Calligraphy in Hagia Sophia

Here are some pictures from Hagia Sophia in Istanbul. The building was constructed in Byzantine times as an Orthodox church, became a mosque in the Ottoman era, now it is a museum. The Muslims don't believe in hanging images in mosques but they can hang pictures with calligraphy, properly framed, as pictures should be. This is what we see in Hagia Sophia, huge pictures in exquisite calligraphy in Arabic thuluth style. This was the style that was considered right for monumental inscription at the time of Ottomans.

Icons in Istanbul

Istanbul is the centre of the Orthodox Church. There is a Patriarchal Cathedral, very pretty. There I took some pictures of icons. They are Greek icons, as opposed to better known Russian ones. They were around what looked to me as a lectern. They are apparently considered precious, as they are all behind glass.

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.