tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17696821941449688742024-02-19T07:23:31.439-08:00The Hazel FilesHazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comBlogger481125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-45926184370622755782015-12-15T20:48:00.003-08:002016-08-15T14:42:01.849-07:00Iran Post 3: Cars and Trucks and...Blue Cows! (click on photos for more detail)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Traveling in any country is an interesting experience with modes of transport and road systems.<br />
Iran was no exception. Roads were well signed,<br />
often in English.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU91rEgBOutBzUkQHD_pcEg3TpXlUIXjBpE1IkLqPxoOIyO29LOAr_ptmxuSEj-M51KcmuFwcz_UUCRiTmoONlj2haJHYaWe0Dgnh-iuNwprkZsnGKtJ6_4iFhgAOEx4OZuJAE9E83re8H/s1600/P1050368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU91rEgBOutBzUkQHD_pcEg3TpXlUIXjBpE1IkLqPxoOIyO29LOAr_ptmxuSEj-M51KcmuFwcz_UUCRiTmoONlj2haJHYaWe0Dgnh-iuNwprkZsnGKtJ6_4iFhgAOEx4OZuJAE9E83re8H/s320/P1050368.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
There were traffic calming devices everywhere. Roads were generally in good shape.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LVhWsd646_dhmUfVa2r_GkPWpkTeOsFouCHRLqBU8AIRh_YgFzsmjL9QZ2vrLs-bHQFwp1BN8qbhaEgLYgBo5zi4PP4CVUlyx66AhG5nghjk7T3vZnxl-8FIAYRxNQjwGK3M4rDOourv/s1600/P1040854.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LVhWsd646_dhmUfVa2r_GkPWpkTeOsFouCHRLqBU8AIRh_YgFzsmjL9QZ2vrLs-bHQFwp1BN8qbhaEgLYgBo5zi4PP4CVUlyx66AhG5nghjk7T3vZnxl-8FIAYRxNQjwGK3M4rDOourv/s320/P1040854.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lane sharing</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJn6TUKShZwlfqLxFnfVz47Y5P3OLVCzoNTjNha1F8obJ9IviNvSaiAzrv_goPmqBrRjKQsLf31sKWuPV1Tqz71qtDvf1cHorjD8JMUZnYqwqhMKOATl7LyUaRe4nWDe3bk65rJLV9C39/s1600/P1060672.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJn6TUKShZwlfqLxFnfVz47Y5P3OLVCzoNTjNha1F8obJ9IviNvSaiAzrv_goPmqBrRjKQsLf31sKWuPV1Tqz71qtDvf1cHorjD8JMUZnYqwqhMKOATl7LyUaRe4nWDe3bk65rJLV9C39/s320/P1060672.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Tehran</td></tr>
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However, people drive very creatively and make the most of any corners that can be cut. In cities, traffic lights are obeyed, but traffic lanes are totally ignored. Pedestrians are very brave and assertive: they cross when and wherever they can. Shepherds move their herds as needed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmL0BmVh2DZNiDsUG1KM1bVXgj-WPVc67DZkxHuoaxr0g6Ij4QrUz18tiLYL_8PuDpTQZuOwFm2mVE7w-XGPOmAlLexfRmEe5Q17WObGgZSazxmFvNOx0pDlbM36PlYRa4Zi0LhdqhxXQ/s1600/P1050321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKmL0BmVh2DZNiDsUG1KM1bVXgj-WPVc67DZkxHuoaxr0g6Ij4QrUz18tiLYL_8PuDpTQZuOwFm2mVE7w-XGPOmAlLexfRmEe5Q17WObGgZSazxmFvNOx0pDlbM36PlYRa4Zi0LhdqhxXQ/s320/P1050321.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamadan: everyone makes accommodations</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8qwEoNbl0zYrpyJUL_QUqUO1iHO2kQgnI6KTgDyC0BgQ7rrIao16DU5pEmvkeYB1OiG1moXcBXjHfNGKanXcOrALEF50luoUsMVgW61hF8GK-sVR1aQhUQQHQwFtuCIuT76QPMjUmx6Z/s1600/P1040839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd8qwEoNbl0zYrpyJUL_QUqUO1iHO2kQgnI6KTgDyC0BgQ7rrIao16DU5pEmvkeYB1OiG1moXcBXjHfNGKanXcOrALEF50luoUsMVgW61hF8GK-sVR1aQhUQQHQwFtuCIuT76QPMjUmx6Z/s320/P1040839.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing the road with pedestrians</td></tr>
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Motorcyclists maneuver in the smallest spaces in the cities and are ubiquitous in the rural areas.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f5p03VSjbp__oHBL0pnmN4i288Wa5UlzlE3SX6Spkw6IP-1IH8Ix4KuMm0Tb8cqTKohgLMr4vDHNGuGApPmF_YbBy3qK_1ERCUtIqxJQ_4mBkrXvUeudIpPB7hg3zSAXhWWAjLo9M-sG/s1600/P1050291c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f5p03VSjbp__oHBL0pnmN4i288Wa5UlzlE3SX6Spkw6IP-1IH8Ix4KuMm0Tb8cqTKohgLMr4vDHNGuGApPmF_YbBy3qK_1ERCUtIqxJQ_4mBkrXvUeudIpPB7hg3zSAXhWWAjLo9M-sG/s320/P1050291c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near Ali Sadr Caves</td></tr>
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Very few bicyclists. While lane discipline is an oxymoron, people are much more forgiving and indulgent of drivers' needs than in US cities.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLkFH8mAV-GTokGmF_vgq1ARDZoCHWpp2whq2WqhJhMOYeC33EJmcUhdoxwxbvZN8ON3ywKoRSX7Hgi_DLl0c05l1AeZBtTms_mGoyd7vAewyssPDXDxIBHHM4Vaxornh-D3wL2YxSyUZ/s1600/P1060689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVLkFH8mAV-GTokGmF_vgq1ARDZoCHWpp2whq2WqhJhMOYeC33EJmcUhdoxwxbvZN8ON3ywKoRSX7Hgi_DLl0c05l1AeZBtTms_mGoyd7vAewyssPDXDxIBHHM4Vaxornh-D3wL2YxSyUZ/s320/P1060689.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Congestion leaving Tehran</td></tr>
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You suddenly realise you need to turn left but you are in the far right of four to six lanes (the road is actually only two to three lanes)? No problem....just nudge!<br />
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There are police checkpoints all along the major roads checking for speeding, up-to-date insurance, or license. People are very helpful to motorists requesting directional information.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZGNMo-0gZvUCNZvelaAP-IQm2Ur205vQWOi5rXC4mXSWTeWwipScNPP1HFWw13hCdEUCGQEvHtysqwnvZVCnaB1gPKz_lA6QGAC6ab6RWbEF9jyg-CIl7lwORTgi6lj0U8EyIV-_h-bP/s1600/P1060814.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZGNMo-0gZvUCNZvelaAP-IQm2Ur205vQWOi5rXC4mXSWTeWwipScNPP1HFWw13hCdEUCGQEvHtysqwnvZVCnaB1gPKz_lA6QGAC6ab6RWbEF9jyg-CIl7lwORTgi6lj0U8EyIV-_h-bP/s320/P1060814.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The owner of this business offered us lunch and a bag of apples</td></tr>
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We ended up with a flat tire and had several offers of help along the roadside, including being offered apples and lunch!<br />
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Trucks of all varieties carry all sorts of goods. We did not see many container trucks until we got further south. These trucks were heading to ports on the Persian Gulf such as Bandar Abbas or Hormuz. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3smkerj61KjVw0JCNcVc4wmMxrIMeRv6eosVIuVNrvaxlnorbFaD3exleiozR0XmDWSb3cLm7VgvPj6DW7os3NHJcn_bmej0gg5kDfC9CGMjJhDPaUrwcCbTq5g0drI3yCEJAgbqkJ-0/s1600/P1040977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe3smkerj61KjVw0JCNcVc4wmMxrIMeRv6eosVIuVNrvaxlnorbFaD3exleiozR0XmDWSb3cLm7VgvPj6DW7os3NHJcn_bmej0gg5kDfC9CGMjJhDPaUrwcCbTq5g0drI3yCEJAgbqkJ-0/s320/P1040977.JPG" width="320" /></a>We saw trucks servicing the agricultural sector, building and construction industry, goods transport. <br />
But, best of all were the Blue Cows. These pickups were the vehicle of choice all over the countryside and in towns. Their drivers have a bad reputation for being rude, inconsiderate, unreliable. However, these pickups really were workhorses. Here is a series of sightings.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouE9DIXz4V72fQm7Zbktec6LRDUnOSSzfrM9vONnnmQJ-wtL8hLVakavwXz9EF0PkoCuZJOB1uW306Qsq6G1BAA-wrJ98WxJz66lMAvWJz7QY8iqsBZwTMgStjWUV_PXXX4ogxpVfSOSJ/s1600/P1060839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjouE9DIXz4V72fQm7Zbktec6LRDUnOSSzfrM9vONnnmQJ-wtL8hLVakavwXz9EF0PkoCuZJOB1uW306Qsq6G1BAA-wrJ98WxJz66lMAvWJz7QY8iqsBZwTMgStjWUV_PXXX4ogxpVfSOSJ/s320/P1060839.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leaving Kalaybar</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt4DYUIergF_y84ICoeWYhOwFio9oekk3naxdrw4-mpxnKdpQP1LIAQ0IJX_EjDVJbFJ1HV06x6JfquSCrNA_rStWSIF23AS9Z_WVi-xV8DLqRRI_9W_7oHp8dlWQAB97nm13Y6DMKqeU/s1600/P1040994.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKt4DYUIergF_y84ICoeWYhOwFio9oekk3naxdrw4-mpxnKdpQP1LIAQ0IJX_EjDVJbFJ1HV06x6JfquSCrNA_rStWSIF23AS9Z_WVi-xV8DLqRRI_9W_7oHp8dlWQAB97nm13Y6DMKqeU/s320/P1040994.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Tabriz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeMaJBcjdtE1XX2vyBvAIfocx9sUMY04A_evNd0Yvy36Ep4G17i_mgq_lRS8lOvmBPAgUlsF44NY1mMxtjKoetqbQyMa8qpLefsWEbEUoK2AnhENoHbdxsnT60HD9AYHRXoCoVxS6QFUK/s1600/P1050039c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyeMaJBcjdtE1XX2vyBvAIfocx9sUMY04A_evNd0Yvy36Ep4G17i_mgq_lRS8lOvmBPAgUlsF44NY1mMxtjKoetqbQyMa8qpLefsWEbEUoK2AnhENoHbdxsnT60HD9AYHRXoCoVxS6QFUK/s320/P1050039c.jpg" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recycling!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi365j1Y-EkT2ml35KFgpC1f-FRtTC8YJ2-44Zf76pEZXtJXsoaP7OikeiILQ7JxjIXThx8C1lYqAd9NCuVwemu8ELlFbmjrzfS82ufBXNWqi7S02ueq1SLHxVw-Hh67y-W7l5g-j7bKai3/s1600/P1050154c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi365j1Y-EkT2ml35KFgpC1f-FRtTC8YJ2-44Zf76pEZXtJXsoaP7OikeiILQ7JxjIXThx8C1lYqAd9NCuVwemu8ELlFbmjrzfS82ufBXNWqi7S02ueq1SLHxVw-Hh67y-W7l5g-j7bKai3/s320/P1050154c.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way to Kermanshah</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwJtyJzahZ3NU41qsBp1HHLHZE8dmxPnQMSshqTFaccYVljNjB_yOpFgYj9syz4azcLei8fnlooEeO6d7l5AIt117j5w1j_Kvp9B_ysWOQq_uG9ZBal0i3hlE7HkeA1yvBPw5C-IIe2pc/s1600/P1040984.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpwJtyJzahZ3NU41qsBp1HHLHZE8dmxPnQMSshqTFaccYVljNjB_yOpFgYj9syz4azcLei8fnlooEeO6d7l5AIt117j5w1j_Kvp9B_ysWOQq_uG9ZBal0i3hlE7HkeA1yvBPw5C-IIe2pc/s320/P1040984.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheep</td></tr>
