In Honor Of International Women’s Day (IWD)

A woman in Quito making wonderful crafts for sale

Mongolian singer at a conference we attended

International Women’s Day (IWD)

This day is celebrated on March 8^th each year, in varying ways in different parts of the world, supported by many different organizations and institutions. In some countries it is a national holiday but not in others, in which case they celebrate in other ways: a fun run, a dinner gala, conferences, breakfasts, festivals, tech talks etc.

Each year, the UN picks a different theme for IWD. In 2015 it was “Empowering Women. Empowering Humanity.”

Ronel in Australia is co-captain of this boat

Graduate students of Beijing Agriculture University visit the Forbidden City

The 2016 theme is “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality”, or “Closing the Gender Gap, or Gender Parity.”

These goals are all good, but I think it’s also a time to just celebrate women and honor them all, whether famous, powerful or not; to acknowledge what they do, however menial, as it contributes to the good of their society in some way.

To that aim, here are some pictures we’ve taken over the years of various women in different countries, involved in a number of differing activities, or just smiling for us.

Marching in the Gay Pride parade, St Louis

Handicrafts seller at the Equator, Equador

But first, a bit of history.

On March 19, 1911 the first official International Women’s Day was celebrated in Europe. At that time, in many European nations, as well as in the USA, women’s rights and women’s

Curio vendor on Grenada Island

suffrage were hot topics.

It was honored in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland on 19 March. More than one million women and men attended IWD rallies campaigning for women’s rights to work, to vote, to be trained, to hold public office and to end discrimination.

However, many people believe that there were earlier events that were a build-up to this first official IWD. Some say the first International Women’s meeting was on March 8, 1907 in the US. This was to commemorate the garment workers’ strike 50 years earlier, an event that many think was the initial trigger for a deeper consciousness about women’s issues.

 

Guide at the Secret Garden in Seoul, Korea

Kirsty from Norway

What happened 50 years before? On March 8, 1857, garment workers in New York City marched and picketed, demanding improved working conditions, a ten-hour day, and equal rights for women. Police broke their ranks, quite violently.

One year after the women’s gathering in 1907 there was another march. On March 8, 1908, the garment workers’ sisters in the needle trades in New York marched again, honoring the 1857 march, demanding the vote, and an end to sweatshops and child labor. The police were present on this occasion too.

Old meets new in Kyoto

Traditional Mayan-style dances in Merida, Mexico

The first official meeting in 1911 came about because earlier in 1910 at a meeting in Copenhagen, German socialist Clara Zetkin proposed an International Women’s Day, to commemorate the US demonstrations and honor working women the world over.

After 1911, because of WW1, the Depression, and WW2, interest in a women’s day was low, but in the 1960s the women’s movement began a new revival, mainly because there was a growing sense that “history” as taught in school was incomplete and had a male bias.

A street vendor on Insadong, Seoul, Korea

In 1975, the United Nations began celebrating International Women’s Day (IWD) on 8

Mayuko from Japan enjoys a bridal shower in USA

March during International Women’s Year 1975. And in 1987, a group of women in the US campaigned with representatives from museums, schools and libraries to expand the celebration, and Congress responded by declaring the entire month of March as National Women’s History Month.

On the 100th anniversary of IWD, March 8, 2011, the IWD Organization collaborated with women’s organizations around the world to present gatherings and celebrations in 152 countries. In the United States, President Barack Obama honored the day and the then-Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, launched the “100 Women Initiative: Empowering Women and Girls through International Exchanges“. In the UK, celebrity activist Annie Lennox lead an amazing march across one of London’s iconic bridges, to raise awareness in support of the global charity, Women for Women International.

