萨迦寺维修工程的管工

trace 痕迹

能看到这幅墙前是曾经有过一座密宗的佛像吗?
can you see the trace? once there was a tantric figure standing in front of this wall.













这里是Jonang Puntsokling,在山顶上的是废墟
This monastery is called Jonang Puntsokling, and this part on the top of the hill remains as ruin.

grassland school project update

This is an on-going school building project starting summer 2006 in a grassland area of Choni county 卓尼县, Amdo Tibet, which is 3-4 hours drive from my research project site, Labrang monastery.

Please visit the following link for recent update:
http://grasslandschool.blogspot.com/

云

The High land scene before reaching the "earth landscape" at Tholin.

[到达土林之前的高原景像]

[24.6.2007_往托林途中]

This lifetime as a dog 狗样的生活

同行的同學告訴我: “聽說出家人如果懶惰,不努力學習,
下一世就會投胎成為這些待在寺廟裏睡覺的狗.”

真閑!

喂..想問問在江孜白居寺旁睡午覺的你們…那說法是真的嗎?

Damcho said she was told if a monk is lazy, then in his next life, he will turn into one of these lazy dogs who hang around the monastery. sleeping safely...

wow! what a life !

Hello!!.. dog.. is that true?

[Kumbum, Gyantse]

哥儿们 brothers...

这次二十八天的路程有很多工作人员,包括开吉普车的师傅们,也另外有一辆大卡车专门附则我们露营时的膳食,帐篷,和大件的行李.

开吉普车的师傅们有四位是来自四川,两位是来自拉萨的藏族,而大卡车的后勤另有四位藏族的哥儿.

在路程中很想跟藏族的师傅们聊天,只是我的藏语实在太差劲,因此难以跟他们有深入的谈话.可是他们都喜欢唤我这新的藏语名字”格桑梅朵”Gesang Medok…(意思是”格桑花”,是一种紫色高原的花),也急忙把我在Amdo做田野考察时被起的名字 Ata Lhamo(西藏传说时代格萨王恶妻的名字)暂时放在一旁..

In this 28 days journey, there were many supporting staffs. They include the drivers of the jeeps, also there is a big truck staffs, they took care of our tents, camping equipment and the big luggage.

Four of drivers are from Sichuan while three are Tibetan. The truck team including the cook are also Tibetans.

During the trip, I always wanted to chat with the Tibetan staffs, however blame it to my lousy Tibetan language skill, our conversation always remained at a few lines. But they always like calling me my new Tibetan name " Gesang Medok", which is a type of beautiful flowers found on this highland. Haha, therefore I have adopted my new Tibetan name and quickly dropped the old name "Ata Lhamo" which was given when I was doing my fieldwork in Amdo Tibet.

p.s: Ata Lhamo is the 2nd queen of the Tibetan Legendary king "gesar", ata lhamo is said to be very fierceful, good at battle war and everyone was scared of her....

这是 this is

安静的 ..shu shu shu

来到土林,快到托林 tholin, almost there

跟我同车的的老师
不断的说,看到土林
就知道快到达托林了
连开车的师傅也说
他在西藏跑,一般对风景没什么喜好
唯独"土林"得到他的厚爱
我问土林是什么?像黄土高原吗?他们摇头...
说土林不断随着风化而改变
每过两三年来土林一次,它的样子跟以前都跟以前会有些不一样
不大明白他们在说些什么
也很难想像
我们的车继续在平远上走了好一断时间
这样的又过了一个小时
... ... ...
一个拐弯
眼前的一切景象突然改变了
颜色,视野,空间,气氛...
他们不用说...
谁也都知道我们已经来到土林了...
我们的车即将要经过这一片土林
到前面远处的另一端,那处仿佛就在雪山前面
那里就是"托林"了
那一连绵的雪山山脉
就是西藏和喀什米爾KASHMIR的边界
跑出车外,看着,听着,嗅着,此场景
好像能感觉到
于十世纪把佛教从这里再次发扬那"古格王朝"的力量

像看电影,真身还没见,首先来个开场序!
啊!这开场序的排场可真是厉害!

you know to reach"tholin", and to know we are almost there, is when u see this...
[24.6.2007_往托林途中]

高海拔露营 (二) Lake Manasarovar

Lake Manasarovar M湖边的日落
可以看到远处的云很像比湖还要低的样子
感觉真的是在天上天
难怪M湖同样都是好几种宗教的圣湖
Camping at Lake Manasarovar overlooking Mt Kalash... 4500m...