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</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-43971659597750764442015-12-08T13:14:00.000-08:002015-12-12T16:07:29.822-08:00Second post on Iran: Buildings (click on photos for greater detail)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QGmXLyz4b_WO2wQ3S2gcsVTdSHRFfMXO54kUXoov6iNpCc8uLgxDbwhaayZB3LvhzSU0Nc9uWwsTVlOsRCXazkMX95K7TzDRjDu7fxNSkOf8VpF843sVMu0m-rSvfqDGvzuIajHoUWY9/s1600/P1060591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-QGmXLyz4b_WO2wQ3S2gcsVTdSHRFfMXO54kUXoov6iNpCc8uLgxDbwhaayZB3LvhzSU0Nc9uWwsTVlOsRCXazkMX95K7TzDRjDu7fxNSkOf8VpF843sVMu0m-rSvfqDGvzuIajHoUWY9/s320/P1060591.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milad Tower, Tehran, 2007,435m, 6th tallest in world</td></tr>
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The first post gave an overview of landscapes and domes. Here is an overview of buildings. I was quite surprised in my observation that there were few attractive buildings in the 4000km we traversed. The old mosques were indeed exquisite examples of incredible tile work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVW6bAC_eiQeVMe48UPlbRWSUke_N8XnHAd6ytHvNJ2L3mqHeo51YLOQ2tRhPI744SA-qODJ4TA2zJWqghcE1cMjYDQvToRBn7I7p8g3RZjob_lsx9QNYJfPtWpndbGWZvFoPMiI8qpe8/s1600/P1070102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVW6bAC_eiQeVMe48UPlbRWSUke_N8XnHAd6ytHvNJ2L3mqHeo51YLOQ2tRhPI744SA-qODJ4TA2zJWqghcE1cMjYDQvToRBn7I7p8g3RZjob_lsx9QNYJfPtWpndbGWZvFoPMiI8qpe8/s320/P1070102.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamadan</td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The palaces (as is usual with palaces) were magnificent, over-the-top in expensive materials and designs and many were exquisite examples of gaudiness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7k_NuGhjr34cWzdZXOHv-iOOJu6P40pCBEXihaaJRgVwJYyB6BJ2iyryxM2MrLVFGG8hTb3jTG2mNRQIuqD4HN84ldxXVwBZuuxO5BpRplJdecWbKRJs8a9VbN1E2v3F0sH6MR5NUYiZ/s1600/P1060612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje7k_NuGhjr34cWzdZXOHv-iOOJu6P40pCBEXihaaJRgVwJYyB6BJ2iyryxM2MrLVFGG8hTb3jTG2mNRQIuqD4HN84ldxXVwBZuuxO5BpRplJdecWbKRJs8a9VbN1E2v3F0sH6MR5NUYiZ/s320/P1060612.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golestan Palace, Tehran: tiles! murals! mirrored balcony!</td></tr>
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In general, we saw few attractive, innovatively designed new buildings, the exception being in Shiraz. We same numerous villas in Tehran, in the country-side to the north, we saw some in Esfahan and they may well have been beautiful on the inside. But, the urban landscape was generally not appealing.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVz0-11c_mBDmL-SnFkKLWU9kMPl-K8QEOWJiC7jAQmis1dy29C2ccZ3ElZWDXOOiAC5SgHLG6kxssQJpDEicRLjKrNIgmQyPiiRGtuaMJqBJNlINjMgBl3WNy-QmB6kByVCBdV2cd4rC/s1600/P1070106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaVz0-11c_mBDmL-SnFkKLWU9kMPl-K8QEOWJiC7jAQmis1dy29C2ccZ3ElZWDXOOiAC5SgHLG6kxssQJpDEicRLjKrNIgmQyPiiRGtuaMJqBJNlINjMgBl3WNy-QmB6kByVCBdV2cd4rC/s320/P1070106.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of four sides of the Bazaar, Hamadan</td></tr>
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The old parts of Kashan and Yazd did have beautiful traditional houses, but as is tradition, they were courtyard homes behind high mud-and-plaster walls. New construction of residential and non-high-rise commercial buildings were not attractive; high-rises in general were also lacking in eye-appeal.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New construction across Shordabil Lake</td></tr>
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In towns and cities, there was <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrHRXtMsVRhOom1uoCED5XhA5vCz2Y3sUimACUKkYczb6lXwQBq13uuelZ9UGaDBwXG_1MgKpYo5r2-b9wagRxa-nmMSWh8F8eOQkF_0hoEp1n6cSWpuoDsiMPiVdTCThsgqFLQGJMTQ4/s1600/P1060764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLrHRXtMsVRhOom1uoCED5XhA5vCz2Y3sUimACUKkYczb6lXwQBq13uuelZ9UGaDBwXG_1MgKpYo5r2-b9wagRxa-nmMSWh8F8eOQkF_0hoEp1n6cSWpuoDsiMPiVdTCThsgqFLQGJMTQ4/s320/P1060764.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction near Shordabil Lake, Ardabi</td></tr>
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a real sense of Soviet Realism or at least,1960's Brutalism! It was pointed out to me that given Iran/Persia's history, it has been over 2000 years of invasions and earthquakes and perhaps this has shaped the public's lack of attachment to general external architectural design. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlj9td5R9sLB0g0TC2MA_IS3_IBXl43LrH78IjjJJXswiv427u3I1DzCA0uChpQMoMnLNuUfNHn-gq-XUNKBwZcSezvGJmiCwQsfEbYLig6-U4-YXfJjzy_LmL8VAj8ZogyXuIOfL7ad0/s1600/P1050411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBlj9td5R9sLB0g0TC2MA_IS3_IBXl43LrH78IjjJJXswiv427u3I1DzCA0uChpQMoMnLNuUfNHn-gq-XUNKBwZcSezvGJmiCwQsfEbYLig6-U4-YXfJjzy_LmL8VAj8ZogyXuIOfL7ad0/s320/P1050411.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Caravanserai/hotel at Bistoun;background is inscriptions by Darius the Great</td></tr>
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Interiors of the remodeled or renovated traditional houses or caravanserai were exquisite.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkXn7EEEbvQg9PbZAqnQFCpmqPpuVLo8Ic4HmlcfE6GyOv6exjX6KAvW6UIUGsVKAf8EJEDuT6SOIOBE-qPqsiFcq147V4QHuZJ3Z1YwkbTQBgsMSQmhd3rkMPNAaxhu4ejJrUCsJH6VT/s1600/P1070335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvkXn7EEEbvQg9PbZAqnQFCpmqPpuVLo8Ic4HmlcfE6GyOv6exjX6KAvW6UIUGsVKAf8EJEDuT6SOIOBE-qPqsiFcq147V4QHuZJ3Z1YwkbTQBgsMSQmhd3rkMPNAaxhu4ejJrUCsJH6VT/s320/P1070335.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast at Negrin Traditional House, Kashan</td></tr>
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Interiors in most of the more modern hotels were nothing to write home about, whether they were 3,4,or 5 star. Much of what I observed, I came to understand, was from the eye of a tourist from somewhere else. How I saw/perceived things may not have been how local people did. Certainly in villages or small towns, this could be reduced to socio-economic differences. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9ZIAAqCbtmcuVMLat91lWt3H7dxZjEt58MRuMomsOQWSBFPuEpvhYcwSuEzmM-TbU1J3g97Td4oOHsKBVBUO4iDnFQWFnP7A-FF5_wwioj-6cYDE0_LF2Piz7Lp9FJ1x7T-eG7I_vd2u/s1600/P1040905.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN9ZIAAqCbtmcuVMLat91lWt3H7dxZjEt58MRuMomsOQWSBFPuEpvhYcwSuEzmM-TbU1J3g97Td4oOHsKBVBUO4iDnFQWFnP7A-FF5_wwioj-6cYDE0_LF2Piz7Lp9FJ1x7T-eG7I_vd2u/s320/P1040905.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New villa and hotel in countryside near Rasht</td></tr>
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Where we saw poverty in rural areas or small towns, our guide did not see what we saw: she saw people who were land-rich and that the condition of small shops and businesses did not tell the whole story. Because of the droughts in recent years and the results of sanctions, there has been tremendous population movement from the countryside to the cities. Tehran's population has swelled to over 8 million in 2011 from 4 million in the late 1970's. This is true of many of the cities, especially after recent earthquakes. This makes for a cultural sea-change that has effects rippling through local politics, commerce, education, and the arts.</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-72983586014549881912015-12-06T21:11:00.001-08:002015-12-12T16:07:53.836-08:00First post on Iran: amazing landscapes, people, architecture (click on photos for greater detail)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDdrVUbu3cRyjMtJ2YrYVeHIvYhKgkTsr-wLDuYKKK1qNHFzS5C3feAExAdjatRII7O32TT6T4RHy9v-_LCbBdgyW43hH8o1kd-Emfm7OS-ubyrGdN1Ng32ka9FPntqPBUYUKdZ4JbBrv/s1600/map_of_iran.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHDdrVUbu3cRyjMtJ2YrYVeHIvYhKgkTsr-wLDuYKKK1qNHFzS5C3feAExAdjatRII7O32TT6T4RHy9v-_LCbBdgyW43hH8o1kd-Emfm7OS-ubyrGdN1Ng32ka9FPntqPBUYUKdZ4JbBrv/s320/map_of_iran.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
I had no preconceived notions about being a tourist in Iran, other than that my parents had a great trip there in the early 1970's. Several things surprised me. Much of Iran is at the height of Denver, with spectacular mountains rising out of deserts, plains, forests. Our guide described Iran as being the shape of a cat: the head up in the northwest, the body following the twin mountain ranges the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alborz" target="_blank">Alborz</a> and the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zagros_Mountains" target="_blank">Zagros</a>, ending with the tail at the Persian Gulf. We spent 18 days and nights in the country, covering around 4,000 kilometers.<br />