Nora helps sell flowers in KZN, South Africa

A worker at the Gouyave Nutmeg Station on Grenada explains the spice to us

A new employee at Uva Mira Wine Estate in South Africa explains a wine to Rod M

So, since those early years, International Women’s Day has taken on a global dimension for women in both developed and developing countries. Other well-known charities such as Oxfam have actively supported IWD, as have many celebrities and business leaders. Increasingly, International Women’s Day is a time to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate small acts of courage and determination by ordinary women, who have tried to help their countries and communities.

See the official website:

http://www.internationalwomensday.com

Last but not least, my mother Joy Vermaak (left) with a friend. Mothers make all things possible!

Last, but not least, my mother-in-law Peggy Mackie

Colonial times in southern Africa

April gets married in a semi-traditional Shona wedding in Zimbabwe

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Sarcophagus in Caesarea, Israel

Danny Hermann points out a feature on a sarcophagus

Entrance to old Caesarea. Note the 3 languages—English, Arabic and Hebrew

Sarcophagus with garlands, whose carving was not completed

Most of us have probably seen many examples of a sarcophagus (plural, sarcophagi) in museums around the world, and know that these are usually marble or stone above-ground burial coffins that were frequently used by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. They were often elaborately embellished with some kind of sculpture and inscription.

When we were touring around old Caesarea in Israel recently we learned an interesting snippet of information from our guide Danny Hermann about the sarcophagi there.

 

Top of a sarcophagus that had been broken into (in spite of the Medusa head)

Lady Medusa

Caesarea has had a long and complex history, part of which was rule by the Romans. King Herod built the port and named it after Caesar in Rome. We saw the remains of an arena, a hippodrome, Roman baths etc., and numerous sarcophagi. Danny Hermann explained that sarcophagus means “eater of flesh”. People at that time at first thought that if they placed a body in stone, the body would be protected from being eaten and from being robbed. Even though the dead body was placed in stone, when it came time to check the body, they found that the body had still been eaten (obviously by worms etc). So the story goes, that the coffin became known as a flesh eater. In addition, the coffins were often broken into and looted. So, those early people often carved the head of a Medusa on the coffin, for example, or other scary objects, to frighten off the eaters and the thieves.

Note other ruins of old Caesarea beyond the sarcophagus

But to no avail. The bodies still decomposed, and robbers still got in.

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Vienna: Celebrating Buskers

Vienna celebrates buskers

Found on the edge of Karlsplatz, Vienna: This poster, advertising a special event for buskers. Over 50 buskers, over 3 days. I’m sorry I missed this event, as I arrived on September 17th—it would have been fun to see how it went.

I think this is a first for me, to find buskers being actively celebrated , rather than just tolerated and perhaps humored. Around the world, we’ve all encountered buskers of many varieties—we stop and look and maybe give a few coins. The “statues”, the jugglers, the musicians etc. I’ve often wondered whether these people can make an adequate living like this with their “busking performances”, or whether they do it as a part-time thing on top of a regular job.

 

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Universal Advice From Three Monkeys

Three Monkeys: Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

The panel with the famous monkeys at the Shrine in Nikko, Japan

A tourist plaque for sale in Japan

I think almost all of us know about the famous three monkeys and what they symbolize: “Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil”.

The three wise monkeys, known throughout Asia and the Western world, are: Mizaru, covering his eyes, who sees no evil; Kikazaru, covering his ears, who hears no evil; and Iwazaru, covering his mouth, who speaks no evil. Sometimes there is a fourth monkey depicted with the other three; this one, Shizaru, symbolizes the principle of “do no evil“, and may be shown crossing his arms.

It’s an admirable philosophy but where did this popular pictorial rule, or guide for living, come from? It originated from a 17^th-century carving over a door of the famous Toshogu Shrine in Nikko, Japan, carved by Hidari Jingoro. It’s believed that he incorporated Confucius’s Code of Conduct, using the monkey to depict the life cycle of mankind. There are a total of 8 panels, with the iconic three wise monkeys in panel 2. The philosophy he was illustrating, however, probably originally came to Japan with a Tendai-Buddhist legend from China in the 8th century.