高海拔露营 and Y

终于来到Mt Kaliash 旁边的Lake Manasarovar.
这就是西藏之行的其中一个期待的点
之前有点担心自己的身体状况
因为需要在这里露营过夜
这里海拔高再加上是在湖边,估计晚上应该会很冷
果然晚上真的很冷
我们两个学生一个帐篷
我的帐篷partner是一个在伦敦修美术史的印度女孩Y
这个trip是她毕生以来
第一次露营;第一此蹲厕;第一次没有热水
生长在比较富裕新德里家庭的Y
这种形式对她来说简直是破天荒
很多学生不愿意跟她一组
因为觉得她有点麻烦
一开始我跟她一组是出于一点自大的同情心
但慢慢却觉得她很有趣
看着她每一个第一次的反应
其实也是挺可爱的,
我慢慢觉得每个人也有第一次
当然是需要适应和学习
所以我也希望我跟她同一组
能让她这些第一次的经验
能感觉有人在旁包容她和给一点点的扶持
其实也是对自己的一个练习
一般在高原连自己的身体不断觉得很累的时候
Compassion的能量很可能降低
所以这次真的谢谢Y
更清楚看见自己

[下了一整晚的雨之后的早上,有点SURREAL的感觉]

cloud flower

Entering Ngari district 阿里 for the our western most destination "the ancient Guge kingdom ruin at tholing". Along the way, the plateau constantly remains at 4500m above sea level, we were heading to camp by a famous sacred lake which is called Lake Manasarovar, which sits next to a famous sacred mountian which is called mountain Mt kailash. But even before we get there, we saw some nice lakes, wild orchid and wild animals. Hope they can always stay free and safe!
踏进西藏西部阿里,前往古格遗址"托林"的路途中,需要经过岡仁波齊峰和在它旁边的圣湖搭帐篷,但是还没到达之前,途中的景象已经感觉很...

大昭寺+UFO

这是从大昭寺附近那新满斋餐厅屋顶上拍的
很多朋友去拉萨之前都会有一个幻想
是一种香格里拉化的幻想
可能是由于那些漂亮的照相集(没有电线杆的照片)
电视的旅游特辑等等
不同的人对这样的真相会有不同的反应
有些朋友觉得极度失望
有些愤怒
有些却觉得是好的发展
我不知道自己的反应是什么
一切东西都有相付相乘的
可能是自己铺排的后果
甚至自己也可能是自己评击内容的一部分
间接是得益者或破坏者
一个真实的城市拥有很多层面
但是我不得不承认
拍这照片的时候我觉得..
"Oh...大昭寺...被夹在UFO中间了!怎么办!"

拉萨上网

在拉萨的时候,

很多时候捧着自己的电脑从客栈走到几十米外那街尾的CAFE.

需然这里的食物不好吃而且有点贵,但是胜在有无线上网
所以在拉萨待着的时候
如果不忙,便会到这里一边上网一边看街(BAKHOR STREET)

kitchen 廚房

[位於拉薩週邊的哲蚌寺裏其中一大殿之廚房]

[kitchen which serve one of the assembly hall at Drepund monastery, outside Lhasa]

本人向來獨愛傳統民間居廚房,因此從開始做藏族建築研究以來,也會對廚房特別的留意. 每當到寺廟考察的時候,當其他人員都在佛堂細看壁畫的時候, 我往往會趕快跑出去找找經堂旁邊的獨立廚房,然後盡我所能讓在廚房裏的僧人批准讓我進去,甚至拍些照片.