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The map above shows our general route: Tehran north to Masouleh (on the map Masulé), to Ardabil-Sareyn, Kalaybar, Tabriz, Zanjan via Takab, to the Ali Sadr Caves and Hamadan, Kermanshah, Broujerd, Kashan, Esfahan,Yazd, Persepolis, Shiraz. We hiked to ancient castles in the forested mountains near Masouleh (Roodkhan Castle)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHqIA-swyw3MRqhvONoGRBtS0RvAQJ5IjkukhnmTHa6jvVDN_R_iLy21QBdL5Ft4Gf1VlWCGYBsZjP_Rk656Eu6LAKuk_RUVqSQgZ9pCjqDNGyNeg5YGefCYapn1yehBIAh7FWYnq4w4j/s1600/P1060717.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHqIA-swyw3MRqhvONoGRBtS0RvAQJ5IjkukhnmTHa6jvVDN_R_iLy21QBdL5Ft4Gf1VlWCGYBsZjP_Rk656Eu6LAKuk_RUVqSQgZ9pCjqDNGyNeg5YGefCYapn1yehBIAh7FWYnq4w4j/s320/P1060717.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roodkhan Castle</td></tr>
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in the pouring rain; to ancient castles in mountainous sheep country outside of Kalaybar in the driving wind, hail, and lightning (Babak Castle);<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwBz0WMgn2790j-QCnQKrbQGgcgQUGkMUT6hnUeqCqiicaFJ8H02bHQImkuZ8k4-8m5CA78jRmU708TWWALcOQGHteFTdVyKLUPeyq_o9bYDN5XPJ2kXX4f-oeFOPrSyQRwKg-7a0OS3Q/s1600/P1060822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqwBz0WMgn2790j-QCnQKrbQGgcgQUGkMUT6hnUeqCqiicaFJ8H02bHQImkuZ8k4-8m5CA78jRmU708TWWALcOQGHteFTdVyKLUPeyq_o9bYDN5XPJ2kXX4f-oeFOPrSyQRwKg-7a0OS3Q/s320/P1060822.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Babak Castle</td></tr>
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to the Towers of Silence where Zoroastrians left their dead for the vultures (near Yazd). We drove through orchards of apple, almond, and other fruit trees. Through desert populated by goats and sheep. We saw the history of the ancient Greats: Darius, Xerxes, Alexander. The mosques (and many, many fewer than what we saw in either Syria in 2010 or Turkey in 2012) of every era with incredible tilework and, my favourite, brickwork. The Temples of Anahita and other Zoroastrian sites. A synagogue with the Tomb of Esther. And amazing traffic and air pollution. The effects of sanctions on the general populace are to be seen everywhere. The effects of sanctions on the wealthy and the ruling class, not so much: we saw plenty of Mercedes, BMWs, other luxury vehicles in both Tehran and Shiraz.<br />
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</xml><![endif]-->Some of the highlights in particular were our interactions with people. We only were able to have a few substantive conversations with strangers, but those we had were most insightful. We encountered singing and dancing Kurds in the Ali Sadr Caves. Attending a demonstration of traditional Iranian body building/conditioning dating back to the archers of Darius the Great puts Crossfit routines to shame.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zanjan to Hamadan</td></tr>
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These two photos are of the landscape driving from Zanjan to Hamadan and of spices in the bazaar: a riot of colour: incredible!<br />
There are visual treats wherever you travel in Iran, whether they are natural or man-made. Attention to design and detail are evident in the domes of mosques, the traditional houses of Kashan and Yazd, the displays of wares in the shops and bazaars, magnificent carpets, pottery, enamel work, stained glass windows, textiles, and copper. It is surprising then, that in general modern architecture is lacking in interesting design and very much lacking in the quality of finishes. It is not clear if this is the result of sanctions (exit of talent and lack of access to quality materials).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spice shop in bazaar in Esfahan</td></tr>
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Domes play an important architectural, engineering, and artistic/cultural role in Persian society. Mosque domes can be plain or decorated with tiles on the outside and the interior of these domes are usually tiled, sometimes bricks and tiles, but in earlier times were decorated with only brick patterns. Palaces have domes. Merchant houses have domes. Hammams (bath houses) have domes. From an engineering point of view, domes are important for maintaining interior climate controls in buildings.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brick designs in dome, Blue Mosque, Tabriz</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHjgUWQq_Kf9_wz0faOfA9lliTD3nOTEG2h-h0OYeDSnPZhTE9kinMZzP9TRZARFE_-NYhQ6SfmKBpAKWfjMCSDghmhg-FuHUhjFR6S8xI3tI_rJdsVL5QXDx1FdVbsxKXBje9c5Z9s-M/s1600/P1050508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguHjgUWQq_Kf9_wz0faOfA9lliTD3nOTEG2h-h0OYeDSnPZhTE9kinMZzP9TRZARFE_-NYhQ6SfmKBpAKWfjMCSDghmhg-FuHUhjFR6S8xI3tI_rJdsVL5QXDx1FdVbsxKXBje9c5Z9s-M/s320/P1050508.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dome in Hammam-e Sultan Mir Ahmed, Kashan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Kashan is a city with a number of traditional houses and buildings restored and maintained for both private use and public visits. The Hammam-e Sultan Mir Ahmed is a traditional bath house with examples of beautiful interior domes; these domes are also used to maintain comfortable interior temperatures. From the roof of the hamman the domes and water tower can be seen. Water towers (the most numerous and famous are in Yazd) are also used for cooling interiors: at the base of the tower, underground, is a cistern.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNI5fsETxbbGx_RK9gr4DPV1mHllbfRp2Z3MK3GxxHIumyfB9DdSbkyoCsUg5hCdbTBpSUNItGvIuzYArtuR7Ml_3CFPTjJy2R7XhRN3Ta8Jco5cbd-YvYSZq152zLWwKCwYQxRXYw5LAV/s1600/P1050514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNI5fsETxbbGx_RK9gr4DPV1mHllbfRp2Z3MK3GxxHIumyfB9DdSbkyoCsUg5hCdbTBpSUNItGvIuzYArtuR7Ml_3CFPTjJy2R7XhRN3Ta8Jco5cbd-YvYSZq152zLWwKCwYQxRXYw5LAV/s320/P1050514.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hammam domes & water tower, Kashan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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There are two mosques in the Naghsh-e Jahaan Square in Esfahan, the Imam and Sheikh Lotfo-Al-Lah mosques. The exterior and interior of the latter are phenomenal. The interior dome has the design of the feathers of a peacock tail. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKiQgGHEbEmRBseUZXSY1Wp75IIr5FkZ2J2QzTehIonk-JXR8W9F-jF8i-RZFL9ZyLw_58hvYLm7B5MiHAjh_HwzGIYEWzIj3UC9ZZy50uiHZ9DRoI5Tgc_pvNluyv8QXVnANnxVLUjVT/s1600/P1070381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsKiQgGHEbEmRBseUZXSY1Wp75IIr5FkZ2J2QzTehIonk-JXR8W9F-jF8i-RZFL9ZyLw_58hvYLm7B5MiHAjh_HwzGIYEWzIj3UC9ZZy50uiHZ9DRoI5Tgc_pvNluyv8QXVnANnxVLUjVT/s320/P1070381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sheikh Lotfo-Al-Lah mosque, Esfahan </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span id="goog_575962779"></span><span id="goog_575962780"></span><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-6143996241996763552014-04-05T00:18:00.000-07:002014-04-05T00:18:19.119-07:00Renewal<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluLW7wJqbXVCzRyzi7HVuaSb8O0OjqDgN_vlo4iD0BXKbqciJLIoxCsXFrrdjC1_AKqzIlI0y7dS4_zClSjay8JfPdakovQlcPYL9-dWx6LnoFzaLSCAmwRGkcorY6MEDsXv2YtL5ALik/s1600/Plum+3+horiz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluLW7wJqbXVCzRyzi7HVuaSb8O0OjqDgN_vlo4iD0BXKbqciJLIoxCsXFrrdjC1_AKqzIlI0y7dS4_zClSjay8JfPdakovQlcPYL9-dWx6LnoFzaLSCAmwRGkcorY6MEDsXv2YtL5ALik/s1600/Plum+3+horiz.jpg" height="256" width="400" /></a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Each April a new cycle</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A new memory</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Remembrance and sigh </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Never forgotten and always young</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
For us to carry forward</div>
Thank you, Ariel</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-81968344942180667962013-07-01T12:54:00.001-07:002013-07-24T20:38:37.572-07:00Rock, Sand, and Moss Gardens<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsd32c87G6pb2ChO6uMhFQR418dZOR6pa_JbI6H7P5pJjfhf1VdsQs2xr9VY99lziSeSi55OAwk6ELq-996Fnaam-g8PeAcCTZjx5qqipU76T-z0OpiYUzuc4yEi2ADj0NkKK8eV7al9UU/s1600/P1030719.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsd32c87G6pb2ChO6uMhFQR418dZOR6pa_JbI6H7P5pJjfhf1VdsQs2xr9VY99lziSeSi55OAwk6ELq-996Fnaam-g8PeAcCTZjx5qqipU76T-z0OpiYUzuc4yEi2ADj0NkKK8eV7al9UU/s320/P1030719.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zen Rock Garden, Ryoan-ji, Kyoto</td></tr>
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<i>Note: to see the raked designs more clearly, click on the individual photo.</i> <br />
One of the delights of touring in Japan is to visit the gardens on
temple and shrine grounds. They reflect the philosophies of the various
Buddhist and Shinto sects, the visions of the designers, and the
patience and perseverance of the monks. The first set of photos are of the
most famous Zen rock garden in Japan, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ry%C5%8Dan-ji" target="_blank">Ryoan-ji</a> in Kyoto, laid out in
the 15th century. There are 15 rocks set in waves of raked white
pebbles, surrounded on three sides by clay walls and on the fourth a
