Way back, when my father was in middle school in Egypt, his family did not have access to electricity. Instead, to study, my father used lanterns that he would place on his desk and which, surprisingly, would light up the whole room. After moving to America, my father decided to visit his family in Egypt in 1992. His cousins gave him a going away present: intricately designed lanterns, peppered with colorful dots. My father carried them from apartment to apartment, wherever he went, reminding himself of a simpler time. Bestowing their detailed embellishment and beauty, these lanterns were not made to be used but rather for display. However, my father found a larger lantern when he was browsing through a store in America. Fascinated by its resemblance to the lantern he once used, my father bought the larger, clear lantern. To his surprise, the lantern actually worked and even filled the room with an aromatic smell. This was around seven years ago. Now, he still holds onto to all the lanterns that almost tie his two worlds together: one where he lived on a minimal amount of technology and now, where all the advanced gadgets have established themselves as a necessity in his life.

– Miar Elaskandrany

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