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..

food

The man top left is selling grain for bird food, also

hanging right in front of small bird houses in Yangon,

where the street food is too.

daily

After a few weeks somewhere new, I usually have a series

like these, (not all in focus) which seem later to evoke

still lives or daily life..

By the way, am not roaming the web much lately,

so I'm not adding links I've visited.

bamboo

The most astonishing plant in my friends' garden

was the bamboo. I'd planted some at Bangalow so knew

how eager it is to spread, but theirs has also doubled in height,

at least. Straight lines contrast well with the

tropical exuberance. Or maybe it just gives a (false)sense

that you wont be taken over.

Might post some more Burma photos in a few days.

old friends

Visited some old friends, hadn't seen their garden for

years, it's a great spot in the hinterland with

bromeliads on tree branches, flowers & ferns..

mature trees, lotus & papyrus in the dam

& a lovely creek, the kind that platypus might enjoy.

only men

Many paya have an area of shops close by, this one has

cool marble floored walkways. Only men can add gold leaf

to the large buddha. I don't recall ever reading that

in what the buddha taught, although he did supposedly say

that women could not be enlightened.

Well, who could be?

The head of this buddha is wonderfully beautiful,

though the body is lumpy with gold.

Possibly could have been more of a shopper in Burma, except

the overwhelming feeling was 'we have too much stuff already'.

If I go again, I'll stay longer in the Mandalay area,

& countryside.

palace

The city palace in Mandalay is a reconstruction, not

very sympathetic, the old one burnt down. The island it's on is

used as an army base (tatmadaw). I liked the tower design, & there's

a small museum with a few artifacts & some antique

photos, not supposed to take photos.

monastery

It's really impossible to give a sense of these places: at first there

is the fairy tale silhouette, then you see more of the detail,

(flying elephants & horses!) plus the surrounding trees;

there's the solidity of a large timber building,

& then into the dark interior where the gleam of gold

gradually becomes buddhas, ornaments, doors, pillars...

it's superb.

folk art

Most of the paintings like these that I noticed were in difficult

positions for photos, & flash was useless. Often there were

interesting family photos in offices, restaurants etc, I felt a bit

awkward photographing them, there were quizzical looks

when I asked.

orphanage

In Mandalay I visited an orphanage within a monastery complex.

The children were from all over Burma, some from the

deadly Nargis cyclone, others with only one parent who could

not otherwise send them to school, as well as some ethnic

minorities from the far north.

gold teak

At this teak monastery I had the sense of finding the

gold heart of a teak forest.. it was almost deserted, quiet but

for the floor boards; while the exuberant exterior has

faded with time, the interior glimmers with gold.

It may not all be gold leaf, & in fact the space is lit only

by doors & small windows, I saw more detail from the flash,

though that never gives the true look of dim shine, does it?

I wonder whether it produced wood carving monks, or

was it all built before they came? There was a series of

panels with jataka tales. A really uplifting space

amarapura

At the sunset end of the day we went to the bridge

at Amarapura: Ducks being herded home, people fishing

in the lake ~ standing chest high ~ lots of movement

on the old teak bridge yet a quietness too,

it was gorgeous.

across the river

More extravagantly carved teak. Sometimes, inside, it's gilded.

Outside the carving is weather worn, still fine inside

The posts & pillars are whole trees.

Two other places (maybe Mingun), I loved the leaning tower.

Now & again there's an unexplained detail: I don't know the

meaning of the creatures with double hind quarters,

maybe they are Nats, though they decorate Buddhist pagodas too.

ruins

The names won't mean much if you've not been there: more

interesting sites around Mandalay. Some were small, &

it gave a slight sense of stumbling upon them by chance

in the jungle..

Whenever there was a hill you could see that

the forests & fields are studded with pagodas,

& other buddhist ruins

full moon

Still there were full moon celebrations, the lion had a part.

The icecream cones were luminous pink & lime, the bullocks

were resting beside their taxi carts, at the river. There was a big

earthquake in Turkey while I was in Burma, sobering to

see earlier remains of seismic activity.

carved forests

We saw parts of the 'ancient cities' via the taxi/tuk-tuk,

boat, & horse cart, passing many small villages & compounds

of bamboo cottages, & some great trees, all interesting.

One pagoda aimed to be the tallest, but an earthquake,

or king's death intervened.. I forget which.

The teak monasteries were astonishing, carved all over,

inside too, except it was so dark, hard to see.

Whole forests of teak, but such a memorable use of it.

mandalay

From Inle lake I flew to Mandalay, & stayed at the delightful

Peacock Lodge, it reminded me happily of the old

raj places in India that I rented or stayed at, lovely hosts too.

One day I shared the GH taxi with another guest, we

visited several interesting sites up hills, & further away.

A long climb (for me) to the top for this paya at Sagaing, a splendid

view of the Irrawaddy. The city is big & kind of messy,

the trick is to get up early, before it all starts up,

& the light is at an angle

treasure

Many sites at Bagan had dim mysterious interiors,

&, in October, lots of big old green trees

There were intriguing paths off through the greenery,

nearly always someone selling quite interesting stuff, which

I didn't see in other towns, & occasional gilded treasures.

I might go back one day, I really liked it.

Of course the real treasure is the Burmese people.

chance

The chance of being somewhere just as the light

changes, don't you love it? There was heavy rain between me

& the large pagoda. In the village this lady right

was a Burmese Vermeer.