wooden veranda.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD9Zx995mEEm4UPiG3yTDNXmtX0VLeYPRbTtmcWD9DA1EZMgxpow_1DezAcdg6mtnmFGlgTdZ1AS2s2uzlKC3OHo1yL9rDxtHEWFvqMm6A8Hc7yc869xbYOLmKGCDDJA5kCbdxtLhB76s/s1600/P1030720.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisD9Zx995mEEm4UPiG3yTDNXmtX0VLeYPRbTtmcWD9DA1EZMgxpow_1DezAcdg6mtnmFGlgTdZ1AS2s2uzlKC3OHo1yL9rDxtHEWFvqMm6A8Hc7yc869xbYOLmKGCDDJA5kCbdxtLhB76s/s320/P1030720.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
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In spite of all the tourists visiting these sites and taking photos, it is possible to sit on verandas or other viewing platforms and contemplate what the the garden designer was attempting to communicate. The individuals responsible for the maintenance of these gardens leave no footprints, keep the setting serene.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwJRBwUos5SfyXOqJTb8iR96rG9VqkvmzDDgkqv1TOFFRg45uo6shJP9cisBVxWo7UXWvtEjtdqLrcZU9c9l4sX-YH3lyFYFrzkbZc5A3-sahZ0p8a89Pe4XVrUa56wMl2NEDvVg32X8O/s1600/P1030722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizwJRBwUos5SfyXOqJTb8iR96rG9VqkvmzDDgkqv1TOFFRg45uo6shJP9cisBVxWo7UXWvtEjtdqLrcZU9c9l4sX-YH3lyFYFrzkbZc5A3-sahZ0p8a89Pe4XVrUa56wMl2NEDvVg32X8O/s320/P1030722.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the veranda at Ryoan-ji.</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHhxHClhhfcBySO_hdHe9rKXm5yB6HGRTin_aIv_irVqkA2BPGWnX-zZmMNDtoFh83n6ReybSlNuwVajsNGLDiYU_YKwBx-R6_gdR7wGv3GzaS1aEQo9yF-nd3R4OgT4CxtsgpCuJTXJf/s1600/P1030723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhHhxHClhhfcBySO_hdHe9rKXm5yB6HGRTin_aIv_irVqkA2BPGWnX-zZmMNDtoFh83n6ReybSlNuwVajsNGLDiYU_YKwBx-R6_gdR7wGv3GzaS1aEQo9yF-nd3R4OgT4CxtsgpCuJTXJf/s320/P1030723.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close-up of large rock at Ryoan-ji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanzen-ji" target="_blank">Nanzen-ji Temple</a> is a Rinzai Zen temple set in a grove of cedars . It was founded in 1239. <br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphen4g7BjP05J2cy-qlb2KAKReVf3r8G6kt23o0EuweYVAa53RXplwevcf2rRQQZh0uvsXYU_haKweSdIrzfuTuRttPus9U9mTynpDG8vYTVYT2OoYQb8jtvvwVIN6rZiOs1j7N_IOcWR7T/s1600/P1030857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihyphenhyphen4g7BjP05J2cy-qlb2KAKReVf3r8G6kt23o0EuweYVAa53RXplwevcf2rRQQZh0uvsXYU_haKweSdIrzfuTuRttPus9U9mTynpDG8vYTVYT2OoYQb8jtvvwVIN6rZiOs1j7N_IOcWR7T/s320/P1030857.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTov57kzAPk99xUA8pm1Qbbte9DQpn-cBM2MxhM1OcX72cgQQ6F-cskyFr54SFQvLhaXaY887HTQBfrqjtix8x5H9e7ldlsjHLTGJWLhKbIVywMt3fDBaNKK7X5VlOINz2fYIKgr7zeWGZ/s1600/P1030859.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTov57kzAPk99xUA8pm1Qbbte9DQpn-cBM2MxhM1OcX72cgQQ6F-cskyFr54SFQvLhaXaY887HTQBfrqjtix8x5H9e7ldlsjHLTGJWLhKbIVywMt3fDBaNKK7X5VlOINz2fYIKgr7zeWGZ/s320/P1030859.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sand cone at Nanzen-ji</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAWgzzGAE2DRSky4N45c55g2OPaiNX07Q6p5vsvoyAQtMltu4ovITRFpYfrkNdzGggj1Z7DnGsff8wAVONAgo9crfcL9K4Kc2C1nEdJfcxerdiYlTHHhbN6TF8aPjnVnRPDa19gq6bAkA/s1600/P1030865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUAWgzzGAE2DRSky4N45c55g2OPaiNX07Q6p5vsvoyAQtMltu4ovITRFpYfrkNdzGggj1Z7DnGsff8wAVONAgo9crfcL9K4Kc2C1nEdJfcxerdiYlTHHhbN6TF8aPjnVnRPDa19gq6bAkA/s320/P1030865.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small side garden, Nanzen-ji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y244DBZYGXuTC9QtwnKUywGgV5ODDGk4U9NVGHW9GGXOUymIcXs1VhP5ag9rLCcZaT738uk_KeSXmX8bPN7qxt0kfBEv6dUEF0L_ulRbV9jmqYraJ1WnEGPEKLUyZpZXMYqROg113J9R/s1600/P1030866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1y244DBZYGXuTC9QtwnKUywGgV5ODDGk4U9NVGHW9GGXOUymIcXs1VhP5ag9rLCcZaT738uk_KeSXmX8bPN7qxt0kfBEv6dUEF0L_ulRbV9jmqYraJ1WnEGPEKLUyZpZXMYqROg113J9R/s320/P1030866.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big rock, Nanzen-ji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcY7OVQ7YcG-nGq1OUx7weK9lLUlMxevegi9IEmDosWbYqyF1bSvLN2lTU0-NBTlRA6W5sSfb1JxASiUNb7wj_i-Slxb1EZ2WhaFccNueytO6Ck9jnBLvjUh5hY-LyeNMCn036vLh-xYQ/s1600/P1040058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKcY7OVQ7YcG-nGq1OUx7weK9lLUlMxevegi9IEmDosWbYqyF1bSvLN2lTU0-NBTlRA6W5sSfb1JxASiUNb7wj_i-Slxb1EZ2WhaFccNueytO6Ck9jnBLvjUh5hY-LyeNMCn036vLh-xYQ/s320/P1040058.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to Komyozen-ji temple<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4lJHAEGUdMk33aTAvWaCDR7PV595GiDima8EyDEEFce92mi5AZvqZBif6s2toqGSirbbEDPyLJr8elcPatULUqrTrnvb7TCCbMBJc0e0_LDMotXkafLq797LoFNcSfUk4xt3OfXdwv6a/s1600/P1040062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ4lJHAEGUdMk33aTAvWaCDR7PV595GiDima8EyDEEFce92mi5AZvqZBif6s2toqGSirbbEDPyLJr8elcPatULUqrTrnvb7TCCbMBJc0e0_LDMotXkafLq797LoFNcSfUk4xt3OfXdwv6a/s320/P1040062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rocks laid out as character for 'light'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtNUPe7epYPCPghIo6dmDbZB8hmuPsrG_MHWBASxYacRnX5RHwO8UUtj-l9r6C6mYqB8wQFFvVw5oQ8REjd043yEoPveKdpLEVzl_o4fKVW25wAADvToASCm7DZ4sdXBK7OBnotbpmtHR/s1600/P1040067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCtNUPe7epYPCPghIo6dmDbZB8hmuPsrG_MHWBASxYacRnX5RHwO8UUtj-l9r6C6mYqB8wQFFvVw5oQ8REjd043yEoPveKdpLEVzl_o4fKVW25wAADvToASCm7DZ4sdXBK7OBnotbpmtHR/s320/P1040067.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moss garden at the rear of Komyozen-ji temple</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFI9DVWSBoLFs2mngsTYHnJ0CmNmizLZ8tGF362avQO6TAOjPWpnKKFWv_ywsqEIGj5g0NASe5BxNKBzGL4bTVbuXV6ymOGA3oOzRXK9IDWCcdrzhZuPuL6ArPxcuTUcfC9v2wM_KLBVt/s1600/P1040068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheFI9DVWSBoLFs2mngsTYHnJ0CmNmizLZ8tGF362avQO6TAOjPWpnKKFWv_ywsqEIGj5g0NASe5BxNKBzGL4bTVbuXV6ymOGA3oOzRXK9IDWCcdrzhZuPuL6ArPxcuTUcfC9v2wM_KLBVt/s320/P1040068.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play of light on moss and sand garden</td></tr>
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The changing angles of light during the course of a day, whether there are clouds drifting by, or rain coming down, how these textures and shapes are seen and experienced is always new and different. It was a marvel that the sharp sides of the cone at Nanzen-ji never seemed to collapse or loose grains of sand. How do those monks do that?! How often must the sides be smoothed down? Do they dampen the sand first?<br />
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There are three reasons to visit <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazaifu,_Fukuoka" target="_blank">Dazaifu</a>
in the Fukuoka/Hakata area of Japan. The first is the Kyushu National
Museum; the second is the Tenmangu Shrine and Museum, the third is the
Komyozen-ji Temple. The gardens from the latter are featured in this
post. The temple was completely uninfested with tourists! The<br />
temple was
founded in the middle of the Kamakura Period (1192-1333) by a disciple
of the founder of Kyoto's Tofukuji Temple and belopngs to the Tofukuji
school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span></span>
Both the rock and the moss gardens are some of the best we saw. The
rock garden is at the entrance to the temple. The fifteen rocks form the
Japanese character for 'light'. The rear garden, of moss and rock, is
laid out to represent large bodies of land and water. The play of light
through the trees was magical. During the autumn season, the changing
colours of the maples are apparently stunning.<br />
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-89280428000392833932013-06-19T16:04:00.001-07:002013-07-13T11:47:15.311-07:00Kawara: Japanese Roof Tiles<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Our trip to Japan in May 2013 had many highlights. I will be doing a series of posts around themes of interest to me: many of these themes were a complete surprise. The first of these was the magnificent art and craft of roof tiles, called kawara. The purpose of Japanese roof tiles is to prevent evil from coming into the home, temple, castle. The origin of Japanese kawara was brought from China via Korea in the late 6th century with the arrival of Buddhism. It is thought that the oldest kawara were used in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asuka-dera" target="_blank">Asuka Temple</a> in Nara Prefecture (south of Kyoto). These tiles were made under the direction of four tile craftsmen sent from the southwestern Korean kingdom. At that time, Japan's political center was in Nara and the court officers were determined to rule the nation with the power of Buddhism. Kawara have evolved from being traditional roofing material to being waterproof, having unique designs, and remarkable durability. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cu-QXqIc2KV0XYLhbSGRzoBuHGgiL8u7ryTzpIgWeb1BuqWx5mvIONuRMqmeLPf-DcSUbPVTj9mVXWkv3lo2Axqn8fvAtXyRAc3842lJtfbd4uQJgsarj3ZA0Ysu30yJmdyzWkIqqi4G/s1600/P1030436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cu-QXqIc2KV0XYLhbSGRzoBuHGgiL8u7ryTzpIgWeb1BuqWx5mvIONuRMqmeLPf-DcSUbPVTj9mVXWkv3lo2Axqn8fvAtXyRAc3842lJtfbd4uQJgsarj3ZA0Ysu30yJmdyzWkIqqi4G/s320/P1030436.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura</td></tr>
