a small forlorn village in the Ariyalur district of Tamil Nadu, India. The great temple of Siva at this place is next only to the Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur in its monumental nature and surpasses it in sculptural quality. The Gangaikondaan temple is an architectural and engineering marvel.
CITY
The city was founded by Rajendra Chola to commemorate his victory over the Pala Dynasty. The name means The town of the chola who brought Ganga (water from Ganga) or who defeated (the kings near) Ganga. It is now a small village, its past eminence only remembered by the existence of the great Siva Temple. Rajendra Chola-I (1012-1044 A.D) son of the Great Rajaraja-I, established this temple after his great victorious march to river Ganges on Northern India. He assumed the title of Rajendra during his coronation and continued to rule along with his father Rajaraja-I for a while. He was awarded the supreme title of the Cholas known as Parakesari.
Rajendra-I, a great warrior, assisted his father in numerous expeditions to elevate the Cholas to supreme power. The various expeditions he conducted, were : Gangetic expedition, eastern/Western Chalukyas expedition, war against Cheras/Pandyas, Ceylon expedition, Kataram (currently called as Kedah) expedition.
His empire included the whole of southern India to the river Thungabathra in the north. For administrative and strategic purposes he built another capital and named it Gangaikondacholapuram. The Gangaikondacholapuram temple he constructed consists of 3 stories and was surrounded by a huge fort-like wall, the outer wall largely destroyed during the English rule (1896) to reuse the building material (granite rocks) for constructing the Lower Anicut, the dam built across river Kollidam. He built around 10 temples at various places.
He assumed the title of Gangaikonda Cholan and named his new capital as Gangaikondacholapuram and he also constructed a huge Lake known as Chola Gangam that spreads 22 km mainly used for drinking and irrigation. A statue of Rajendra-I is found in Kolaram temple at Kolar of Karnataka state in India.
C. 1022 C.E. Rajendra undertook an expedition to the Ganges along the east coast of peninsular India. The emperor himself lead the army up to the banks of the Godavari river. The Chola armies conquered all the countries north of Vengi, which included Kalinga, Odda, Southern Kosala, the lower and upper Lada and finally the Vangaladesa (Bengal). The triumphant Chola armies brought back waters from the river Ganges in golden vessels. Around the same time, the Cholas under the illustrious Rajendra Chola I also vanquished the Chalukyas of Manyakheta when the Chola protectorate of Vengi was threatened by Chalukyas Jayasimha II. Rajendra Chola I defeated Jayasimha-II Chalukya at Maski (Muyangi in Chola annals) between Eluru and Visayavadai (modern Vijayawada) and subsequently engaged the Chalukya in Kannada country itself i.e. in the Chalukyas capital of Mannaikadakkam (Manyakheta) "the war in which the Chalukya Jayasimha-II, full of fear, hid like a mouse and fled the battlefield". The Chola armies seized the Chalukya flag, decapitated or slew various generals of the Chalukyas, with the Chalukyan king fleeing the battlefield. The Chalukya King surrendered his wife to the victorious Chola monarch. With the Chola coffers filling up with riches from the Chalukya country, they were able to establish their hold of the region between the Vaigai/Kaveri delta in Tamil country up to the Tungabhadra-Krishna basins in the Maharashtra-Andhra region. To commemorate this celebrated victory, Rajendra assumed the title of Gangaikonda Cholan, "Irattapadi-konda Cholan", "Mannai-kondan" (the king who possessed Irattapadi (erstwhile land of the Rashtrakutas usurped by the Salukkis (Chalukyas) and the king who possessed (the Chalukyan capital) Manyakheta (Mannaikadakkam in Chola annals) and had the Siva Temple Gangakkondacholeswaram built (***). Soon the capital was moved from Thanjavur to Gangaikondacholapuram. The city of Gangaikondacholapuram was probably founded by Rajendra before his 17th year. Most of the Chola kings who succeeded Rajendra were crowned here. They retained it as their capital, reoriented and trained the efficient Chola army.
