The Arabic ‘A’ and a Walk through New Orleans

Maryam
four years old
New Orleans, Louisiana

This sketch has a lovely story and it took place in New Orleans.

While walking along Julia Street, an extremely adorable child stuck her head out of a van and very cheerily said, “Hi!”

I greeted her back and kept walking, but still she kept sticking half her body out of the van and said “Hi!” again.

That was it. I gave in to the adorable ball of cuteness and asked her to draw what makes her happy. (With the permission of her grandmother, sitting in the driver’s seat.) She happily obliged.

She kept drawing until her mom, Melody, came.

Maryam described her drawing as the arabic letter “A” (she’s half-Egyptian), trees, flowers, and the letters that make up her name.

Thanks, Maryam! Southern friendliness was one of the lovely things I took away from this trip.

Me on a sailing cheese

“That’s me on a piece of cheese, so I’ll never be hungry.”

Swantje
26 years old
film student and receptionist
born in Germany, living in Iceland

Alone time and people time

“It’s all the little things that make me happy. And it’s also the stuff you can’t draw, like that sunny happy feeling you get when you just made someone else smile. You know the feeling. That one.”

Lisa Brenner
36 years old
lawyer
Hardford, CT, USA

Happy hodgepodge

“Sun, beaches, traveling, seeing others happy, dance, being home, singing and music, flowers, friends and family, text messages.”

Lara
student
Iceland; USA