June 22

Through My Eyes

Sunday June 22

( Still in Lhassa)

" Along Dekyl Shar Lam, glass cases on wheels are filled with strips of cooked meat and piles of oily,fried offal. At night, candles are set in these cases, and the glass steams up from the moisture given off by the warm meat as it combines with the cold air. Merchants sell stainless-steel pots, socks, pens, mallas (Tibetan prayer beads), and increasingly, Chinese made toys and clothing. It is a street full of greetings and friendship and endless chatter, a meeting place in the heart of Lhasa. Here , Khampa women, wrapped in bulky woolen coats, their long, waist length braids bejeweled with turquoise rings, amber beads, and large pieces of coral, chat and laugh with each other as they sell their wares. Many of these women, with ruddy,wind-worn cheeks, flash two brilliant metal eyeteeth when they smile. There is a joyous spirit about the vanity and arrogance of the Khampas.

Sadly, though, the last time I was on Dekyl Shar Lam, a whole section of the wonderful traditional Tibetan-style architecture had been razed. The stench from the open sewers made shopping on the street almost impossible. Much of the old city of Lhasa is methodically being torn down and replaced by functional Chinese run revenue hotels with chrome and blue-mirrored windows The London based Tibet Information Network has reported that by 1996 the Chinese plan for a five-year wave of modernization in Lhasa had led to the demolition of 350 of the 600 historic buildings in Tibet's capital city. This agenda of destroying Tibet's architectural heritage continues to this day. Tibetan houses and shops are being demolished in a brazen effort to strip away any Tibetan identity from the streets. Even shop signs have been standardized by the Chinese. Old Lhasa is quickly becoming a new Chinatown. Dekyl Shar Lam leads down to the main Buddhist temple in Lhasa, the Johkang. Circling the Jokhang is another street market, the Barkhor. The Barkhor is a strange mix of shopping and praying. Pilgrims walk the circular street around the temple, starting and ending at the two large stone incense burners in front of the Johkang that spill aromatic clouds of juniper smoke across the open square in front of the temple. Many worshippers do the entire route prostrating themselves over and over again. Often protected by oval wooden pads on their hands and leather aprons on their bodies, these hard-core pilgrims are sidestepped by eager shoppers and faster, strolling Buddhists." I promise to add more tomorrow...

*( please click here to read of the day with me )

* This is still from Art Perry's book the Tibetans.

( Please see my spinning for you!.)

( Tahshi, gentle one! I haven't gotten anything done yet on the carvings for a Windhorse project because I spent just about the entire

day working with soundfiles. Still though, the work with the electronic equipment is going rather well! I hope you liked the song I created for you. I've already learned how to record it in a file that's much smaller and easier to download as I discovered I had a program that makes .mp3 files. Also I got the microphone to work so it's a lot less fuzzy! ( You probably know about .mp3 files and things like USB ports and all such electronic gadgetry) I tell you about it of course because I want to share with you everything as it happens. Anyway, I'm going to add our wildflowers now so we can visit them as usual as we continue and do some more reading about the Tibetan language. Here's the map so we can see where we've been travelling.

I'd better rest. I've been on the computer for quite a while this weekend!

And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow

my one gentle beautiful swift patient dream bright

long dark mane in sunlight

so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo! )c


	Through My Eyes Sunday June 22 ( Still in Lhassa) " Along Dekyl Shar Lam, glass cases on wheels are filled with strips of cooked meat and piles of oily,fried offal. At night, candles are set in these cases, and the glass steams up from the moisture given off by the warm meat as it combines with the cold air. Merchants sell stainless-steel pots, socks, pens, mallas (Tibetan prayer beads), and increasingly, Chinese made toys and clothing. It is a street full of greetings and friendship and endless chatter, a meeting place in the heart of Lhasa. Here , Khampa women, wrapped in bulky woolen coats, their long, waist length braids bejeweled with turquoise rings, amber beads, and large pieces of coral, chat and laugh with each other as they sell their wares. Many of these women, with ruddy,wind-worn cheeks, flash two brilliant metal eyeteeth when they smile. There is a joyous spirit about the vanity and arrogance of the Khampas. Sadly, though, the last time I was on Dekyl Shar Lam, a whole section of the wonderful traditional Tibetan-style architecture had been razed. The stench from the open sewers made shopping on the street almost impossible. Much of the old city of Lhasa is methodically being torn down and replaced by functional Chinese run revenue hotels with chrome and blue-mirrored windows The London based Tibet Information Network has reported that by 1996 the Chinese plan for a five-year wave of modernization in Lhasa had led to the demolition of 350 of the 600 historic buildings in Tibet's capital city. This agenda of destroying Tibet's architectural heritage continues to this day. Tibetan houses and shops are being demolished in a brazen effort to strip away any Tibetan identity from the streets. Even shop signs have been standardized by the Chinese. Old Lhasa is quickly becoming a new Chinatown. Dekyl Shar Lam leads down to the main Buddhist temple in Lhasa, the Johkang. Circling the Jokhang is another street market, the Barkhor. The Barkhor is a strange mix of shopping and praying. Pilgrims walk the circular street around the temple, starting and ending at the two large stone incense burners in front of the Johkang that spill aromatic clouds of juniper smoke across the open square in front of the temple. Many worshippers do the entire route prostrating themselves over and over again. Often protected by oval wooden pads on their hands and leather aprons on their bodies, these hard-core pilgrims are sidestepped by eager shoppers and faster, strolling Buddhists." I promise to add more tomorrow... ( please click here to read of the day with me ) This is still from Art Perry's book the Tibetans. ( Please see my spinning for you!.) ( Tahshi, gentle one! I haven't gotten anything done yet on the carvings for a Windhorse project because I spent just about the entire day working with soundfiles. Still though, the work with the electronic equipment is going rather well! I hope you liked the song I created for you. I've already learned how to record it in a file that's much smaller and easier to download as I discovered I had a program that makes .mp3 files. Also I got the microphone to work so it's a lot less fuzzy! ( You probably know about .mp3 files and things like USB ports and all such electronic gadgetry) I tell you about it of course because I want to share with you everything as it happens. Anyway, I'm going to add our wildflowers now so we can visit them as usual as we continue and do some more reading about the Tibetan language. Here's the map so we can see where we've been travelling. I'd better rest. I've been on the computer for quite a while this weekend! And so, as always we'll continue two as one on to tomorrow my one gentle beautiful swift patient dream bright long dark mane in sunlight so for now I bid goodnight...Simjah Nahngo! )c