CHOLA CULTURE
Chola rulers were active patrons of the arts. They flourished in architectures, education, science, arts, ship construction, poetry, drama, music, business trading, dance. The beautiful Nataraja figure was first conceived during the Chola empire.
They constructed enormous stone temple complexes decorated inside and out with painted sculptures. While the stone sculptures and the inner sanctum image empowering the temple remained immovable, changing religious concepts during the 10th century demanded that the deities take part in a variety of public roles similar to those of a human monarch. As a result, large bronze images were created to be carried outside the temple to participate in daily rituals, processions, and temple festivals. The round lugs and holes found on the bases of many of these sculptures are for the poles that were used to carry the heavy images. They were admired for the sensuous depiction of the figure and the detailed treatment of their clothing and jewelry in Chola-period bronzes.
FORTIFICATIONS
Nudging from the available literature and the remains we may conclude that it was an extensive city, carefully planned and laid in accordance with the architectural treatises to suit the needs of a capital.
The city seems to have had two fortifications, one inner and the other outer. The outer was probably wider. The remains of the outer fortification can be seen as a mound running all around the palace.
The outer fortification built of burnt bricks, was about six to eight feet wide. It consisted of two walls, the intervening space (the core) being filled with sand. The bricks are fairly large in size and are made of well-burnt clay. Systematic brick robbing by the local inhabitants has reduced this structure to its current state.
The outer fortification was known as Rajendra Chola Madil and is mentioned in inscriptions. The inner fortification was around the royal palace, probably identical with the Utpadi vittu madil of the inscriptions.
Probably in the reign of Kulothunga Chola I, the fortifications were renewed and the city underwent some alteration and additions. An epigraph refers to the fort wall of Kulothunga Chola (Kulottunga Cholan Thirumadil). The strengthening of the fortification and additions to the city in the reign of Kulothunga I were probably necessitated by the uprising which led to the murder of Chola king Athithakarikal Cholain the sambuvaraya's palace of Melakadambur, Kulothunga's predecessor. By the 13th century, the Chola kingdom had exhausted its resources and was on the decline. It succumbed to an attack by the Hoysalas from the west and the Pandyas from the south. The last king of the Medieval Cholas was Rajendra Chola-III.
THE CHOLA ADMINISTRATION
The Chola administration served as a model for all the other kingdoms of the South. The king had a council of ministers. The kingdom was divided into a number of provinces known as mandalams, The mandalams in turn were divided into valanadu and nadus. The next administrative sub divisions were kurrams and kottams. The special feature of the Chola administration was the Local Self Government or the autonomous administration. The villagers themselves carried out village administration. It was more or less like the modern Panchayat Raj. Each village had a village assembly known as the ur or the sabha. The members of the sabha were elected by lot, known as kudavolai system. There was a committee to look after the specified departments, such as justice, law and order, irrigation etc., which were called as variyams.
ARCHITECTURE
The temple of Gangaikondacholisvara is approached through the eastern entrance from the road. The entrance is called the "Mahaduvar" leads to the inner court. As one steps in, the great Vimana arrests the visitor's sight. The Vimana with its recessed corners and upward movement presents a striking contrast to the straight-sided pyramidal tower of Thanjavur but with octagon shape of Dravidian architecture. As it rises to a height of 55 m and is shorter than the Thanjavur tower with larger plinth, it is often described as the feminine counterpart of the Thanjavur temple. The Vimana is flanked on either side by small temples; the one in the north now housing the Goddess is fairly well preserved. The small shrine of Chandikesvara is near the steps in the north. In the north-east are a shire housing Durga, a well called lion-well (simhakeni) with a lion figure guarding its steps and a late mandapa housing the office. Nandi is in the east facing the main shrine. In the same direction is the ruined gopura, the entrance tower. The main tower surrounded by little shrines truly presents the appearance of a great Chakravarti (emperor) surrounded by chieftains and vassals. The Gangaikondacholapuram Vimana is undoubtedly a devalaya chakravarti, an emperor among temples of South India.
