TERRA INCOGNITA

The beauty of living here is that, even after weeks or months, when you turn into a small alleyway you are bound to see a space unknown to you before, a fleeting moment of charm and grace (be it a bird chirping in cage or children at play, old people sipping tea and playing chess, devouring the here and now) - something that will remain so close to the heart of living, of a quiet but resilient exuberance. And in years' time, people will come and go, places torn down and rebuilt; but within the myriad of lanes and backstreets, the urban oasis remains, the collective joie d'vivre indestructible - yet you will never know for certain what is in store behind the facade of the street. The beauty of the terra incognita is seen through diving into the unassuming unknown.

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