說起來很有趣,在民間,廚房一般是女人的空間.我們大多數都是從少看著媽媽燒飯切菜長大的.可是來到這些以男的僧人為住的寺廟世界,廚房往往是女人的禁地.尤其在我主要研究的拉卜愣寺,那裏比較傳統,因此我不止一次被趕罵出來.

這次西藏之行,来到一些小寺廟却往往沒有這麼困難,在他們的廚房簡直就像作客一樣,遺憾的是我往往要趕著跑回去歸隊,不能接受他們的邀請坐下喝酥油茶和閒聊.

I have always love traditional kitchen, therefore when I started my research on Tibetan architecture, I have always pay special attention to kitchen. Whenever I visit a monastery, while others are enjoying the wall paintings in the inner shrine, I would always run outisde trying to find the kitchen building which stands nearby. Then I would try my best, hoping the monks would let me in or even take a few pictures.

Actually, it's very interesting phenonmenon that eventhough kitchen is ususally a woman space in the traditional house, women are usually forbidden in the kitchen space of the Tibetan Buddhist monastery. At my main research site "Labrang", it is such a traditional monastic system that I was already kicked out from the kitchen everytime I tried.

Lucky enough, in this Tibet study trip, when we visited some small monasteries, in contrary, it was much easier to gain access into their kitchens, even as a very warm welcome guest. The only drawback is that everytime I always needed to rush back to join the study group and could not stay longer for a chat over a cup of butter tea the monks were offering me.

Waiting for lover 等待爱郎

在炎炎盛夏,烈日當空的西域地區考察藏傳佛教寺廟,一天來到日喀則二十公里以外的一座寺廟名夏魯寺,此寺廟建於十世紀,後於十三世紀大火之後經過一次重大的修復.

寺裏的壁畫極度精彩和多元化,令人目不暇接

尤其在大殿內那黑漆漆的轉經廊牆上的佛前傳無盡的壁畫上,找到的這幾為輕靠欄杆,等待愛情的尼泊兒士女, 替炎炎盛夏和外面極度強的UV陽光下帶來一股清涼香氣.

即使這一切只盡在看畫人的心中.

In the last months study trip through Tibet, I get to see many nice wall paintings, one detail keep remaining in my mind is this small portion of wall painting found in Shalu Monastery which are depicted in the circumambulatory corridor of the main assembly hall. It's in this Nepalese style called "Newari", this is the painting style representing the works by the craftsmans from the Kathmandu valley. One can identify this style from the Nepalese architecture, the scroll pattern, also the Nepalese people; in this case are these beautiful women looking out from the balcony waiting for their far away lovers. My indian friend said this is a very typical scene of Nepalese or Indian woman. You can feel their imagination through their eye gaze and the breezes through their sleeves. How romantic but yet poetic.

西边五十天

最近的五十天跑到西藏参加考察团
其中的三十天和考察团的学生和老师每天捻在一起
这五十天的一身打扮,衣服都是维持在同一个状态
有时侯会觉得很不自在
(尤其是由多天没有洗的衣服和洗澡而发出的"香"汗味)
但对久了,好像慢慢跟这一身的打扮培养出感情来了
毕竟这形象跟我经历了这一切的五十天
想来想去
其实自己的自身不就是也是一样
我们自己的心思,身体是跟着自己的,不能换掉
哈哈.自己培养对自己的感情
好好的爱护自身

"还有..其实真的不需要买那么多新装 "

Tashi Deleg Lhasa!!拉萨我爱

折腾了前一天飞机原机折返,终于看到拉萨外围了...













我住的街..在BARKHOR里面

我住的小房.三十元一晚

株拉再见!

going away to Tibet for 1 month.

see you all in JULY! :) keep smiling!

出行

很快又要出行了
这次会离开五,六个星期
上一次离开比较长时间已经是一年半之前
现在开始有一点点紧张
一点点兴奋
这次最需要留意的
就是出发之前不要感冒
还记得一年半前回来
发了一个小小的愿
就是要着力把身体弄好

发现自己身体的底子原来不是很好
一到高原就原形毕露,身体很容易出状况
自觉如果未来继续在高原地方做建筑研究
介绍给朋友知道那里的文化
或者有机会做一些建筑保育的项目
没有像样的体力怎么办!!!!!!!