Three stone statues of small monks at a Temple on sacred Miyajima Island in Japan also use this theme

The philosophical teaching actually had no connection to monkeys, so it’s probable that the concept of the three monkeys originated from a simple play on words. The saying in Japanese is “mizaru, kikazaru, iwazaru“—literally “don’t see, don’t hear, don’t speak”. However, -zaru is pronounced the same as saru “monkey”, so the saying can also be interpreted as the names of three monkeys.

These monkeys have featured in many ways around the world and have become iconic as a way of staying away from evil doings. Not so long after the carving was done by Jingoro, another famous Japanese artist, Keisai Eisen (1790-1848), used the motif in his ukiyo-e (Japanese woodblock printings), which may have helped popularize the pictorial maxim. A few other examples: Mahatma Gandi, the Indian pacifist who had a strict lifestyle of non-possession, allowed one notable exception to this—a small statue of the three monkeys; in the 1968 film Planet of the Apes, the three judges at Taylor’s tribunal assume the traditional wise monkeys pose as Cornelius and Dr. Zira present a version of the Theory of Evolution; an award-winning 2008 Turkish film by director Nuri Bilge Ceylan called Three Monkeys (Üç Maymun).

Small stone monkeys tell the story at a shrine on sacred Miyajima Island, Japan

On our many visits to Japan, we’ve seen numerous examples of the popularity of the Three Monkeys and what they stand for—from tacky touristy items, to small groupings of stone statues in Buddhist Temples or Shinto Shrines. We’ve also had fun making our own groupings with family members, showing that the maxim is indeed popular and powerful.

More family fun, in London

Family members having fun in Berkeley, CA

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Christmas Trees in Other Places

Hotel De La Paix Siem ReapUnveils 2011’s Most Magnificent Christmas Tree

I found this article today and found it fascinating, so wanted to share it, which the article from TravMedia allowed me to do on WordPress. Thanks to TravMedia.com (United States) for this.

Sure is a different take on the regular Christmas tree. Part of the article and the link are below. Think I should start a collection of Christmas tree pictures! Not sure I’ll ever get to Cambodia though!

“Hôtel de la Paix, Cambodia’s number 1 hotel known for its dedication to community sustainability, has unveiled the most magnificent Christmas tree of its kind in the world. This spectacular Christmas tree is composed of a mind-blowing 3000 nine-inch white feathers, hung delicately on individual wires from the ceiling in the hotel’s lobby. A dream project for hotel staff, the mammoth task took more than 10 days of preparation with several dedicated hotel members to complete.”

via Hôtel De La Paix Siem Reap Unveils 2011’s Most Magnificent Christmas Tree Composed Of 3,000 White Feathers.

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Lady Liberty…around the world

The Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island in the New York Harbor is a world-famous icon of the USA. It’s a huge neo-classical sculpture of a robed female figure representing Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom, holding a torch and a tablet with the date of the American Declaration of Independence. The huge statue was given as a gift to the USA by France, as a symbol of the friendship between the two countries, but is now largely viewed as a symbol of international friendship. The French financed the statue and the Americans provided the pedestal and the site. Work on the statue began in the 1870s but was only completed and dedicated in October 1886. The statue was designed by Frederic Bartholdi.

http://www.statueofliberty.org/Fun_Facts.html

The site on Liberty Island is run by the US National Parks Service: for information go to www.nps.gov/archive/stli/prod02.htm . Their web site describes the statue, “She is a beloved friend, a living symbol of freedom to millions around the world.”

There are over 200 documented replicas of Lady Liberty, which has come to represent freedom and liberty anywhere in the world. We can find these replicas around the USA and in many countries such as France, China, Argentina, Israel, and Japan. She is also used on many music covers.

I have photos of a few of these other statues of Liberty, and was inspired to put them up on the blog after we visited the one in Tokyo, Japan.