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Some very old temples keep kawara from different time periods on a single roof and the tiles can range in age from 100 to three hundred years old. Recently, new features have been added that include a fixed structure to withstand earthquakes and typhoons, and heat-insulation capabilities based on the way they reflect sunlight.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aWehbOMjZgNEY-x9hZTsNqojZszdZdGDB8CRG6WUaLahCK3qa2mv92e9ijAQYnLP-iEWCjVoNsCAfsv7bM8F285Dm3pPe1qcihjNA5P2owuGvBdpOKoMw8KzrMU9B1WU7eOkz9LLhUOu/s1600/P1030458.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_aWehbOMjZgNEY-x9hZTsNqojZszdZdGDB8CRG6WUaLahCK3qa2mv92e9ijAQYnLP-iEWCjVoNsCAfsv7bM8F285Dm3pPe1qcihjNA5P2owuGvBdpOKoMw8KzrMU9B1WU7eOkz9LLhUOu/s320/P1030458.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
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The shrine on the left, <a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3102.html" target="_blank">Hachimangu Shrine</a>, is one of the oldest in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamakura,_Kanagawa" target="_blank">Kamakura</a> and is an example of how the tiles are laid and the various types. An example of a modern roof is seen in a school/temple complex, also in Kamakura (below). There is a wide range of tile designs with a variety of symbols, meanings, and types of protective capabilities. These include the sun (gives energy to the home), moon (protect and purify the home), star (power to make wishes come true), symbol of a king (wealth and honor), "magical mallet" (symbol of wealth), shoki (an ancient Chinese guardian), Buddhist sutra (intelligence and peace), lotus flower (purity and life), drawstring bag (brings money into the home), water (wards off fire), dragon (prosperity and success in business),and five-color cloud (five happinesses of life: intelligence, longevity,financial wealth, health, and having a fruitful life and natural death).<br />
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The photo, below, of<a href="http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3918.html" target="_blank"> Nijo Castle</a>, built in 1603, shows end tiles, finials, and regular roof tiles. The next series of photos will be close-ups of tiles in various locations.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1BOv2T5whMv8Ccaudj7lI7l0dwk7rIdHSAEOLKnEc3So8RAKSns8O1xXdlOmiWpMAc8LLNOmeNoDH_kn58S88TkPnfWtAOTD9dyGcGaawNiXgQ0wOboF9FymWViqnSyotGGzvkTCxnLa/s1600/P1030960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEix1BOv2T5whMv8Ccaudj7lI7l0dwk7rIdHSAEOLKnEc3So8RAKSns8O1xXdlOmiWpMAc8LLNOmeNoDH_kn58S88TkPnfWtAOTD9dyGcGaawNiXgQ0wOboF9FymWViqnSyotGGzvkTCxnLa/s320/P1030960.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nijo Castle, Kyoto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB-oQirwvrv6P0niKQmOcP94bEmMsInkJhf_UFk3ZLCI_lwlbhJX-DbxzZs6L0A4GgVgQh-GrW3P-VT0TUSATcVkGkU36OI4cz7uSXSAKYZVhPhGjasWVEnyeFj1mPXxUKPHfe3-_PP8D/s1600/P1040231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcB-oQirwvrv6P0niKQmOcP94bEmMsInkJhf_UFk3ZLCI_lwlbhJX-DbxzZs6L0A4GgVgQh-GrW3P-VT0TUSATcVkGkU36OI4cz7uSXSAKYZVhPhGjasWVEnyeFj1mPXxUKPHfe3-_PP8D/s320/P1040231.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miyajima</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeoTmAFcyXC6gHrOphBbMgyC2mMQ-KmWJXY0vhs-S-lFIE3N_tRfzhYdAmL08xr4seLtKeXnFWgyXwhr55XF1UsPzLrVNTmZeXDbN4rLrWN8pSgK7g1nh3qDv3hKx4nOi3x1KLSp7abSa/s1600/P1040208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCeoTmAFcyXC6gHrOphBbMgyC2mMQ-KmWJXY0vhs-S-lFIE3N_tRfzhYdAmL08xr4seLtKeXnFWgyXwhr55XF1UsPzLrVNTmZeXDbN4rLrWN8pSgK7g1nh3qDv3hKx4nOi3x1KLSp7abSa/s320/P1040208.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itsukushima" target="_blank">Miyajima</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTuJnsFKvoO_5VkGefFHbuGX3u7rt8LnsDM9vc3TmPJJievUgPxlOzorYjDGQz_as6Z45P3wgIx3USCCaAGp81DSq4iZ9Nj9AjjrPodxJnFazXkMqhCDK8eAACUAInHUovioafj7xMVxw/s1600/P1040200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQTuJnsFKvoO_5VkGefFHbuGX3u7rt8LnsDM9vc3TmPJJievUgPxlOzorYjDGQz_as6Z45P3wgIx3USCCaAGp81DSq4iZ9Nj9AjjrPodxJnFazXkMqhCDK8eAACUAInHUovioafj7xMVxw/s320/P1040200.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daish%C5%8D-in_%28Miyajima%29" target="_blank">Daisho-in temple</a>, Miyajima</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zEiSTh2XoLP0sRqVuL37ahw8rWEDQE60h5SfzO_rA6nUXaWAyoWr-kKCyq4p5O8g92qfCIQCqXdaMJ5wPM2r_YVrvFXL96Py1vkUgOkJh0VpdeHnnKPMAO0Ks6oTGlIKsAUG9O6gPY7W/s1600/P1040132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3zEiSTh2XoLP0sRqVuL37ahw8rWEDQE60h5SfzO_rA6nUXaWAyoWr-kKCyq4p5O8g92qfCIQCqXdaMJ5wPM2r_YVrvFXL96Py1vkUgOkJh0VpdeHnnKPMAO0Ks6oTGlIKsAUG9O6gPY7W/s320/P1040132.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sumiyoshi shrine, Fukuoka</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wT5_meiMnLebMZU_24TeHx8zVy5sNyUxKuPGRGwfJ-FzHlnNHAq9-RyW3NA3EG7ae3erWYTEMFVCqLAFPR-Hnp3Ou8Dq7ffAljBy3k_sbrgt95KipK-SrDToldV-o7hUE1iH3DrHHKG6/s1600/P1040040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1wT5_meiMnLebMZU_24TeHx8zVy5sNyUxKuPGRGwfJ-FzHlnNHAq9-RyW3NA3EG7ae3erWYTEMFVCqLAFPR-Hnp3Ou8Dq7ffAljBy3k_sbrgt95KipK-SrDToldV-o7hUE1iH3DrHHKG6/s320/P1040040.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">shrine, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dazaifu,_Fukuoka" target="_blank">Dazaifu</a></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">interesting finial</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kofukuji, Nara</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shrine, Kyoto</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-S8SEtTpPKOKdt0_KxNLWTeO97_j8s6Vgz5q7ZF-tM-_ZvKdr9imZW73GS81anUMD931mz7s5ZbT0Eq0nK8kOxkFhAeh82r7uc09aGTVT4j7FrLY7G4-uMmgZRqwcN-d2X3AV9VGqZZn9/s1600/P1030755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-S8SEtTpPKOKdt0_KxNLWTeO97_j8s6Vgz5q7ZF-tM-_ZvKdr9imZW73GS81anUMD931mz7s5ZbT0Eq0nK8kOxkFhAeh82r7uc09aGTVT4j7FrLY7G4-uMmgZRqwcN-d2X3AV9VGqZZn9/s320/P1030755.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%8Dfuku-ji" target="_blank">Kofukuji, </a>Nara</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPb7OOowqa6EekeuYoIm-rKlWcml_j6tIa31cjwMbXZ458T2loKi3aiPFrgN94ckRICb2nrenv2nqUCSKlNyhFTRJj50TfLaokSbn3TvAAzTNiZq3J1d-weZYIWO8Z5mMuEunbFuizhoF/s1600/P1030704.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPb7OOowqa6EekeuYoIm-rKlWcml_j6tIa31cjwMbXZ458T2loKi3aiPFrgN94ckRICb2nrenv2nqUCSKlNyhFTRJj50TfLaokSbn3TvAAzTNiZq3J1d-weZYIWO8Z5mMuEunbFuizhoF/s320/P1030704.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">close-up of roof tiles, Nijo Castle, Kyoto</td></tr>
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</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-3492603394691637542013-04-05T11:28:00.001-07:002013-04-05T11:28:14.960-07:00Mystery<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt5HsUhiEERbcQeAxBUiQk-pX8bEj9PqRlCjnhNZQc6sHZ-SesqRnFPZpCjcsXoIqsjfkzj2WXJmnJoglGiA3IyWCqajLHD6p9fYvZJcKVauBsv18vCO1xzzObwztft7o43QKZCI-en7k/s1600/Honey+2+w+pollen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyt5HsUhiEERbcQeAxBUiQk-pX8bEj9PqRlCjnhNZQc6sHZ-SesqRnFPZpCjcsXoIqsjfkzj2WXJmnJoglGiA3IyWCqajLHD6p9fYvZJcKVauBsv18vCO1xzzObwztft7o43QKZCI-en7k/s400/Honey+2+w+pollen.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Spring is Here<br />
Bees busy<br />
Seemingly effortless<br />
Magic and mystery is afoot<br />
Thoughts of Ariel, always Here</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-14833459604765847782013-03-29T20:09:00.001-07:002013-03-29T20:09:12.846-07:00Another Good Book<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4101648-burnt-shadows" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Burnt Shadows" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327991023m/4101648.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4101648-burnt-shadows">Burnt Shadows</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/168076.Kamila_Shamsie">Kamila Shamsie</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/571083091">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br />A remarkable book. A remarkable writer. Kamila Shamsie has managed to weave a story beginning in Nagasaki 1945 to Delhi 1949 to Pakistan to New York and Afghanistan 2001. Her characters are a wonderful assortment. Missteps, misreadings of situations and people, the closing in of world events on the lives of ordinary people and how people cope with the fallout and outcomes: the gentleness, subtlety, and respect she demonstrates for the people, situations, and places she explores easily confirms her skill in her craft.</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-32320441887113070292013-03-25T20:44:00.001-07:002013-03-25T20:44:50.194-07:00Book Lovers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414676-the-end-of-your-life-book-club" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The End of Your Life Book Club" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333576665m/13414676.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13414676-the-end-of-your-life-book-club">The End of Your Life Book Club</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/274511.Will_Schwalbe">Will Schwalbe</a><br /><br />My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/561264798">5 of 5 stars</a><br /><br /><br /><br /> A book for lovers of books and those dearest to them.