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| Tuesday, 6-Jul-2004 00:00 |
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Two Views of Roko Island
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My God but, what a pain it was, uploading these pictures today! Almost like banging your head against a wall!!
These pictures were taken on Roko Island, where my friend lives. They were taken over two evenings. So, there's sun in one and, clouds in the other!
The Green Walk and the pier are in different directions - 60 degrees between them - about a 10 minute walk from my pal's house, in either direction.
As is usual with Japan, everything seems to fit perfectly. Don't know what it is or, why. But, it's there.The harmony. Even when you are walking along the pier and looking at the loading bay, it seems to blend well with the general environment.  :
I saw the flats (sorry, apartments in American English) one evening and, they gave me the strong impression of anonymous city life. These flats can be from anywhere in the world. Ya? 
Looking at the Distant Vistas and the cloudy skies, I am reminded of this stupid joke we
had in school: "It was a dark and stormy night and, the rain came down in torrents. And the captain said, 'Mate, tell us a story'. Any so the Mate began. It was a dark and stormy night...... ad infinitum ad nauseum'.  Why the hell did I think of this one?
This is my second last entry about Japan. The last? Maybe tomorrow. C'ya all till then!!
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| Tuesday, 29-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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Gangoji At Nara
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Gangoji at Nara is, apparantly, the oldest Buddhist Temple in Japan and, is one of the World Heritage Sites. It was founded by Sogano-Umako at Asuka, in the South of Nara and was called Hokoji. After the capital was moved to Nara, the temple was moved to it's current site, in 718 AD and was renamed Gangoji.
The temple has been preserved remarkably and, does not look as though it has been around for 1,300 years. I am sure it has undergone a lot of repair in the meanwhile but, my God, what amazing repair.
It's serene. Really so. You are'nt allowed photography inside the main sanctum but, it's a place where you can lose yoursef in quiet meditation.
I don't know what the stones are for. I tried to find out but, sadly they all spoke Japanese. Not my strong point! 
Worth a visit? Yes. Worth a second visit? Yes. Yes. Yes.
The last two temples, well, I don't know what they are called. This is where I got lost in Nara and, was more concerned with findingmy way back. But, as you can see, they are beautiful as well.
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| Sunday, 27-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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Nara - The Bylanes
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Nara is a beautiful place. It is, I believe one of the oldest cities in Japan, with a pretty long history and, seems to have generally declined into being a small provincial town in the last couple of centuries. It's dotted with temples. More of those next time, though. Anyway, I am not sure if it's good or bad - the decline, I mean. I say this because the town retains an old world charm about it. The pace of life seems very easy, without much of the rush that characterises much of modern life. Narrow lanes, small houses. And here, people seem to exemplify the Japanese spirit of harmony with their surroundings. The houses are small but, they've all put in these little flower arrangements in the space that they have available. I don't know what it is about these flower arrangements but, they are perfect in a very Japanese way.
I love the street lamps, by the way. Very beautiful, or so I thought. The loo sign - I could not help that one. 
This is also a place where I witnessed a small act of kindness, which was great, really. I wandered off and, got lost, with my son on my back and, I asked a couple the way back. They went out of their way - literally to get me back. We experienced the same thing in Kyoto. Makes you wonder what happened to the Japanese in World War II.
A reply to Penny. Miho Museum 
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| Thursday, 24-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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On the Road in Japan. To Miho
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This was the second day that we were riving on the roads in Japan. Even though some of you may find the endless road shots tedious, I thought that I would do this fotopage in a manner that would illustrate the journey. I was the navigator on the drive to Miho. I was driving on the way back so, I could not stop and take pictures of the mist in the mountains. We drove the whole day in the rain and, I have to say that the mountains are beautiful. I love the mountains anyway so, driving through these mountains - or hills, as we call them in India - was beautiful. Lovely green besides the roads, dark clouds in the sky. Pretty romantic. Romantic?? Anyway, I am referring to Romance in the Wordsworth tradition.
