The signature of #kcbDesigns is a ghutra. Nothing is complete without a ghutra somehow, somewhere. A ghutra is a square cotton scarf men in Oman wear on their heads, wrapped and folded in styles that differ from place to place. In some places, it is more common to see men and boys wearing a kumma – the round, embroidered cap. It is part of the … Continue reading Not Without a Ghutra
I wrote this in 2018 and just updated it, inspired by the celebration on my 70th birthday. I feel like I am on track for adventures in the next 70. ✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨ So, I am officially a Senior Citizen and I hate that label. Scandinavians have used the term Third Age for people who have retired but who are still active and involved in learning and … Continue reading Becoming a Deliberati
The story ends here: But it started with a love for shells, especially the inner workings… It added to a huge respect for Sacred Geometry and the Golden Mean But it took its shape from an image that haunted me until I accepted it as my Sacred Geometric Mean – an image for #kcbDesigns. The Amber Collection is a collaboration with my family in Oman … Continue reading AmberCollection – the Logo Story
I love to travel. This photoblog has been a portfolio of my adventures in Oman and China, Sri Lanka and Malaysia, Canada and the UK. But there are no posts from 2020 because…well, none of us could travel.After I got over the angst of feeling trapped, I realized how lucky I am to be in Oman and I realized I needed to do something to … Continue reading 🥂🎊✨ Introducing…kcbDesigns ✨🎊🥂
I can live anywhere in the world and I choose Al Bustan – a fishing village on the edge of Muscat in Oman. This is where and how I spend my time when I am not travelling. It is exquisite by day. And even more exquisite by night. We share the beach in front with the Al Bustan Palace Ritz Carlton Hotel and the deep … Continue reading Al Bustan – Garden by the Sea
Dragon and Phoenix, in China, are symbols of the forces of nature, the gods and fate. Typically they are depicted together in ying-yang fashion – opposites that together create a unified whole. This 2019 trip to China was a series of opposites for me – old and new cities, fast and slow trains, simple and luxurious accommodations, familiar and strange dishes, treasured old and special … Continue reading The Dragon and Phoenix China Tour 2019
Why Chengdu? It holds mighty strategic status in the Middle Kingdom era, but now? People seem to go to see the pandas, but what else? I really didn’t know it would be such a vibrant dragon city – mythical, powerful, monstrously alive while seeming to sleep. I spent 4 days in Chengdu in November and, as always, I had a guided day tour to see … Continue reading Dragon City – Chengdu in Spicy Sichuan
My first view of Fenghuang, and I was entranced. Fenghuang means Phoenix – that mythical bird that is eternal – arising from the ashes if destroyed by fire, coupling with the dragon to become a complete ying and yang. The phoenix is forever, and Fenghuang seems aptly named. Fenghuang is a famous ancient watertown that has called to me for years. Pictures of this ancient … Continue reading Phoenix City – Timeless Fenghuang
I always like to be back in Hefei on the USTC campus in the fall – my home in China.Without really planning, I found Chairman Mao came along with me – in the Mao biography I was reading, in the Mao leadership case study for my students, in the images still common around town, in some ways the locals keep his memory alive.It is so … Continue reading Me and Mao in Hefei 2019
