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I’m Shirin. I tell stories through writing and photography and here is where they all come together.

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About

The Ordinary Elsewhere on Substack

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The Day I Left My Life
The Day I Left My Life

One morning last December, I woke up, packed a bag, and had my husband drop me off at the airport. I had booked a flight, but when I got there, I didn’t board it.

Instead, I sat down in the airport café, spending hours trying to understand what I had just done and what was going to happen from that point on.

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Independence Day in Timor-Leste
Independence Day in Timor-Leste

Timor-Leste has a long and complicated history, shaped by Portuguese colonial rule, Indonesian occupation, and a decades-long struggle for independence.

I had watched many documentaries about its history and the struggle of its people, and eventually decided that I had to visit for myself to get a better understanding of this young nation.

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Between the Shelves of Jerusalem
Between the Shelves of Jerusalem

After a dear friend based in Sheikh Jarrah recommended it to me, I’d grown increasingly curious about a very special bookshop and decided one lazy morning to seek it out. And I was not to be disappointed.

Stepping inside The Educational Bookshop, leaving the hustle and bustle of Salah ad-Din Street behind, feels like entering a story of its own.

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Wandering Alone
Wandering Alone

There is a difference between loneliness and solitude, and it’s one I’ve always been able to distinguish clearly. I don’t feel lonely when I’m alone; on the contrary, I feel more in tune with myself.

And in that lies a kind of freedom that many people, over the years, have told me they wish they could experience as well.

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CONTINUE READING ON SUBSTACK

read, write, meet

  • 11.11.26, 18:30PM - 20:00PM

    Free to attend, tips welcome

    Join us for a relaxed reading event in beautiful Rosslare Strand.

    Shared Reading is a guided reading model developed by The Reader Organisation, a Liverpool-based charity.

    In each session, participants listen to poems read aloud, then explore them together through open and thoughtful conversation.

    You don’t need to be an avid reader to take part. The experience is meant to offer an inclusive and reflective space grounded in connection. Whether you enjoy reading or are simply curious to try something new, you are very welcome to join us in Bray!

  • 12.11.26, 07:00PM - 08:30PM

    Free Event

    Join us for a Co-Writing session online, where we write alongside one another. It’s a relaxed, supportive space to explore ideas, experiment with words, and see what takes shape.

    You’re welcome to bring something you’re working on or just start fresh. The focus is on the process and writing in good company!

  • 18.11.26, 18:00 - 19:30

    Free to attend, tips welcome

    Join us for an engaging reading event in Waterford, where we’ll gather to read together.

    Shared Reading is a guided reading model developed by The Reader Organisation, a Liverpool-based charity.

    In each session, participants listen to poems read aloud, then explore them together through open and thoughtful conversation.

    You don’t need to be an avid reader to take part. The experience is meant to offer an inclusive and reflective space grounded in connection. Whether you enjoy reading or are simply curious to try something new, you are very welcome to join us at the beach in Rosslare!

  • 25.11.26, 18:30 - 20:00

    Free Event

    Event held in English (but you’re welcome to write in whatever language suits you best)

    Join us for a Co-Writing session, where we write alongside one another. It’s a relaxed, supportive space to explore ideas, experiment with words, and see what takes shape.

    You’re welcome to bring something you’re working on or just start fresh, the focus is on the process and writing in good company!

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Recent Photography

Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka
Syria

Syria
Afghanistan

Afghanistan
Switzerland

Switzerland

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