The Miho Museum is in the Shigaraki Mountains between Kyoto and Lake Biwa; and, houses the collection of the Shumei Family. Originated by Mrs Mihoko Koyama. The concept is amazing. In the mountains, you arrive at the main entrance hall and walk through the specially constructed tunnel to te museum. The museum has pieces from all around the world. Not a big museum and, not a huge collection. But, ancient pieces from all over the world, in a setting that comes close to divine.
And, in a way that does depict one aspect of Japanese culture - a rspect for peace and harmony and a desire to find beauty and harmony in the commonplace things of life. Amazing. I wish my photos did more justice to the place.
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| Tuesday, 22-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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On The Road in Japan - 1
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I should've updated the fotopage a few days ago but, there's life and, there is work. The proportion varies and, in the last few months, the proportion has been weighted too heavily in favour of work.  Still, it's something that can be rectified. 
Anyway, Japan. We went around by train much of the time. We drove on two days. And, for one who's been driving in India for many years, I can tell you that driving in Japan is really stress free. My God. I would be surprised if any Japanese person takes blood pressure pills. Barring the road toll taxes, it's really an antidote to stress. 
Great roads. Driving, well, not always very disciplined. But, the highway is beautiful. Really beautiful indeed. On this day, we drove from Roko Island (near Kobe) to a place called Tottori. From there to a place called Amanahasidate (spell check required) and, back. Tottori is an unusual beach. No photos. I was too busy climbing. There's this huge, steep sand dune, on the beach. This was created by a tsunami. Amanahashidate - we got there too late - has a meaning that has something to do with the gates to heaven. Definitely worth a second visit. So, the photos that you see were taken on the stretch between Tottori and Amanahashidate. Great pictures?? Don't know. I'm being honest. The places we stopped were so beautiful that it's hard to take a bad photo. 
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| Wednesday, 16-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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Kyoto
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We went to Japan in May. Don't for a minute think that I am some sort of a rich bloke, to be able to afford a holiday in Japan. I'm not.  We were staying with friends.  Else, you really can't afford to go there. The place is so damned expensive that there should be an international law against such prices. I took a cab. Big mistake. Big, big mistake. Then, I went to sleep for 15 minutes. Bigger mistake. 0) I woke up, had a look at the meter and, almost fainted for another 15 minutes. 
Anyway, Japan was where I used a digital camera for the first time in my life. But hey, I am an old fashioned sort of guy, you know!!
Okay, Kyoto. We went to two temples. The first was Kinkaikuji. The Golden Temple. Very beautiful and, very touristy. As you can see, there's this pond in the middle, with a tree. There's also a lot of carp swimming in the pond. Apparantly, a sacred sort of fish. I believe that it signifies strength. But, I am sure Kay would know.
Kiyomizu Dera was much more interesting. Apparantly, it belongs to the Kita Hoso sect and, was founded by a priest called Enchin. It holds the image of Kannon Bosatsu - God of Mercy. There's also this wonderful stream of water flowing down the hill and, from which you can drink. Lovely tasting water.
You'll see pictures of people against trees and, people against the temple shrine. I tried to give some perspective to the distance. The people were about 10 metres from me and, the trees and temple - about 200 metres. The trees are huge. Very peaceful place. You can sense the peace and the general aura of veneration. Very perfect.
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| Friday, 11-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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Interlude II - BeiJing
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Okay, a couple of days I cribbed about corporate life and, much of my gripe still holds true. However, I will heed the advice given to me and, start to follow my heart. That will, eventually, lead me away from the corporate world. Till then, let me enjoy it while I can!!
This was one of those days. I had gone to the Diaoyutai Guest House, where they host a lot of dignitaries. There's a big international conference there in October and, I took some quick pictures of the place. It's really, really beautiful. Time at a standstill. Peace and meditation in the glorious harmony of man and nature. I think that this is where the Chinese and Japanese excel. 
But, it is expensive. A room where, if you stretch you break your wrist, can cost you 300 US Dollars a night!!
Anyway, after this visit, we went to have lunch at a little restaurant in a touristy area called Hou Hai. Next to a lake. You can see the tourists sitting outside Starbucks to get an idea. Again, time standing still.