</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-47617146645470996572013-02-25T11:52:00.001-08:002013-02-26T19:11:56.090-08:00South Africa: good news and bad<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The bad news first. In the wake of Oscar Pistorius' killing of his girlfriend, there has been much discussion of misogyny and the culture of violence toward women in South Africa. Read the opinion piece in the New York Times on 20 February, 2013 by <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/21/opinion/cry-the-misogynistic-country.html?ref=opinion&_r=1&" target="_blank">Eusibius McKaiser</a>. The Mail & Guardian has further commentary <a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-22-00-pistorius-south-africa-bears-and-breeds-these-men" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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Now the good news. Mampehle Ramphele recently announced that she is forming a new political party, Agang, to be launched in early June. An interview with her can be found <a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-22-00-ramphele-a-happy-south-africa-from-the-ground-up" target="_blank">here</a>. Perhaps an effective opposition to the ANC can finally emerge. An open letter to Dr. Ramphele asks all the right questions and raises all those prickly issues no one really wants to face. That letter is at<a href="http://www.thoughtleader.co.za/bradcibane/2013/02/25/a-letter-to-mamphela-ramphele/" target="_blank"> this link.</a><br />
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The winner of the documentary film category at last night's Academy Awards was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Searching_for_Sugar_Man" target="_blank">Searching for Sugar Man</a>. This is the story of a<a href="http://sugarman.org/" target="_blank"> musician from Detroit</a>, Sixto Rodriguez, who was never well known outside of the taverns he played, <a href="http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-23-rodriguez-searching-for-sa-royalties" target="_blank">except in South Africa</a>. Unbeknownst to him, a huge fan-base evolved and two people set out to find him, bring him to South Africa, and perhaps help get the royalties due to him.</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-10257170039234484202012-12-24T20:36:00.001-08:002013-02-26T19:11:40.489-08:00The Soviets have so much to answer for....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13165142-the-hunger-angel" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Hunger Angel" border="0" src="http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1333549068m/13165142.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13165142-the-hunger-angel">The Hunger Angel</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/134980.Herta_M_ller">Herta Müller</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/470632466">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Just when you think that you have read enough about Soviet slave labour camps or gulags or senseless human suffering, along comes a book that is a beautifully written testament to the pain, longing, suffering of our fellow humans. This book is about the fate of German Rumanians after WW2 and the penance they had to pay, demanded by the Soviets, for the Fascist past. The focus of the story is how people deal with persistent, long-term hunger. The author also does an amazing job describing the problems/difficulties of re-entry into a 'free' society after life in the camps. There are some interesting similarities to The Orphan Master's Son, about life in North Korea. Herta Mueller's work makes for difficult reading, but each of her books is worth the effort. No surprise that she is a recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature.<br />
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<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/1847384-hazel">View all my reviews</a></div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-21103603534127098242012-10-30T13:41:00.000-07:002013-02-26T19:11:23.029-08:00The perfect autumn read<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13540215-the-orchardist" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Orchardist" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1335562453m/13540215.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13540215-the-orchardist">The Orchardist</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5774116.Amanda_Coplin">Amanda Coplin</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/441636052">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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I was so sad to come to the end of this story! This book is beautiful: the language, the landscape, the characters, the story line. The descriptions of the land, as poetic as they are, did not sound forced or romantic/nostalgic. This author has written such a wonderful book, and her first, that I am looking forward to many more by her.<br />
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-64664301965439099072012-08-29T18:22:00.002-07:002013-02-26T19:10:44.759-08:00Syria: The Destruction Project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjsFFhHn7mFeHdbZCKf0lXeLw6nlMArF0_uzXFzbpcI-1Qi7UvqCB3emcqJ4xQetNForztJD9euNQ33LPwaMuXrBE6hmqcEHxlxCd_vEbq7N_FBOe3QIDo3oMdkm1F_kfwrHSaAEYzf_c/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-94.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfjsFFhHn7mFeHdbZCKf0lXeLw6nlMArF0_uzXFzbpcI-1Qi7UvqCB3emcqJ4xQetNForztJD9euNQ33LPwaMuXrBE6hmqcEHxlxCd_vEbq7N_FBOe3QIDo3oMdkm1F_kfwrHSaAEYzf_c/s200/Trip+to+Syria+2010-94.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Exterior, Krak des Chevaliers</td></tr>
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The deaths of 20,000 Syrian people in the last 17 months is a travesty and horror.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKR6vNhK8-2XUsNXLtekMncJfrCPYqATK-WGiGcRADpjafsEQrY-GiMzEMc6MBJgH2SpqGwyogO11BVGHlyEXwyVYGN4R3X6hsosvg4Dt4U4BG_6dSqn72SPtBO5XAprViPez3vp2UhLJ/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-88.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHKR6vNhK8-2XUsNXLtekMncJfrCPYqATK-WGiGcRADpjafsEQrY-GiMzEMc6MBJgH2SpqGwyogO11BVGHlyEXwyVYGN4R3X6hsosvg4Dt4U4BG_6dSqn72SPtBO5XAprViPez3vp2UhLJ/s200/Trip+to+Syria+2010-88.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the wall, Krak des Chevaliers</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Collateral damage in this on-going conflict has spread to historic sites and world treasures. A student published an <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444508504577591571057240042.html#articleTabs%3Darticle" target="_blank">article in the Wall Street Journal </a>on 20 August listing places in Syria that have suffered damage, some perhaps irreversible. Photos of many of these sites have been posted on this blog. The photos here of the world treasures mentioned in the article were taken on a trip to Syria n May-June 2010. Most of these places are <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage Sites</a>. <br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyF8nY8yu_s3nZswKCkSkaLZgMo1wFlKiT1I9gS7IpQi8tvyMNCW7YAlzEaa5Qe8-Pb1BVNaZRLxdnaTMRnLSlRzap2_MqTjYl60XzhJaBX1D1ofesGXRDZQZskf1YgfNatPnR42-kRWF/s1600/Chapel,+Krak+de+Chevalier.JPG" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyF8nY8yu_s3nZswKCkSkaLZgMo1wFlKiT1I9gS7IpQi8tvyMNCW7YAlzEaa5Qe8-Pb1BVNaZRLxdnaTMRnLSlRzap2_MqTjYl60XzhJaBX1D1ofesGXRDZQZskf1YgfNatPnR42-kRWF/s200/Chapel,+Krak+de+Chevalier.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chapel, KdC</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I do not have photos of all the sites described. The first place mentioned in the article is the crusader fortress, Krak des Chevaliers, near <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homs" target="_blank">Homs</a>, the center of early assaults by the Assad regime.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbykxyDc9SfqHt5fTnxTvPzHAiLPjRf0KjxO1CsYnAsE1nZeU4cqBSTYtxtTRLRxzgY_DrxBJKaZmD6AxUvgUS-JnzXRNL5V8cT76xUxOfe2KSMRZOWdZogPPo4yVFqZzY4MDULWX3Bhdd/s1600/Temple+of+Bel.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbykxyDc9SfqHt5fTnxTvPzHAiLPjRf0KjxO1CsYnAsE1nZeU4cqBSTYtxtTRLRxzgY_DrxBJKaZmD6AxUvgUS-JnzXRNL5V8cT76xUxOfe2KSMRZOWdZogPPo4yVFqZzY4MDULWX3Bhdd/s200/Temple+of+Bel.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple of Bel, Palmyra</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguo6Eb0ib2pKAA9VWVRTR1O4U9okNrvg7LcpCm_byi1vCfz7fWxwvpRaqUUEbjCx83JuMmb7M4b1TfUEuFlgPYNZqAnxWTwyOP3XMD10lZAVEgMCnFZX1N0wdKc2nG3aEqZfA9tf-2sXwi/s1600/Valley+of+the+Tombs.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguo6Eb0ib2pKAA9VWVRTR1O4U9okNrvg7LcpCm_byi1vCfz7fWxwvpRaqUUEbjCx83JuMmb7M4b1TfUEuFlgPYNZqAnxWTwyOP3XMD10lZAVEgMCnFZX1N0wdKc2nG3aEqZfA9tf-2sXwi/s200/Valley+of+the+Tombs.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beginning of the Valley of the Tombs</td></tr>
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Next on the list is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palmyra" target="_blank">Palmyra </a>in the eastern desert oasis of Syria.
