flowers to 2011

Some flowers from or to the past year,

& good wishes for 2012.

Read that an acre of rainforest is lost every second.

Perhaps 2012 will move towards some necessary changes.

It's urgent in many directions, isn't it?

the eden project

ornaments

Found a small clear (plastic) pagoda in Burma.

Around it are several tiny glass figures - a centaur, mermaid,

minotaur etc, that I got in a miniature shop in Mexico.

(I make little tableaus that I fiddle with while on the phone)

Right is a piece of coral with hand-like ends.

I didn't have a christmas tree etc ~ how about you?

podcast about rainforests

all that

All that glitters is probably gold, at Shwedagon pagoda,

there are lots of shiny & reflective surfaces as well.

The halo has flashing neon spot lights, for instance.

& the mirrors are cut with subtle angle changes.

Sunrise & sunset work their magic.

I think the place can be enjoyed on so many levels,

& doesn't demand a religious mind set.

Wouldn't you like to go as gently as a dandelion, into 2012

?

happy holiday

There seem to be several kinds of devotional practices

at Burmese temples

apart from sitting, meditating, praying, chanting..

It also looked like there were people who truly enjoyed just

being there, in a beautiful temple where this aspect of

consciousness had been the focus for ages.

The polished marble floors reflect it all, there are multiple

perspectives: everything adds to the experience.

Enjoy the holidays wherever you find your self!

eat some chocolate

photos

At some temples in Burma there were professional

photographers; groups & families would line up, clearly not

used to the idea. I love to get them too.. innocent.

Cameras & mobile phones are not as

widespread as elsewhere.

hearts

tons of gold

They say there is 5 tons of gold in the very large

central pagoda at Shwedagon .

It's so strong.

Could be the relics it's said to contain.

Adyashanti on the concept of spiritual awakening

tons

Thai temples have lots of gold too, but this one in Yangon

has really a lot. It's not all gold leaf.

When it's real gold you know it: a really pure effect

despite all the stuff associated with the getting of it,

historically speaking ~ greed, avarice, envy et al.

The pigeons have their own take on it.

Hiroshi Sugimoto

I saw these statues in Kyoto, but cameras were forbidden.

It was like being in one of the heaven worlds.

blue then grey

One day it's blue & hot, then it's cool again, & I notice

how the fences on my walk into town go greener,

get more moss, or is it lichens?

My friend's beautiful blue-eyed boy

is a model for being in the moment.

a bbc podcast with an impressive young woman

two

Joined two files left to make a large buddha,

& took at least two shots of many.. many .. many.

Like the two right, because a couple of steps makes

a big difference. The halo's are usually zipping around in

multi colours, I like how they don't hide the mechanics of it.

there's lots of good stuff on coilhouse, I just enjoyed the

dotty portrait by miguel endara

looking

As you'd know, I love reflections, & Shwedagon is also

so shiny that there are truly amazing parts that you can

fall into for hours, as left. (It's really good large...)

The people are at the top of the entrance stairs at Shwedagon.

I took the curtains at my hotel because I thought them

dead ugly, yet I like them as a photo.

Strange how that happens.

sarah moon at coilhouse

animals

Found that with some distance, the first days photos

from my Burma trip looked better than I'd thought. Chose

gold ones for next few days. The dragon is from KL, the other

creatures can be found at Shwedagon pagoda in Yangon.

not animals, more mythical or metaphorical creatures,

wouldn't you say?

a wonderful short animated film at the animalarium

changes

There are a few hot days, followed by cold damp ones,

the trees & my garden can't quite figure it out.

I quite like the unpredictability.

Mostly.

details

Edges & details that caught my eye in Yangon.

The end of the year has me running out of words...

mix

Probably have enough photos from Burma to run for a year,

but won't.. It can often seem an indecipherable mix there:

religious artifacts alongside rubbish, for example.

I loved the large trees lower left with long graceful stems.

colour

These were all in Yangon. I did pounce on the colour, as

the monsoon really wrecks a lot of surfaces.

The leather bound book top right has

The Accountants Magazine 1909 on it's spine.

The story of it's survival is surely more fun than the contents!

carved

A friend just showed me how to retrieve 'bad' shots

in Bridge. It's a bit time consuming for all those shot in

dark & cavernous ruins, but amazing what is there.

These remind me of the style at Angkor Wat,

one of these days I'll look it up, possibly it's similar dates.

Artisans, craftsmen & artists moved around a lot more

than you'd think. Also along the silk road.

I love to imagine it.

football

In Yangon one day I came round a corner, saw all these

guys staring up.. at a large screen mounted on an

overhead foot bridge: football. There seems to be a lot

of interest in soccer in Burma ~ the monks were playing an

informal game ~ though the big match was rugby.

Seems to be small signs of change in Burma, in last few

weeks, it would be so good if it's for real.

scenes

While travelling, there are times I feel invisible.

& others when everyone turns around & is fine with being

photographed. No telling when that will be, except

that after a while a camera feels less intrusive ~

or, probably, I'm more comfortable..

whatever..