First, the actual Statue of Liberty (2 pics above).

Second, Statue of Liberty in Odaibo Seaside Park, Tokyo, Japan, with a great view of the city skyline and the Rainbow Bridge. This was erected in 2000, but another one was there earlier—from April 1998 to May 1999 for the “French Year in Japan.” (pics below)

Third, the statue in Colmar, France, the city of Bartholdi’s birth. This was erected on July 4, 2004, on the 100-year anniversary of Bartholdi’s death. (pics below)

(See other articles on this statue:

http://www.franceforfreebooters.com/parksmuseums/Statlib.htm

https://viviennemackie.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/statue-of-liberty-in-colmar-france/ )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fourth, one of the statues in Paris, France. This is on the Ile des Cygnes, a man-made island in the River Seine. It is by the Pont de Grenelle, close to the Eiffel Tower, which seems fitting, as Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel helped Bartholdi with the design of the original statue. However, the lady looks down river and has her back to the Eiffel Tower. This statue was inaugurated on July 4, 1889 and her tablet is inscribed with 2 dates: July 4, 1776 for American Independence; and July 14, 1789 for the storming of the Bastille and the start of the French revolution. (pics below)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And lastly, a statue in one of our neighbor’s gardens, here in Urbana, in Illinois. The neighbors like to decorate her, according to the season or a special holiday celebration. What fun!

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Dog Eats Dog: A Story of Chinese Stations

“Dog Eats Dog: A Story of Chinese Railway Stations”

First train travel in China

We arrived in Shanghai by plane, final destination Nanjing, and a lovely student, Yanfen, met us and got us on the airport bus to Shanghai main railway station, a trip that took about 1.5 hours.

Then the fun with crowds began. “A seething mass of humanity” ceases to be a string of words, a cliché, and becomes a pulsing reality. We, plus thousands of others, pass security into the station, then into the waiting area for our train to Nanjing, shared with three other train departures—an enormous cavernous hall with rows of metal seats. It got more and more crowded as people amassed: a few bring their own collapsible stools, some sit on the floor, more and more bags, boxes and stuffed packets also get dumped on the floor until it’s virtually impossible to move. One train departure is announced and a sea of people surge out, wave after wave.

When it’s close to our time, people start to ready: they squeeze, jostle, push and shuffle into a “line” at least 20 deep and when the door is opened to the corridor to the platforms, the free-for-all begins—push, shove, stride, trip, bump into others as everyone tries to gain passage. We’re sucked along in the “sea of humanity”, fortified by a rolling suitcase that protects us on one side. Up some stairs, down some stairs—we couldn’t stop now even if we wanted to—and we’re on the platform, our student way ahead of us, a veteran of navigating crowds, obviously! We have 3 reserved seats, luckily, so no problem there.

We’re on a D train, the fastest type right now in China (the high-speed rail—a C train will debut between Shanghai and Nanjing next month). It’s electric, a/c and on time and we’re impressed. The only problem is that it’s grossly overcrowded, people clogging the gangways and corridors, so it’s impossible to move. Off the train in Nanjing, on the platform and exiting the concourse, the surging mass is larger, more pushy, if that’s possible. We’re hemmed in, swept along, and trying to keep our student in sight. The goal: the taxi rank.

Now comes a real eye-opener on human behavior for us. It’s a crowded Friday night, it’s pouring outside, and thousands want to catch a taxi. There’s a system of sorts but it’s so over-crowded that saying it works is a real stretch of the imagination. Taxi Lanes A, B, and C are separated by metal bars in a vast concrete hallway and people push and shove into one of the lanes. No-one is polite, each intent on getting into the line and then getting forward. Bump, push, shuffle. Push, inch forward in the still, humid air. Shove, shuffle. We’re like tightly-packed cattle in holding pens. Move forward a few inches. Stop, get elbowed in the back, and bumped by the suitcase behind. Taxis roar up to the curbside, tantalizing through the window way ahead, but not enough and not quickly enough.

