When I saw Alex for the first time, he was scooched over on a table in a dark room. In front of him, a spot light focused on a blue book titled Till Death Do Us Part. I wish I could have pulled out the camera to capture the epic moment. I knew instantly that there’s more to Alex than meets the eye.

He then proceeded to explain to me the concept of what a zine is, and why this book was not only a collectible, but art in its own right. To simplify, a zine is basically a self-expressed piece of art that is self-published, not a commercial print available in limited batches. The work is freestyle, no format or rules applicable whatsoever.

Yes, Alex has published his own zine and it’s called the PATH TOWARDS LIGHTHOUSE. The name says it all, the zine showcases various photos of his trip along the Suomenlahti, from Chyornaya Lakhta to the Shepelevskiy Lighthouse. It was shot by a point-and-shoot Canon film camera, but that’s not important.

The pictures themselves have a story to tell, its as if Alex was taking a trail along a dark, dull and a dystopian world where there’s no coming back from. It’s incredible and I kept going back to the beginning when he showed me his unorthodox art project. Alex comes from Saint Petersburg and has been involved in the trade of coffee. It’s what he does now that fascinates me after moving to Dubai. To put it simply, creating content for RoR Roastery.

You learn so much when you meet new people, not only about them but mainly about yourself. What traits they reveal about themselves, how you respond, and reciprocate. From there, a relationship of sort is formed, some take longer than others, but eventually the end goal is to live in harmony. Isn’t that where true contentment lies?

Anyway, I digress. He invited me to collaborate with RoR. So, I dropped by and brewed for him a Kenyan that left me in awe. The aromas were bright and tropical, the roasters did a fantastic job bringing out the notes in the coffee, and I’m looking forward to grabbing a bag when they are ready to launch. Thanks for being patient with me, Alex.