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Jamal LilOjay S

@lil0jay

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Questo profilo è vagamente basato su una persona!
𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚, 𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙨
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MILAN 🇮🇹

What a shock… that quickly turned into “wow” 😍 and then into genuinely loving the city within a matter of minutes.

Before arriving, I had heard all the usual warnings: watch out for pickpockets, be careful of scams, stay alert, and so on. So naturally, I landed a little cautious.

Then I actually got there.

Nothing happened.

Nobody tried to scam me. Nobody bothered me. In fact, the Milanese were incredibly friendly, helpful, and welcoming throughout my stay.

The funniest part? Most people thought I was Spanish. 😐

My attempts at speaking Italian were equally entertaining. Google Translate became my best friend, and apparently I pronounce Italian words well enough that locals would immediately reply at full-speed Italian.

I’d stand there for two seconds looking confident before having to stop them and say:

“Slowly… please.” 🤣

Then we’d all laugh and somehow continue the conversation together.

Milan ended up being the perfect start to my Italian adventure, and honestly, it exceeded every expectation I had.

Unfortunately Instagram only lets me post 20 photos 😤, but I’ll be adding plenty more to my Highlights for anyone who wants to see the trip through my lens.

Ciao Milano, until next time. 🤍

#jamjaminitalia #milano #solotravel #photography #italy taken in Milano by @lil0jay

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4 months ago

Florence… 🇮🇹

where the cobblestones judged my shoes.

Florence… as soon as I got there, those cobblestone streets were something else. Thank God I packed my running shoes, because walking on them for the first time was a whole workout on its own.

When I arrived, the day was 🥵 and sunny. Not Dubai “your skin is about to file a complaint” hot, but still hot enough that the Italian weather service had issued a warning. Dang I was sweating but not stinking.

I went shopping and bought a few linen clothes, and honestly, they helped a lot I tell you. And I’m 100% convinced that if I bought the exact same quality back in Dubai , it’d cost me 300% more 👀. I actually checked while writing this. Unless someone knows a good linen shop in Dubai or Abu Dhabi that doesn’t require selling a kidney first… I’m just a poor guy.

Anyway, this is probably a two-part… maybe even a three-part Florence series. I stayed here the longest, and I’ve got way too many photos and a few more clicks I want to show off.

So bear with me. 🇮🇹📸

#JamJamInItali #italy #florance #solotravel #travelphotography taken in Firenze, Italy by @lil0jay

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4 months ago

Flag Day at work 🇦🇪
Team spirit was high, the flag was flying…
and Spiderman from the Emirates Down Syndrome Association was fully prepared to save the office 😂🕷️.
#flagday #uaeflagday #proudly #officemoments #uae #dubai taken in Dubai, United Arab Emirates by @lil0jay

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a year ago

Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze 🇮🇹

Of course I did.
There he was.
Michelangelo’s David
Standing proudly in the middle of the room.
Feast your eyes.
Let it burn into your retina.

Which, as it turns out, contains an alarming number of sculptures.

Thankfully they’re mostly beautiful, dramatic, and carved with the kind of detail that makes you question what you’ve actually accomplished with your own life.
I do have one question though…
Who was that woman?
Because half these statues look suspiciously similar.
👀 👀
Maybe they’re sisters.
Maybe cousins.
Maybe Renaissance artists had exactly one type and refused to elaborate.
But it was Absolutely packed
With what I initially assumed was David’s harem.

I mean…

Beautiful busts.
I mean…
Ladies’ sculptures.
Lots of them.
The Renaissance artists clearly understood two things:
Marble.
And women.
Probably in that order.
Then we wandered into one of the most controversial instrument rooms ever created…
Home of the legendary Stringy Paddle.
Also known as the Whiny Door Hinge Before WD-40.
Or, by its original name, the vitula.
Or, as the Italians call it…

Violino. 🎻

Cute name, I know.
Then we reached one of the most controversial instrument rooms…
Home of the legendary Stringy Paddle.
Also known as the Whiny Door Hinge Before WD-40.
Or, by its original name…
Vitula.
Or, as the Italians call it…
Violino. 🎻
Cute name, I know.

#jamjaminitalia #italy #photography #florance #michelangelo taken in Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze by @lil0jay

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3 months ago

After the beautiful darkness comes light and here I am, running through both, because I am the beautiful darkness and the light that follows.
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#abudhabi #reflections #mindfulmiles #stillnessinmotion #lightwithin #morningrun #nightrun #emirates #abudhabivibes #throughmylens #goldenhourglow #urbanstillness #cityreflections taken in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates by @lil0jay

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a year ago

Firenze… La galleria degli uffizi 🇮🇹
(The offices gallery)

I thought I was going to spend an hour here.

Four hours later I was still wandering through hallways lined with statues, ceilings that looked more expensive than my entire trip, and paintings that somehow survived hundreds of years, wars, floods, tourists, and people like me trying to photograph them.

One minute you’re looking at portraits painted so realistically that they feel like photographs.

The next you’re standing beneath ceilings that probably took longer to create than some modern buildings.

Then you turn a corner and find sculptures, statues, ancient Roman relics, Renaissance masterpieces, and views overlooking Florence that look like they belong on a postcard.

The next you’re standing in front of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus i didn’t know it was here thought it would be at the louvre. But get this I watched an old lady walk up to a younger woman taking a selfie and start complimenting her. Telling her she’s beautiful like the painting, Whether she was flirting or simply admiring her beauty remains a m mystery.

Meanwhile, I remained exactly where I started: single, solo, and surrounded by masterpieces.