明白了自己的身体是要自己负责任
因此一年半前开始了练yoga
现在是时候到高原试试看了
首先看看一下飞机的呼吸

School update

please visit:
www.grasslandschool.blogspot.com

西藏电影 Milarepa [米拉日巴]

过两个星期会有机会看这部电影
Milarepa [米拉日巴] 是西藏历史上一位很出名的佛教宗师
他的一生也很传奇
这是几年前"The Cup" [小喇嘛看世界杯] 的原班人马制作
只是换了是一位新的导演而已


movie trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1fSE4spGDs

胃烧脑

很久没有这样爽快的病一场
幸好历时不长

胃痛了两天,发冷,发烧
反复不断的睡觉
眼圈维持一团黑色的状态
身体不行的时候
首先是连想东西的力量也没有
只抓紧被子
不让在流汗发斗的身体着凉
到意识能带动身体半卧起来拿着杯子喝半口清水
却还是下不了床
这时期才是真正熬人
身体还没恢复
100%的意识却已经回来了
脑袋一连串的从东边想到西边
从以前想到未来,从真实想到假设
想到没什么可以再想的时候又从新再来
一连串的情绪也因此而来
真的是有点无聊
但自己却是彻底的投入其中
边想着想着,又睡着了

还好有姐照顾我的晚饭
其实真的庆幸这两晚B没有约会她

oldies

2000.11.27_Brunswick. Melbourne

pg show ...

(Thanks j for sending me these photos)

新发现! 新发现! 佛教壁畫!

[地点]

尼泊爾中北部木斯塘省地區(Mustand region)

[地势]

喜瑪拉雅山脈垂直壁洞

[发掘方法]

用冰斧鑿開積雪，發現了洞穴

[壁畫主题]

清晰的一組壁畫描繪釋迦牟尼佛的生平故事，每幅畫約三十五公分寬，四十三公分長，其中一幅主要壁畫寬約八公尺。

注: 調查小組拒絕透露洞穴的確切位置，以免遭人破壞這些近千年歷史的佛教藝術珍品。

How exciting!!!

news link:

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/070506/International/i502.html

仓库

去年冬天去了一趟京都
在小巷子转来转去
每每看到些老房子
老师告诉我
需然大家都知道日本的传统房子是以木结构为主
可是因为木容易交火
因此有经济能力的家庭
都会有一个用土建的小楼
用作放贵重物品的仓库
遇到火灾的时候
房子没了
也能保存土楼内的宝物
而且外墙塗了白灰
跟主楼的木房子相映成趣
有些新概的传统房子
还会建造这样的仓库

水上小俓花园

那天在曼谷河边的水上棚屋的小巷子拐来拐去..
突然出现在右边是这个窄窄的"桃圆"
没有建筑师,没有园林设计师,也没有从电脑的直线,抛密线计算变出来的伟大园林建设
高低不同大小的"翠绿"
一块块不同大小木板铺成的小路
在尽头悄悄消失了踪影的小猫
不知道是通往那里去

a glimpse on the sustaining of the urban poor - bangkok

Recently I went to Bangkok to attend a regional meeting of this NGO network called "Coailition of Asian Housing Right". Different NGOs attended this meeting and share their experiences on helping the urban poor and their housing situations. In the last 10 years, due to the expansion and development of cities in Asia, many people who live in slum area contiune facing eviction due to new infrustructure development, property development for the rich, as well as government's idea on wiping the eye-sore of the city. However in many cases such as those in southeast Asia, the urban poor make up as much as 40% of the city population (work force), however they only occupy 2% of the land in the city, this shows such eviction has great unfairness nature. In places such as Thailand, some NGO help the people to upgrade the area by themselves so that they can show the government the value of their living environent, as well as the habitable nature.

neighbourhood