ROYAL PALACE
The royal palace also was built of burnt brick. The ceilings were covered with flat tiles of small size, laid in a number of courses, in fine lime mortar. The pillars were probably made of polished wood, supported on granite bases; a few pillar bases have survived to this day. Iron nails and clamps have been recovered from this palace site. There is an underground tunnel that links the palace and the temple inner 1st pragara (north).
In the reign of Virarajendra Chola, Rajendra's third son, the palace at Gangaikondacholapuram is referred to as Chola-Keralan Thirumaligai (Chola Keralan palace) evidently after one of the titles of Rajendra I. The same inscription mentions a few parts of the palace as adibhumi (the ground floor), Kilaisopana (the eastern portico), and a seat named Mavali vanadhirajan. Evidently the palace was multistoried. In an inscription dated in the 49th year of Kulothunga I (1119 C.E.) reference is made to Gangaikondacholamaligai at this place. It is likely that there were more than one royals building each having their own name.
CATASTROPHE ON GANGAIKONDACHOLAPURAM
As per the available evidences, the last Chola King Rajendra Chozha III’s rule did not end due to any defeat in the war field. But devastations are available underneath, which proves that some major catastrophe happened around Gangaikondacholapuram which brought the Chola’s Rule to an end. After about six/eight decades, the Chola region was taken over by Pallava from whom it was Hoysala and then to Vijaya Nagar Rule. During Vijaya Nagar Rule, lots of settlements by Telugu, Telugu Brahmins, Kannada etc.happened. It is also evident that while the farmers tried to dig wells for farming around Gangaikondacholapuram, it was revealed to the world that the Palace buildings and other constructions are underneath about 50 – 80 feet depth.
EXPEDITION TO THE GANGES
With both the Western and Eastern Chalukya fronts subdued, Rajendra’s armies undertook an extraordinary expedition. 1019 CE Rajendra’s forces continued to march through Kalinga.
Kalinga was a kingdom in central-eastern India, which comprised most of the modern state of Orissa, as well as some northern areas of the bordering state of Andhra Pradesh to the river Ganges. The Emperor himself led the advance up to the river Godavari.
The Chola army eventually reach the Pala kingdom of Bengal where they met Mahipala I,considered the second founder of the Pala Empire . Gopala I established the dynastic rule of the Palas in the middle of the 8th century C.E and defeated him.
According to the Tiruvalangadu Plates, the campaign lasted less than two years in which many kingdoms of the north felt the might of the Chola army. The inscriptions further claim that Rajendra defeated the armies of Ranasura and entered the land of Dharmapala and subdued him and thereby he reached the Ganges and caused the river water to be brought back to the Chola country. The new conquests opened up new routes for the Cholas to head for distant lands like Burma by land (through what are now modern Orissa, West Bengal, Assam and Bangladesh).
It is true that Rajendra's army defeated the kings of Sakkarakottam and Dhandabhukti and Mahipala. These territories were initially added to the kingdom, while later they had the status of tribute paying subordinates and trade partners with the Chola Kingdom, an arrangement that lasted till the times of Kulothunga-III and to a limited extent, of Raja Raja-III too. It was undoubtedly an exhibition of the power and might of the Chola empire to the northern kingdoms. But the benevolent leadership of the Cholas treated them in a benevolent manner and did not permanently annexe them to the Chola dominions.
ROADS AND CITY GATES
Besides the names of the palace and fort walls, the names of a few roads and streets are preserved in the epigraphs. The entryways named Thiruvasal, the eastern gate and the Vembugudi gate, evidently the south gate leading to the village Vembugudi situated in that direction are mentioned. Reference is also found to highways named after Rajaraja and Rajendra as Rajarajan Peruvali and Rajendran Peruvali. Other streets mentioned in epigraphs are the ten streets (Pattu teru), the gateway lane (Thiruvasal Narasam) and the Suddhamali lane. The inscription also refers to the highways, Kulottungacholan Thirumadil peruvali, Vilangudaiyan Peruvali and Kulaiyanai pona Peruvali (the highway through which a short elephant passed by).