Three places mentioned are the Temple of Bel, the colonnaded avenue, and
the Valley of the Tombs.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbO7ozvmWCsgAa-09q1Igdq-ZXHxMnnrtuWS11gNzMMsmOwzknzT3sDkSOASSG1-T9kjaVGNjuMgSXLKq5HnGPqlYK0YB8jQfdsBEhGcH3L_8K3ndyLR28GY4g8Aj9d4EG5hIyA0WDdRdA/s1600/Colonnade+at+Palmyra.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbO7ozvmWCsgAa-09q1Igdq-ZXHxMnnrtuWS11gNzMMsmOwzknzT3sDkSOASSG1-T9kjaVGNjuMgSXLKq5HnGPqlYK0YB8jQfdsBEhGcH3L_8K3ndyLR28GY4g8Aj9d4EG5hIyA0WDdRdA/s200/Colonnade+at+Palmyra.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Colonnaded Avenue, Palmyra</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5LNUbpigKNfUcKnrPM-vlzWTcAj30LSf7ID5GMVzHX_NBlUAsgv_MN4a6CyQzMU5yNhCg76KQV0u0sN1PX50qCcsia1X0klmsO7ChwOBMcpflTU-SHvld8bXsCq-S9b6QLwJ_r4gW4kA/s1600/Apamea.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5LNUbpigKNfUcKnrPM-vlzWTcAj30LSf7ID5GMVzHX_NBlUAsgv_MN4a6CyQzMU5yNhCg76KQV0u0sN1PX50qCcsia1X0klmsO7ChwOBMcpflTU-SHvld8bXsCq-S9b6QLwJ_r4gW4kA/s320/Apamea.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apamea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNeqbSuCspT-0DYJFkNwP7M7TA15DLBuc2DisY6EMhxP4zb7nUkTEHfwelZlXv0Ogn9SQ4auaIUzHKhHYHwfns7E-_fDDHHa5rbRglEYViwoiOccIj9UUaZVvN3beXmBEWgsMYzrdOvh4/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-156.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPNeqbSuCspT-0DYJFkNwP7M7TA15DLBuc2DisY6EMhxP4zb7nUkTEHfwelZlXv0Ogn9SQ4auaIUzHKhHYHwfns7E-_fDDHHa5rbRglEYViwoiOccIj9UUaZVvN3beXmBEWgsMYzrdOvh4/s200/Trip+to+Syria+2010-156.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apamea</td></tr>
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The Roman city of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apamea,_Syria" target="_blank">Apamea</a>, near Hama, has also suffered damage and the wholesale looting of the incredible mosaics lovingly repaired and kept for safe keeping for decades. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hama" target="_blank">Hama </a>suffered bombing by Assad's father in 1982 when tens of thousands of citizens were killed and the Old City destroyed. It was also brutally shelled in the current fighting. <br />
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-23347200157461176542012-08-17T19:14:00.000-07:002013-09-10T18:57:49.254-07:00Syria is a two thousand year construction project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq1e4t3XzTBPpT7jVAzOMxwygeLC5Ke1yf6xz5brdlUPOk8KZsM2e-XfSlJVjFo1PVLISq0NGZ01HPkEqsRU_ahuCIQ-Rig4UxgjcmIrSWUXArWdC3XdWxcOzW60ZvjnDWesLxEYvPgcG/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-312.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBq1e4t3XzTBPpT7jVAzOMxwygeLC5Ke1yf6xz5brdlUPOk8KZsM2e-XfSlJVjFo1PVLISq0NGZ01HPkEqsRU_ahuCIQ-Rig4UxgjcmIrSWUXArWdC3XdWxcOzW60ZvjnDWesLxEYvPgcG/s320/Trip+to+Syria+2010-312.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Citadel</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U98rthQjG13p6KVgY519v6pTfPcxxgwo1-jJvKPJZF9HhUmjSPA98PQwzNeMEMfgBoxYsnuShpDXZ0mC1m4Lq_RQqqjZ0gEVBMJKT0HnHXJamW5T_yD-J0KHm4sX5Wajt3bM6IoQYnc4/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-310.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2U98rthQjG13p6KVgY519v6pTfPcxxgwo1-jJvKPJZF9HhUmjSPA98PQwzNeMEMfgBoxYsnuShpDXZ0mC1m4Lq_RQqqjZ0gEVBMJKT0HnHXJamW5T_yD-J0KHm4sX5Wajt3bM6IoQYnc4/s200/Trip+to+Syria+2010-310.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Citadel entrance from the plaza</td></tr>
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The news from Syria is disturbing on all levels. For thoughtful commentary, <a href="http://www.joshualandis.com/blog/" target="_blank">Jonathan Landis' blog</a> is reliable. Yesterday, the New York Times Arts section had a piece on the concern conservators have for the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/16/arts/design/syrian-conflict-imperils-historical-treasures.html?_r=1&src=me&ref=arts" target="_blank">survival/destruction of ancient artifacts and places</a>. Buildings go up, buildings are destroyed, buildings await completion: Syrian built environments are in a continuous state of flux.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjh75Pq10N-IUskl3A5NF-uD7966cnstC9GLewy8FaBDWE88wOa0aygIN3fChr5rdRkbOXXbjXQswa5xrSX6ScRdFXm-RAR9_KFW1MFUd5sCcYhSsj2pFm7uXRdD5TQCvqy6xhLZqbNRI/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-336.JPG" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSjh75Pq10N-IUskl3A5NF-uD7966cnstC9GLewy8FaBDWE88wOa0aygIN3fChr5rdRkbOXXbjXQswa5xrSX6ScRdFXm-RAR9_KFW1MFUd5sCcYhSsj2pFm7uXRdD5TQCvqy6xhLZqbNRI/s200/Trip+to+Syria+2010-336.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Courtyard of Abraham's Mosque within the Citadel grounds</td></tr>
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Aleppo and Damascus are two of the oldest continuously occupied cities in the world (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleppo" target="_blank">Aleppo</a> claims it is; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damascus" target="_blank">Damascus</a> also makes that claim. They also each claim the greatest population). Along with the NYT article on the damage to the Citadel in Aleppo, there is also a <a href="http://projects.nytimes.com/live-dashboard/syria/footage-shows-damage-to-aleppo-citadel" target="_blank">video</a> of government forces within the Citadel. Compare the images in the video with those here.<br />
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The Citadel is a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/about/" target="_blank">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a>, meaning it belongs to the people of the world. These are some photos we took of the Citadel in May/June 2010.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl48fpSrvreFLyAsDByJG0aCBEkC8ZSiOICXPWTx566Bhv7-g0WiY-flFpmSiDm3qRxnlN8z8Qc8ox1xx_7CYtIWdscef7-U4QqHV6dAaSqsscx64tWZ0s8tQirGwVT86LVDW7E-NG-Oh/s1600/Trip+to+Syria+2010-335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFl48fpSrvreFLyAsDByJG0aCBEkC8ZSiOICXPWTx566Bhv7-g0WiY-flFpmSiDm3qRxnlN8z8Qc8ox1xx_7CYtIWdscef7-U4QqHV6dAaSqsscx64tWZ0s8tQirGwVT86LVDW7E-NG-Oh/s200/Trip+to+Syria+2010-335.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the bathhouse dome within the Citadel grounds </td></tr>
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The photo on the left shows a bathhouse dome, but not the one seen on below.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji291ILwOHwMR2OzQPP_njpMNGhqcNw-2MsDRmAFJ0vCZJyWfjc_zWA-VzHwDtCgBbf4fBHklMrO11oyIZ_FTLJ9KiQleQV_bTAZFmDmg09IK1ic3sC7_Ii4vDcX5prqXbwnKuqgka9wqV/s1600/ceiling+of+bathhouse+Citadel+Aleppo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji291ILwOHwMR2OzQPP_njpMNGhqcNw-2MsDRmAFJ0vCZJyWfjc_zWA-VzHwDtCgBbf4fBHklMrO11oyIZ_FTLJ9KiQleQV_bTAZFmDmg09IK1ic3sC7_Ii4vDcX5prqXbwnKuqgka9wqV/s200/ceiling+of+bathhouse+Citadel+Aleppo.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The ceiling of the bathhouse dome</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveELsHhBHnZHuhu67Uj3euKr8wn9v-al8LaxH2BWfelneDsvMlGv3PFpKCGWWB7Mh4paUjkJnJuv7GALmRwCHION_sMhtPVprdktPT_RBIDmOq8WPi79buPMWz8-WP6bIkTFt5P3tgx6R/s1600/Grand+Mosque+Aleppo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgveELsHhBHnZHuhu67Uj3euKr8wn9v-al8LaxH2BWfelneDsvMlGv3PFpKCGWWB7Mh4paUjkJnJuv7GALmRwCHION_sMhtPVprdktPT_RBIDmOq8WPi79buPMWz8-WP6bIkTFt5P3tgx6R/s200/Grand+Mosque+Aleppo.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Citadel of the grand mosque</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5i27qMpebb_ybrmBoI5Z6cv5sQ2_L6C_anaFtrO59Uv1NXl-izXKYoFYbP8bjX0RZXQ45mhZYrlIS6P2S0KaB_vJvdpsGXljMyGRPXXrTjIHiQTh1oI5w55VD-d2pzE9Lvk1EbxsuB_J/s1600/Reception+Room+in+Citadel,+Aleppo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV5i27qMpebb_ybrmBoI5Z6cv5sQ2_L6C_anaFtrO59Uv1NXl-izXKYoFYbP8bjX0RZXQ45mhZYrlIS6P2S0KaB_vJvdpsGXljMyGRPXXrTjIHiQTh1oI5w55VD-d2pzE9Lvk1EbxsuB_J/s320/Reception+Room+in+Citadel,+Aleppo.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The reception room in the Citadel</td></tr>
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-68369929128955918792012-08-12T10:58:00.000-07:002013-02-26T19:12:16.929-08:00And in the meantime.....<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The news from the Olympic Games, local election issues, summertime, blogging at <a href="http://www.blackpastblog.org/" target="_blank">BlackPast.org Blog.</a> Unfortunately, life is not so pleasant for others: atrocities still continue in <a href="http://blogs.aljazeera.com/liveblog/topic/syria-153" target="_blank">Syria</a>, the vulnerable still remain vulnerable, and<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/10/world/europe/hollande-shuts-down-camps-and-seeks-relocation-for-roma.html?_r=1" target="_blank"> Roma</a> (most recently in the news, those in France) and <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/08/12/158371570/migrants-targeted-amid-rise-of-greek-extremists" target="_blank">immigrants/migrant workers </a>the world over (in this case, those in Greece) still suffer abuse at the hands of the small-minded. The rise of nationalism and fascist inclinations should be a cause for concern. Read <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/feb/02/tony-judt-thinking-twentieth-century-review" target="_blank">Thinking the Twentieth Century</a> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Judt" target="_blank">Tony Judt</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_D._Snyder" target="_blank">Timothy Snyder</a>.<br />
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-54216206137870224762012-07-23T19:32:00.001-07:002013-02-26T19:12:35.167-08:00The Chinese claim a new approach for Africa...and other problems<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Chinese President, Hu Jintao, made an announcement at a conference of African leaders that China is embarking on a new approach to its loans to and investments in African nations with resources needed by the Chinese. An<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/20/world/asia/china-pledges-20-billion-in-loans-to-african-nations.html" target="_blank"> article in the New York Times o</a>n 19 July 2012 outlined the new approach as one that will " focus on grass-roots projects" rather than on "projects — roads, pipelines and ports — (which have) have focused on benefiting
China’s extractive industries, not African people, critics say. The
infrastructure is generally built with Chinese labor." Between the Chinese and the Islamists, wounds will fester in a number of countries.<br />
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Most people are aware of the militant <a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7274008357431711278#editor/target=post;postID=3107672712320858390" target="_blank">Islamists in Mali</a> who have been in the news recently. Also about the Islamists in <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-13809501" target="_blank">Nigeria</a>, <a href="http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2012/07/2012722917341673.html" target="_blank">Sudan</a>, and elsewhere. What many may not be aware of is the quiet expansion of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islam_in_South_Africa" target="_blank">Islam in South Africa</a>. Muslim communities have a long, interesting history in South Africa arriving with imported labour, slave, indentured, and otherwise from India, Malaysia, Indonesia. Muslim communities have been concentrated primarily in Cape Town and Durban.<br />
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Three incidents, one in 1996 and two in 2005, brought home to me some interesting trends. In 1996, I was party to the video taping of an imam in Durban lecturing us on the "black dogs" he was converting to Islam: these people were sitting right there in the mosque with us! He continued to rant on the corruption and depravity of the West, warning that the West was in the grip of Satan.<br />
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Then, in 2005, we were driving from Durban to Port St. John via Transkei. We observed few small churches out in the rural areas, but plenty of small mosques. We were told that the 'new' missionaries were no longer Christians, but rather Muslims who built mosques and madrases. The latter was particularly interesting and disturbing given the mess the education system still is in so many years after the end of Apartheid. In Port St. John, we were told that the Muslims controlled all the local businesses and would only employ people who had converted to Islam. These are small incidents with large implications.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeR2uon0s19MqdX4wmeGhAZL6B9WKOowP685lz4zCy0qrZOa9YsvUPbgpQbkgDlT40NTqgLfZ5m4yMMHzdui_QJxddplPWnVJGUcGrLa51wkdOsAX6Eo6MF-GhGdu5TdJPEarEIV0_1oU/s1600/Beach+at+Port+St+Johns+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIeR2uon0s19MqdX4wmeGhAZL6B9WKOowP685lz4zCy0qrZOa9YsvUPbgpQbkgDlT40NTqgLfZ5m4yMMHzdui_QJxddplPWnVJGUcGrLa51wkdOsAX6Eo6MF-GhGdu5TdJPEarEIV0_1oU/s320/Beach+at+Port+St+Johns+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach at Port St. John</td></tr>