Just the way God intended. 🇮🇹😂

Then you turn a corner and find another masterpiece…And another…And another.

I spent over four hours wandering around making up completely fictional backstories for half the statues and paintings I stopped at.

This one betrayed a king.

That one definitely owed someone money.

That horse has seen things.

That sea god looks exactly how I feel after 25,000 steps and a second Aperol Spritz.

That nobleman definitely had trust issues.

That saint looks exhausted.

That statue is one Aperol Spritz away from starting an argument.

And whoever sculpted Cupid and Psyche clearly had different priorities than I do.

Speaking of which, after exploring the galleries, the sculptures, and the rooftop terrace, I discovered another Italian masterpiece:

Aperol Spritz. 🍹😜

Worth every step, every queue, every sore neck from staring at ceilings, and every imaginary story I created along the way.
🇮🇹🎨🏛️🍹

#jamjaminitalia #italy #art #uffizi #florance taken in Gallerie degli Uffizi by @lil0jay

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3 months ago

Different skyline, same story. Running through darkness and light, finding something familiar in both — Abu Dhabi taught me peace, Dubai reminds me chaos has its rhythm… and a bit of traffic in between…. Not this early thankfully 😅
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#fromdarktolight #abudhabi #to #dubai #runnermindset #stillnessinmotion #runthroughit #urbansoul #morningrun #nightrunner #cityscape #miles #mindovermiles #rundubai by @lil0jay

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a year ago

Cinque Terre… 🇮🇹

What a hike. 🥵

And I’ve come to one conclusion: doing it solo is great. Doing it with friends is… well, let’s just say I saw enough groups taking “quick breaks” that turned into full retirement plans. 😂

If you want to do Cinque Terre properly and at your own pace, go solo. With loads of audible.. or podcasts downloaded.. Trust me.

A huge thank you to Ila for suggesting this one. It was absolutely brilliant.

I loved it, and the videos/photos you see online from years ago? They’re not exaggerating. It’s still happening now.

I’ve seen a lot of happy faces on this hike. Could’ve been the scenery… could’ve been my face. 😁🤌🇮🇹

Still in Tuscany, by the way.

#jamjaminitalia #cinqueterre #solotravel #italy #photography taken in Cinque Terre, Italia by @lil0jay

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4 months ago

Went before sunrise to catch it asleep and awake.
Night version. Day version. No rush.

Zayed National Museum isn’t going anywhere, so take your time with it.

I didn’t.

Captured by yours truly.

@znmuae @inabudhabi.ae @abudhabiculture @saadiyatae @saadiyatculturaldistrict

#abudhabi #architecturephotography
#ArtAndArchitecture
#photographersofinstagram taken in Saadiyat Cultural District by @lil0jay

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9 months ago

Bergamo… 🇮🇹

Goats, upside down boy statue, hills, and one accidental Michelin experience.

After Tuscany, it was time to slow things down before flying back home. And Bergamo turned out to be the perfect last stop… because that where I was flying from 🙄

The views up there were incredible, especially at sunrise and sunset, depending on where you were standing. And yes, I could actually see Milan from here. The weather was so clear that it was visible from La Città Alta check it out!

Taking the funicular up to Città Alta “high town” was cool, although it wasn’t running all the way to San Vigilio. Which meant that if I wanted pizza and a spritz with a view, I had to work for it. Fair enough… gotta earn that pizza somehow.

Except the pizzeria was closed. 😞

So… I accidentally walked into a Michelin-starred restaurant without realizing it 😂. I only figured something was different when I noticed that at least half the diners were speaking English 🤨. For a moment, it felt like I was back in Dubai, just with a much better view. A little too pretentious for my liking though, so I didn’t really enjoy it.

The walk back down was much more my style. I think it coincided with the end of some international (Americans!!) school trip because there were groups of students everywhere loud, drunk, swearing every other sentence… Oh well, I wasn’t going to see them in the morning anyway.

And I didn’t.

Because Bergamo mornings were something else. Empty streets, cool air, and the perfect setting for one final Italian run. Running uphill to catch the sunrise was absolutely worth it. Somewhere along the route, I ran into a few goats casually hanging around on the hillside. Guess they’re early birds too 🐐.

So, Bergamo made sure I earned my final Italian run: lots of uphill, amazing views, and for some reason… goats.🐐

#jamjaminitalia #bergamo #solotravel #photography #italy taken in Bergamo, Italy by @lil0jay

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3 months ago

You’ve probably seen it a thousand times… but this one’s through my lens. Captured on my camera, and yes 🙌🏽 I’m proud of it.
أكيد شفتوا هذا المكان من قبل، بس الصورة هذي بعدستي أنا

#travelphotography #architecturelovers #MENAviews #moodytones #symmetryinframe #reflectionshot #cityscape #myvision #instaphoto #desertvibes taken in Grand Mosque - Abu Dhabi, UAE by @lil0jay

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a year ago

Florence (Part 2)… 🇮🇹

After Chianti, I didn’t really do much.

Found a spot, sat down, watched the world go by, exchanged a few smiles with some old Italian couples, made a brief acquaintance with a bird who seemed very interested in everyone’s snacks, and just enjoyed the slow pace of the afternoon.

No museum. No itinerary. No life-changing revelation.

Just one of those quiet travel moments that ends up sticking with you.

Anyway, I’ve got nothing profound to add here. Just enjoy the photos. 🇮🇹☕📸

Actually I did have a long conversation with a great friend her name is @lasia_b ..

#jamjaminitalia #florence #photography #soloTravel #italy taken in Florence, Italy by @lil0jay

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4 months ago