Don’t postpone joy
The Global Village is an open-air mall with a strong multicultural flair that operates in Dubai during the winter months, hosting pavilions from 90 countries where unique local products are sold, sometimes at discounted prices. While living in Dubai, visiting the place at least once per year had become a personal tradition, and I was always looking forward to replenishing some of my favourite items from there, despite the constantly increasing prices that turned what used to be an old fashion world’s fair into another expensive mall in the UAE. Nevertheless, one could – and still can – find a good deal or two, and heavy bargains take place, much like in every old souq in the Middle East, sometimes merely for the joy of the experience.
I had not visited the Global Village for a few years now, so when a friend of mine told me she would go to scout for Afghani carpets, memories flushed in, and I asked her to buy something for me as well. After several online exchanges over WhatsApp, extensive negotiations, and difficulty choosing among the several attractive options, I acquired four (!) Afghani Maimana kilims for a pretty fair price.
Unlike carpets or knotted rugs, kilims’ designs and motifs are constructed from the horizontal weft of threads resulting in a two-dimensional, flat-woven textile. Maimana, the capital of Afghanistan’s Faryab province, is a significant marketplace for kilims from the surrounding areas in the northern part of the country. Made of coarse, loosely-spun sheep wool, these rugs are woven by Uzbeks, Aimaqs, Hazaras, Tajiks, or Turkmen tribes and are recognisable for their simple patterns of diamonds and triangles against red, orange, blue or rusty brown backgrounds. Naturally, the extensive commercialisation of their trade over the last few decades somewhat reduced the original quality of the traditional craft; yet, one feels instinctively drawn to these small or large pieces of rural art that enclose something of the steppes’ wilderness and present an expression of the human need for comfort amidst the harsh conditions of nomadic life.
As the logistics of getting my kilims transferred to Greece pile up and I mostly have to rely on the kindness of my visiting friends, I have questioned my shopping extravagance. Given, though, the latest developments in Afghanistan that may temporarily hinder the trade routes in the region and certainly suspend any potential thought for a trip to the country, my appreciation for my colourful acquisitions was renewed, for now, these kilims carry a story much more exciting than their mere practical or decorative value.
Ultimately, an opportunity for joy is never to be postponed. Unlike business opportunities whose nature is much more recurring than what we are often led to believe, pleasure and happiness are too exceptional to be taken for granted or be left for another time. Note to self: Don’t postpone joy!
Photo credits: © Konstantina Sakellariou