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-29430777368374200872012-07-10T20:14:00.000-07:002012-08-29T18:24:17.516-07:00Big Wood=Big Oil=Big Wall Street<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6452538-the-big-burn" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255575610m/6452538.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6452538-the-big-burn">The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/40820.Timothy_Egan">Timothy Egan</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/360155435">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book is as good as Norman Maclean's book on the fire of 1949: Young Men and Fire. Riveting in its build up, clear in descriptions of the people, politics, and place. What resonated as much as anything was Teddy Roosevelt and his excoriating harangues on the big money and tycoons of the day: sounds like Bush era all over again: complete disregard for common social decency.</div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-30511973923108035282012-06-28T11:13:00.001-07:002012-08-29T18:24:31.639-07:00Spice Wars, Opium Wars, Slave Traders: the Past is Still Present<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
A recent <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-18551857" target="_blank">story on the BBC about Afo</a>, the mother clove tree in Indonesia that survived Dutch 'extirpation', rounded out a number of stories about the early days of European exploration and trade development and exploitation that I have found compelling and thought provoking. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barry_Unsworth" target="_blank">Barry Unsworth</a>, who died 5 June 2012, wrote Sacred Hunger, for which he won the<a href="http://www.themanbookerprize.com/" target="_blank"> Booker Prize</a> in 1992. Sacred Hunger is a journey through the Atlantic Slave Trade, from the building of a slave ship to picking up and delivering the 'cargo' to the destruction of the slave ship. The characters are not stereotypes, the tension and drama is palpable on every page. This exploration of greed, selfishness, moral and philosophical blindness in the name of 'sacred hunger'...the profit motive...is a cautionary tale for our times.<br />
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Four other books on the general theme of Europeans displacing Arabs in controlling the spice and slave trades, are <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Thousand_Autumns_of_Jacob_de_Zoet" target="_blank">The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet </a>by David Mitchell, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalimantaan" target="_blank">Kalimantaan</a> by C.S Godshalk (a terrible piece of fiction, but fascinating story of a real-life person/situation), and Amitav Ghosh's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_of_Poppies" target="_blank">Sea of Poppies</a> and<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_of_Smoke" target="_blank"> River of Smoke</a>.<br />
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All of the authors mentioned above spent quality and quantity time and energy researching these topics: the reader has no excuse for ignorance! </div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-55236999772164078832012-06-21T20:28:00.000-07:002012-06-21T20:28:50.917-07:00Another triumph for Toni Morrison<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13152998-home" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Home" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1333576666m/13152998.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13152998-home">Home</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3534.Toni_Morrison">Toni Morrison</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/352568737">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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Toni Morrison has done it again: think The Bluest Eye and Beloved...this little book is as powerful, beautiful, horrific, and painful as both of those. It is hurtful and healing. The appalling violence on so many levels, the damage done to people: it is all there, told in an unforgettable voice and language to die for.</div>Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-20210880070746649282012-06-17T20:40:00.000-07:002013-02-26T19:13:01.113-08:00Land Grabs in Africa<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Chinese are making resource and land grabs in Africa and South America (I have pointed this out in previous posts). Adding insult to injury, investors from various parts of the world looking for places to park their money have chosen, in this case, Mozambique. Dan Charles, an NPR reporter, did a two-part story on this topic. <a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/06/14/155036821/mozambique-farmland-is-prize-in-land-grab-fever" target="_blank">Part One</a> was on 14 June and<a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/06/15/155095598/african-land-fertile-ground-for-crops-and-investors" target="_blank"> Part Two</a> on 15 June. Here is a quotation regarding from those who are concerned about this:<br />
"This spring, 750 Wall Street types crowded into New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel for a conference on investing in global agriculture. <a href="http://www.highquestpartners.com/team/team-details-Philippe-de-Laperouse.html">Philippe de Laperouse</a>, managing director of <a href="http://www.highquestpartners.com/">HighQuest Partners</a>, which organized the event, says those investors started out just looking for a safe haven for their money. But with food demand up and future production uncertain, many of them have caught the scent of future profits.<br />
Many development NGOs and advocacy organizations have sounded an alarm about this surge of private money. (Here are critical reports from <a href="http://www.grain.org/article/entries/4501-the-great-food-robbery-a-new-book-from-grain">GRAIN</a>, <a href="http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/policy/land-and-power">Oxfam</a>, the <a href="http://www.oaklandinstitute.org/great-land-grab-rush-world%E2%80%99s-farmland-threatens-food-security-poor">Oakland Institute</a> and even that paragon of mainstream thinking, the <a href="http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTARD/Resources/ESW_Sept7_final_final.pdf">World Bank</a>.) Many of them call it a global "land grab."<br />
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Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-54479646283598953412012-06-07T12:25:00.000-07:002012-08-29T18:25:10.826-07:00Albania<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://snapjudgment.org/" target="_blank">Snap Judgement,</a> a very interesting show hosted by <a href="http://snapjudgment.org/about-us" target="_blank">Glynn Washington</a>, is a program of stories, usually grouped around a theme. This last week the theme was "Apocolypse...the end of the world as we know it". These themes are often not what they appear to be and the stories can be intensely personal or more general. One of the storytellers on this show was a poet, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1582547944">Gypsee Yo (J</a><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1582547944" target="_blank">onida Beqo)</a><a href="http://gypseeyo.wordpress.com/about/" target="_blank">, </a>who e</span>migrated from Albania. Her <a href="http://snapjudgment.org/love-thy-neighbor" target="_blank">story, in the form of a poem</a>, was about two boys in her childhood whose personal violence stemmed from the horrors of the communist era in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albania" target="_blank">Albania</a>. Jonida Bego has published collections of poetry in English and audio collections in Albanian. For many years, Albania was as isolated as North Korea. I have written about Albania twice before (1 October 2008 and 21 September 2010) and referred to it in a larger literary context on 23 October 2008. </div>
Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-24789349971843134142012-05-19T12:03:00.000-07:002012-05-19T12:03:00.730-07:00A bright spot<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">The New York Times reported today that <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/world/africa/malawi-president-wants-to-repeal-nations-antigay-laws.html?_r=1&ref=africa" target="_blank">Malawi's new president, Joyce Banda,</a> declared on Friday she wanted to repeal Malawi's laws against homosexuality. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malawi" target="_blank">Malawi</a> may be a small country, but this is huge news on a continent that has become an increasingly dangerous place for gays and lesbians to live. In neighbouring <a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/201205150147.html" target="_blank">Swaziland, the national newspaper</a> has called homosexuals 'satanic' and 'evil'. </div>Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-82782825462075104642012-04-30T19:48:00.000-07:002012-04-30T19:48:48.205-07:00Revealed Lives<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12010459-half-blood-blues" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Half-Blood Blues" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310395309m/12010459.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12010459-half-blood-blues">Half-Blood Blues</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/245590.Esi_Edugyan">Esi Edugyan</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/318813604">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This novel is tightly written and strings the reader along as the author reveals, not just an aspect of history not well known, the painful past of the characters and how some of them seek resolution in their old age. This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esi_Edugyan" target="_blank"> Esi Edugyan</a>'s second novel and it was a finalist for the <a href="http://www.themanbookerprize.com/news/stories/1533" target="_blank">2011 Man Booker Prize</a>, a well-deserved honour. Check out <a href="http://www.esiedugyan.com/" target="_blank">her website.</a> <br />
</div>Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-3287310959635350332012-04-25T13:32:00.003-07:002012-04-25T13:33:38.462-07:00A Lost Opportunity<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356093-epistolophilia" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Simaite" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1328820420m/13356093.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13356093-epistolophilia">Epistolophilia: Writing the Life of Ona Simaite</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/85959.Julija_Sukys">Julija Sukys</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/315517642">3 of 5 stars</a><br />
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This book had so many possibilities for greater success! The letters
and diaries of Ona Simaite reminded me of Victor Klemperer's "I Will
Bear Witness" diaries: the difficulties of daily life, the minutia, the
ordinary, let alone the extraordinary, these are invaluable lessons. I
felt the author, Julija Sukys, couldn't decide how to deal with so much
material and began to take the work too personally, projecting too much
of her own needs/thoughts/ideas to make it about Simaite. There were
also numerous dating/time passage errors and grammatical errors that
ought to have been caught by a good editor.
</div>Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1769682194144968874.post-15447407596634929612012-04-19T18:09:00.000-07:002012-04-19T18:09:39.419-07:00Grace in the midst of evil<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7824322-between-shades-of-gray" style="float: left; padding-right: 20px;"><img alt="Between Shades of Gray" border="0" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327873479m/7824322.jpg" /></a><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7824322-between-shades-of-gray">Between Shades of Gray</a> by <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3407448.Ruta_Sepetys">Ruta Sepetys</a><br />
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My rating: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/313772469">5 of 5 stars</a><br />
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When the world claims to not know, we are all complicit. This book is not just a testament to the power of survival and grace, it is a demonstration that when humans are trapped in evil it takes courage for someone to stand up and say no. Read this book and contemplate the evils of the 20th century and the current evils we are abetting by not standing up and saying no.<br />
</div>Hazelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07131010496679336331noreply@blogger.com