Maya sculpture

We all know that the press jumps to fashionable subjects ignoring other subjects that might be related. It is not only the press actually, book publishers behave the same way. Here is an example: Maya sculpture. Everybody knows about Maya pyramids but not many people know anything about Maya sculpture. An exhibition in the Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City suggests that ancient Maya sculpture was very interesting (to say the least). However, even the museum shop doesn't have any publication on the subject, either in English or in Spanish.

You can also check my entry about Maya vase painting

Ashaninka Indians

     Ashaninka, also known as Kampa, are a fierce tribe of Indians from the Peruvian Amazon jungle, who have never been conquered either by the Inkas or by the Spaniards. More recently they sent packing the communist guerrillas of Sendero Luminoso. Apparently the communist agents sent to persuade them to join the guerilla war were shot with bows and arrows. Even today we were told that it is better not to visit their villages without the prior introduction. 
    Well, I visited them, having of course been introduced. Here are a few portraits for anybody who would like to know what fierce Indians look like. They live in the Amazon jungle, which they burn regularly and plant manioc in the burned-out spot. Thanks to that manioc and fish in rivers they don't need to worry about lack of supermarkets in the vicinity (I guess the nearest one is some 500 miles away). They live in thatched houses that traditionally had no walls, although recently they build some walls with planks. Traditionally they wore self-made tunics called "kuchma", although recent fashion is to wear shop bought stuff. There is no supermarket nearby but there is a school in the village and the kids learn there more or less the same stuff that our kids do. Some of Ashaninka kids have high ambitions, for example one girl told us that she aims to be a doctor.

Lolo script

Have you ever heard of people called Lolo (or Yi), who live in China in southern Sichuan and not only have their own language, but a script totally different from Chinese? They have always fought the Chinese tooth and nail and only the Maoists managed to subdue them. But even today their language is still officially recognised. In the city of Xichang, the biggest in the region, all public notices, including names of shops, are in both languages - Chinese and Lolo. In a museum in this town one can see ancient books and modern newspapers written in their language, with a script that clearly is not Chinese. One can even buy a magazine with Lenin in a distinctive Lolo headdress. Xichang is a typical Chinese communist city but you one can see plenty of Lolos in their turbans in the streets.

Samoan school uniforms

In Samoa everybody seems to wear skirts. They are certainly a part of boys school uniforms. Going to school barefoot also seems to be forbidden, flip flops are apparently a parto of a uniform. 

Greetings in Auckland Airport

This is how boys greet everybody in AKL airport, before you even get to immigration. Actually there is a girl there, too. 

Buddhas in Singapore museum

In Europe one can go to museums to see European art but in Singapore the best museum concentrates its attention on Asian art. One can see for example the development of a Buddha figure throughout the ages and in many countries. Here are just a few of them. 

Buddha from Gandhara (today's Afghanistan), 3rd century

Buddha from Java, 8th century, 

Buddha from North India, 9th century

Buddha from Thailand, 15th century

Buddha from Tibet, 16th century

Standing Buddha from North India, 10th century

Buddha from China, 6th century

Standing Buddha from Cambodja, 5th century

Hindu temple in Singapore

This is a Hindu temple in Singapore.
Hindus come to a temple for a "darshan", or seeing the face of God. Hinduism is of course a religion of many currents, for ascetics this darshan is achieved after a long meditation, but for ordinary people it is a visit in a temple to see a face of a figure. This is what the figure is there for. There is a special ceremony, analogous to the Catholic transfiguration, after which it becomes a body of God, very much like the Catholic host. It is not eaten but treated like a host in a monstrance. The priests treat this figure as a living being, they wash it, bring meals to it, put to bed. Which is a bit similar to figures of saints in Latin countries, where the figures are clad, and the clothing is regularly changed and washed.