Mihaela Noroc's Blog, page 7

Scarlett is German and manages a beautiful tattoo studio in the...

Scarlett is German and manages a beautiful tattoo studio in the Gràcia district of Barcelona. While walking on the small alleys of this charming neighbourhood, a few weeks ago, I noticed her inside the parlour. Her life seemed perfect in this chic place, doing what she loves, in a gorgeous city, but I found out that things were not always like that.

She made her first tattoo many years ago, when she was living in Germany, to honour the memory of her best friend who died in a car accident. That moment changed her life. If she wasn’t able to save her friend, she must save other people, she told herself. And she did that in the following years by becoming a paramedic.

She have seen them all with her work. One of the most tragic moments she has witnessed as a paramedic was in 2010, during a music festival in Duisburg, Germany. 21 people died of suffocation and 500 were injured because of the panic caused by the overcrowding. The paramedics were outnumbered by the size of the tragedy and Scarlett remembers the terrible moment when she had to look around and choose who needs her support first.

Another experience that remains fresh in her memory is the Syrian war. She worked in Aleppo witnessing the terrible consequences of armed conflicts. What gave her strength in all those years was the fact that she was saving lives.

For those who have tattoos, each of them comes with a different story, representing usually a different chapter of life. In a way, Scarlett’s skin is the mirror of her intense life, a memoir written with ink and needles.

Dressed in this charming outfit, she was hurrying on the streets...

Dressed in this charming outfit, she was hurrying on the streets of Copenhagen, Denmark, a few days ago.

Alice is a physiotherapist. At 84 she works with passion every day. She told me her patients would simply not want to work with another physiotherapist so she doesn’t plant to retire soon.

When I met her she was on the way to a patient who is an auto mechanic.

“He fixes my car. I fix his back!”

Today is the National Day of Norway, that special day when many...

Today is the National Day of Norway, that special day when many Norwegians wear the bunad, a sophisticated folk costume.

I walked in the morning on the streets of Oslo, the capital of the country, admiring the thousands of bunads all around me. Some were new, but others were inherited from grandmothers and great-grandmothers.

Julie didn’t use to wear the bunad before, but a few years ago, during a cold and snowy National Day, she decided to give it a try. She felt so warm and beautiful while wearing it that she decided to wear it every year.

Lyndsay studies Environmental Studies at the Trinity College in...

Lyndsay studies Environmental Studies at the Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. The library of the college is one of the most impressive in the world and that’s where I photographed her a few months ago.

While visiting this extraordinary place I found myself surrounded by sculptures of great philosophers, writers, and other personalities. But what I noticed was that all these busts inside the library depicted men.

For hundreds of years women had less opportunities than men in the academic field. Although there’s still much inequality around the world, things are changing. People like Lyndsay -who recently won a prestigious global award in the Earth & Environmental Science category- are changing the old norm.

A former provost of this prestigious college once said: “Over my dead body will women enter this college.” Today 60% of students here are women.

I noticed this young Portuguese in February on the alleys of the...

I noticed this young Portuguese in February on the alleys of the picturesque Feira da Ladra, Lisbon’s biggest flea market. Surrounded by antiques, we talked about memories.

Angela lost her father when she was a small child. He was a drug addict and committed suicide after a terrible suffering. Today Angela studies psychology and works with young people who face similar problems as her father. After many years, she’s trying to understand what he’s been through in those painful moments. I asked her to describe herself in one word and she said resilience. And indeed, Angela is courageous and resilient because she overcame all the suffering and now has the strength to look back, saving others from the same tragic end.

Juncal was working hard, when I noticed her a few weeks ago in Barcelona. The life of this young...

Juncal was working hard, when I noticed her a few weeks ago in Barcelona. The life of this young street sweeper was never easy.

She’s originally from the Basque Country, an autonomous community in northern Spain. When she was a child, her mother abandoned her and her father died of cancer. After these terrible events Juncal moved to Barcelona where she was raised by an aunt.

She started this job two years ago when she was only 19. While many other youngsters continue to live with their parents at this age, Juncal told me she is proud that she’s financially independent and living on her own.

In this photo, it seems to me that Juncal resembles a heroine from a Japanese manga story. And I think people like her -who despite all painful moments in their childhood manage to grow up so beautifully- are indeed heroes.

I met this lovely lady last month, in a crowded bazar in Casablanca, Morocco. She was buying food...

I met this lovely lady last month, in a crowded bazar in Casablanca, Morocco. She was buying food accompanied by a granddaughter.

I saw wisdom and positivity in these eyes and immediately wanted to know her life story. Zahra doesn’t know her age, because the notions of birth certificate or birth anniversary didn’t exist in her region. She is the mother of seven children, all born at home.

For me the birth of my only child, in a modern maternity hospital, seemed like the biggest challenge of my life. So to me women like Zahra are true heroines.

Considering that she doesn’t know her birthday, I hope her children celebrate her every day. Women like her deserve that.

Young Oumaima covers her head, as part of her beliefs, but she also loves fashion, so likes to play...

Young Oumaima covers her head, as part of her beliefs, but she also loves fashion, so likes to play with the way she wears the scarfs. Met her on the streets of Casablanca, last month.

Thank you Morocco for some wonderful weeks. In the next days I will be in Palermo, Italy.

When I noticed her, a few weeks ago, Barbara was collecting some boxes in Lisbon’s Rossio Square....

When I noticed her, a few weeks ago, Barbara was collecting some boxes in Lisbon’s Rossio Square. The young Portuguese recently started to work in waste collection and seemed pleased that she does something important for the community. Her biggest dream is “to become a mommy”.

Most of the times our society only acknowledges successful people and astonishing dreams. But there are millions of people, away from the spotlight, who are doing essential things for our lives. We would probably understand their importance better, if they would stop working for a few days.

On this page we celebrate all types of women that bring a positive contribution, no matter how big, to our world. To me they are all successful.

A short break from The Atlas of Beauty. My daughter, Natalia, is napping.

A short break from The Atlas of Beauty. My daughter, Natalia, is napping.