CITY LAYOUT
The epigraphs also refer to the Madhurantaka Vadavaru, now called the Vadavaru, running about six kilometers east of the ruined capital. Madhurantaka Vedavaru, named after one of the titles of Rajendra I, was a source of irrigation to a vast stretch of land bordering the capital. An irrigation channel called Anaivettuvan is also mentioned.
"Anaivettuvan" - Anai means irrigation (step irrigation) vettuvan means labour or engineer. Hence the above seque is not matching, more over Hindu dharam never allows to kill elephant.Another possible meaning of "AnaiVettuvan" - Anai means Dam, vettuvan means constructor (labour or engineer).
There were both wet and dry lands inside the Fort, used for cultivation and other purposes. The present positions of the existing temples throw some light on the lay out of the city. With the palace as the centre to the city, the great temple, and the other temples in the city seem to have been erected. Towards the northeast (Isanya) of the palace is the great temple of Siva. The Siva temple according to Vastu and traditional texts should be in the northeast of the city or village and should face east. The temple of Vishnu should be in the west.
A number of small tanks and ponds mentioned in inscriptions and a number of wells, supplied drinking water to the residents.
WIKIPEDIA
While taking a few zero days near Washington, D.C., my trail family and I stopped into a Lego Store and a few of us decided to build an AT monument. We started with a lush green mountain below and topped it with a huge AT logo. The most critical part was getting everyone's character as accurate as possible. The hair choices are spot on, everyone has a backpack, those with glasses sported glasses. Superman loved checking out the overlooks and taking photos so we gave him binoculars, Spider is vegan so we gave her an apple, Pockets and Sunshine loved their coffee so we equipped them with coffee mugs, and finally Sherlock, who is a Marine Veteran, was given a sword and a pile of money because he just wanted to have some fun with his mini-me character. We all met on the trail and as a trail family, spent three to four months together, taking crazy side trips in times of need (one all the way to Kentucky to help move Sherlock out after a rough break-up) and finding various ways to entertain ourselves on and off trail. This little Lego sculpture is one great representation of our eccentric tramily and while it would have been wonderful to take home, Legos weigh too much to hike around with so we just have this photo as memory.
A hard slog to get to the top of this peak which had recently been clear felled. A lot of clambering over dead logs and branches.
#28 high 52 in 2017 Challenge
We were about to sit down and have breakfast when we saw a wasp trapped in a spider's web outside our window. As we looked on, the spider leapt along the web and then stopped the struggling wasp from escaping. Later the spider had taken its prey away.
The FV 214 Conqueror—officially known as the Tank, Heavy No. 1, 120 mm Gun, FV214 Conqueror—was Britain’s answer to the post–World War II challenge of countering new Soviet heavy tanks, particularly the IS-3. Conceived during the early Cold War, the Conqueror was designed to fill the niche of a heavy gun tank capable of engaging enemy armor at long range while working in support of Centurion units. It represents the culmination of the FV200 series of “Universal Tanks,” a family that sought to balance mobility, firepower, and armor within a single versatile chassis
Zaatari refugee camp, Jordan.
( Story by Hala Al Ayoubi )
‘It is not those who can inflict the most, but those who can suffer the most who will conquer’:
These words were spoken by Irish patriot, Terence McSweeney in 1920 when his native Ireland was being ripped apart by the War of Independence. Although directly referring to the struggle faced by his countrymen some 90 years ago McSweeney’s haunting words can be applied to the thousands forced to seek sanctuary in a Jordanian refugee camp to in order to escape Syria’s on-going internal conflict. As a native Syrian, born in Damascus, I found the graphic images of my fellow countrymen and women shown on various television news channels both disturbing and upsetting. I was so moved by their plight. I wanted to see for myself the suffering and horrors of the living in limbo scenario they now faced on a daily basis. I was literally driven by an internal emotion I had never experienced before. I simply had to see what was happening to my people. Within days my photographer and I were on our way to Jordan. What we saw and witnessed on our trip is difficult to put into words. However, it is important I do record what we saw in the hope it highlights the human tragedy that is currently the plight of the Syrian refugees – my people.