And Starbucks!! The modern, in ancient clothing!! Not too bad really. I must say, I was impressed with the guys. Perfect location for tourists and, people looking to spend the time on a lazy, sunny, spring afternoon. Aaaaaaaah. The small pleasures of life. 
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| Thursday, 10-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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Interlude 1 - SuZhou
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Here's one from the heart!! Corporate life, in many ways, sucks. Really. It really makes you slog your butt and, you are supposed to feel motivated, while the lords and masters take home their fat salaries. I read about this concept called 'The Nanosecond Nineties'. Invented by Tom Peters in the early part of the Nineties. I thought that this was hogwash at that time but, looking back, I see that the fellow was right and, I was wrong. I have been thinking also (looking back to the 60's now) of a great song by Donovan called "Slow Down World", from the album of the same name. Really great. It should become an anthem for today's world.
Anyway, this is not meant to be a diatribe!! 0)
You still find havens of peace. In SuZhou, for instance, I visited the Embroidery Institute where they do marvellous and, intricate work. I don't have pictures of the garden in the institute but, the gardens are beautiful. They are peaceful. It's really a world where time has slowed down.
Now, the embroidery. Each embroidery can take over a year to make. It takes several years of training to become a master weaver, incidentally. Anyway, look carefully and, you'll see the number of threads that they use to do the embroidery. They push the needle in from one side and yet, make designs that are exactly the same on both sides. Or, where one side is a pigeon and, the other an eagle, for instance. Really amazing.
There's also this interesting street called the "Guan Qian Jie" or, "Open Money Street". Nice. Complete with temple and street sellers!!
My shots of the canals are not to great  . But, this is the oldest and longest man made canal in the world. Worth a visit. Next time, I visit the gardens of SuZhou. they apparantly served as the inspiration for the famous Japanese Gardens. Next time!!
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| Thursday, 3-Jun-2004 00:00 |
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Great Wall At Simatai
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I have'nt been around for a while. Too much work!!  Thanks for all the comments on my pages. 
This was the second trip that I made to the Wall. This section of the Great Wall is to the North East of BeiJing. About 3 hours drive. I think that this is where I made a mistake. I forgot to check the night before and, went pubbing. As a result, I woke up late and so, got less time on the Wall than I would have liked.
This section has been described as 'wild'. I don't know if that is a good description but, it is not an easy climb. Halfway up, I was wishing that the "10*10 factor" was in my favour. Sadly, no.  Aah yes. The "10*10" factor, as defined by me is - 10 years younger and 10 kilos lighter!! .
I loved this section of the Wall.
Definitely worth a second visit.
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| Saturday, 22-May-2004 00:00 |
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Great Wall At Mutianyu
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This was my first visit to the Great Wall. Bothmy visits were unsatisfactory, in the sense that I did not have more than half an hour, after completing the climb up. Anyway, I definitely plan to visit the Wall at least a few more times.
Mutianyu was built, I believe, around 1569, in the Longqing reighn of the Ming Dynasty. This section is about 20 km NorthWest of Huairo county, which in northwest of BeiJing. I was there on the 17th Feb. We had taken the afternoon off and, mycolleagues were in a hurry to get back to Huairo.
Some more stuff about The Wall. It extends some 5,000 km from East to West in North China. Apparantly, it took over two millenia to complete, beginning from the 7th century BC, when the dukes Chu, Qi, Wei,Han, Yan Qin and Zhao constructed walls aropund their territories for self defence. A major coinstructor was Emperor Qinshihuang, the first emperor to unify China. the same person for whom the Xi'An tombs were made.
I have to say, that it is awe inspiring. The emperors yes. But, the effort of the people who made this is stupendous. Even though I am sure they were volunteered to work. really brings Pink Floyd's lyrics to life. you know "All in all, you're just another brick in the wall..."
It's not an easy place to photograph. There's a lot of dust in the air, which tends to make the photos hazy and, I think, you need time on the wall. Lot's of time. Which means you need to pack sandwiches and water. It's hard work, climbing the wall .
I could not resist the shot of the billboard at the base of the Wall. And, a shot of Huairo. The place we stayed.
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great pics u have here! 
It's really spectacular hopping ard the places classified under the world's list in China..not to mentioned..there's still a huge list pending 