Just six miles over of the Jordan-Syria border is the UN run Zaatari refugee camp. Located in the middle of a barren, windswept desert Zaatari is the temporary home of thousands of men, women and children forced to flee their homes in Syria because of the continuing conflict. At first sight Zaatari is a desolate place. It exudes an air of isolation. Its heavy wire perimeter fencing is intimidating and immediately creates the impression of a prison. This feeling is compounded by the presence of Jordanian police and soldiers who guard main entrance to the camp. As our car pulls up guards watch us intently. Our driver takes our passports and passes to a camp official. Documents approved, we are given permission to enter Zaatari.
As we drive through the second gate the reality of Zaatari looms before us. To the left the French and Italian international field hospitals. On the right the countless rows of dust shrouded tents, home for the refugees, are draped across the harsh desert landscape. Despite the dust the letters UNHCR are clearly visible on each of the tents. As we begin to walk around the camp it is obvious the situation is really difficult. Living conditions are very basic. There is a lack of proper sanitation with people often standing in line to use toilets and bathrooms. There is barely enough water and electricity is almost non-existent. Clothing is at a premium. Food is mundane and repetitive. Dust is everywhere. Blasts of sand ravage the simple, thin tents and their occupants The swirls of suffocating sand ensure everyone in Zaatari carries a powdering of dust and grim. Residents are told on a daily basis ‘things will get better’. They never do.
As a Mum I was particularly moved by the plight of Mothers and their children living in Zaatari camp. This is not a ‘Child friendly Zone’ despite the presence of a tiny and very basic kids play area. The provision of a slide and a see-saw do little to resolve the suffering and trauma of kids who have witnessed horrendous scenes of brutality and violence in the on-going Syrian conflict. Many of these children are now mentally scarred for life! Their drawn and dusty faces say it all. Disease is also rife within the child population of Zaatari – measles and cholera top the list. Although officials plan to introduce a measles immunisation programme shortly it will do little, if anything, to relive a problem which is fast becoming a humanitarian catastrophe. The plight of Zaatari’s child population is particularly heart-breaking. They are the innocent victims of a situation they did not create. However, there is a faint glimmer of hope on the horizon for the refugee children. A hope their future will not be as desolate as their past. That hope is education. There are approximately some 4,000 children of school-age within Zaatari. The task of educating them is a considerable challenge. The majority of children have lost out on months of schooling through the violence in Syria. However, many have lost their entire families. They are totally alone and are cared for by organisations such as UNICEF and Save the Children.
When I visited Zaatari classes were held in temporary makeshift tented accommodation. The authorities plan to supply a more permanent type of classroom shortly but, in the interim kids simply have to make do with what is available. A retired teacher, now working in Zaatari told me education was vital for the refugee children. The routine of the classroom, he said, gave the children something to do on a regular basis. It also removed the biggest problem facing the kids – one of boredom. “We are not just educating these children”, he said “we are attempting to save a complete generation and give it a future”. As a Syrian and a Mother I hope that objective is achieved sooner rather than later.
As I toured the Zaatari camp it became obvious many people were too scared to talk. Despite the fact I was a fellow Syrian very few wanted to speak on camera or have their identities revealed. Although they have fled their homeland many refugees – should they return to Syria – are frightened they will be the targeted in revenge attacks by supporters of President Bashar al-Assad. There is also the very real fear members of the Syrian secret police – the Mukhabarat – are active within the Zaatari refugee camp. Fear of the Mukhabarat pervades the atmosphere of the camp. It intimidates the residents and stops the majority of them speaking out.
However, there are those who are prepared to speak on the condition their identity is protected. A mother of four told me she and her children fled Syria fearing they would be killed if they remained in the home. Although now living in the relative safety of Zaatari she told me she how longed to return to her own country: ‘Life in the camp is killing us. It’s unbearable. Dirt and dust are everywhere. We live, sleep and eat the dust. This is not life. It’s barely an existence’.
‘I just want to go back. Go back to my home, that’s all I want but, there is nothing there now. They destroyed everything in my town. What can we do? We have to stay here. We have nowhere else to go’.
Abdul and his family have been in Zataari for 27 days. He told me they fled their home in Syria to escape the constant bomb attacks and killings: ‘All my family is here, my wife and children. We had to leave. To stay in our home was too dangerous. People I knew were killed in the bomb attacks. If we had stayed we would have died’.
‘Getting to Jordan was difficult. But we had to get away from Bashar’s bombs. My wife and I just ran, we ran with our kids. We just took them and ran’.
‘But we are living like animals now. Conditions are really bad here. We have no clothes, food is always the same and we have very little water. Just look at us, look at my children. They are living in a tent and sleeping on the ground.’
With winter looming large on the horizon Zaatari’s residents will face additional problems in their struggle to survive. The desert is already very cold at night. With temperatures due drop to around freezing point in the next few weeks there is now a race against time to ensure the camp is properly prepared for the colder weather. Prime objectives for the Camp authorities are the distribution of heaters, thermal, blankets and the insulation of the refugees tented accommodation.
Abdul fear the arrival of the freezing winter weather: ‘We don’t know what it will be like in the winter. Will we get blankets and heaters – we just don’t know. How can little children survive the winter living in a tent. This is no way for them to live. When it gets cold and rains then it will be miserable here ’.
There is clearly a growing feeling within Zaatari’s refugee population that ‘Nobody cares about us’. A belief exists that until the world recognises and helps those interned behind the wire and barriers the suffering will continue and get worse. Actions do speak louder than words. However, words are cheap but human aid expensive!
Zaatari is meant to be a place of refuge for the countless displaced Syrians. However, the camp is quickly becoming the venue for escalating tensions between the refugees and their hosts, the Jordanians. Tensions which have already exploded into violence which has seen tents set on fire and property damaged in protests over living condition. Those tensions will increase and the prospect of further violence remains strong if living conditions do not improve drastically.
Refugees living in Zaatari are human beings. They are individuals with names, personalities and unique personal stories to tell. They are also my fellow countrymen and women. Until recently they were able to work, earn a living and support their families. Now their lives have been changed irrevocably through the violence in Syria. All these people want is to have their voices heard. To be acknowledge and accepted as people and not to be portrayed as parasites living off the Jordanian system. Above all they just want to go back to their homes in Syria and live their lives. Sadly, at this time and for the foreseeable future that is impossible.
As I left Zaatari Terrence McSweeney’s words: ‘It is not those who can inflict the most, but those who can suffer the most who will conquer’ flooded through my mind. Those words proved correct in respect of the people of Ireland. I believe these very same words do and will apply to the Syrian refugees in Zaatari. My hope is it the suffering they now endure on a daily basis will be short lived. Unlike my fellow countrymen and women I have been able to escape the suffering that is Zaatari refugee camp.
Hala Al Ayoubi.
William Bagnall 0-6-0 saddle tank Conqueror (W/No.2893 of 1945) and a sister Bagnall ‘top and tail’ an exceptional load alongside the English Electric (formerly Dick Kerr & Co.) works in Strand Road on the Port of Preston system, possibly in the late 1950s.
© Gordon Edgar collection - photographer Peter Eckersley - all rights reserved. Please do not download, copy, or use this image without my explicit prior permission
André Malraux : Les conquérants
Club du livre du mois - Paris, 1958
Présentation assurée par Geneviève Dormann et Éric W. Mercier
Photos © Rapho, Holmes, Bibliothèque du Musée de l'Homme