An hour passes as we inch forward and then we discover that the three lanes end and merge into one, turning sharp left. Now the jostle for space and a way to get into the one line becomes a real fight. Rod whispers behind me “Push your suitcase into that small opening”, so I do: it’s the thin edge of the wedge, our way into this new line. I’ve staked my space with my case and as I wiggle my body in too, I begin to laugh. Rod laughs too, at this whole absurd situation. The local people around us stare as though we are crazy, but then smile. I laugh even more, partly from exhaustion, but partly in realization that we’ve succumbed to “When in Rome…”, although here it’s China. We’ve just pushed and shoved for our survival in this taxi line—a metaphor for survival in China and its crowds, perhaps.

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What’s in a Name? Istanbul and Agia Sofia.

WHAT’S IN A NAME?

Byzantium…Constantinople…Stamboul…Istanbul. What is the real name of this city?  What is its essence? The modern city is a composite of elements and remnants of all these cities and their cultures and civilizations. Saint Sophia…Aya Sofya…Hagia Sofia? Which one is this building? It is all of these, and more.  As with the city in which it is situated, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Many people have seen the movie “Murder on the Orient Express” and can remember the city at the end of the train trip. Istanbul evokes images of oriental splendor, sultans, harems, belly dancers, kilims, Persian carpets, Turkish delight, kebabs. Istanbul, that colorful, noisy, overcrowded, exciting, exotic city that assaults all the senses, the city that straddles Europe and Asia over the Bosphorus Strait and joins them, is a  living embodiment of this bridge between East and West,  and links the past to the present.

Istanbul was the capital of the civilized world for many centuries, and is still the heartbeat of modern Turkey, even though it was superseded by Ankara as the capital.

In 657 BC the Greek Byzas established a new city here—Byzantium as it became known. It was a prosperous trading city, a tradition continued today, especially in the labyrinthine Covered Market, which has 60 streets and over 4,000 shops, catering to Turks and tourists alike.

In 330 AD the Roman emperor Constantine adopted the city as his “New Rome”, but the more popular name Constantinople (city of Constantine) caught on. From AD 330  to 1453, when it was overcome by the Ottoman Turks, it was the capital of the Byzantine Empire. This Empire transmitted to the West both Roman law and Greek learning. It passed on art, architecture, great abstractions (like the idea of absolute monarchy), small conveniences (like forks), and the Christian religion.

In 1923 it became Istanbul, perhaps from the name Stamboul or Islambol (meaning Islamfull) in the 18th century.

The setting for the city is superb. Great mosques, with slender minarets and bulbous domes, enormous palaces, ancient city walls, the wide Bosphorus and the narrower Golden Horn, all blend into a wonderful panorama.

St. Sophia in Istanbul also stands as a link with the past, as a symbol of continuity and permanence. A lot can happen to a building in 1400 years and a lot has happened to St. Sophia, or Church of the Holy Wisdom.  Commissioned by Emperor Justinian and built in AD 532-37, it was intended as the most beautiful house of God in all history. Columns were carved from beautiful stone, such as red-purple porphyry and mottled green marble, and mosaics with gold-leaf backing were placed everywhere.

A church from AD 537-1453, it became the Aya Sofya Camii (mosque) from 1453 to1935, when it was converted to a museum.  During its history this remarkable building has withstood earthquakes, sieges, and fires. It was brutally ransacked and profaned by the 4th Crusaders in 1204, and later the Turks whitewashed the mosaics and ornaments, and added minarets.

The exterior of St. Sophia is impressive only for its sheer brick bulk and giant buttresses, but the interior is truly moving and awe-inspiring, although it must be freezing in winter!

Enter this church-museum slowly, one step at a time, to fully savor its marvels. You will at first see only darkness, broken by the brilliant colors of stained glass windows. As your eyes adjust, two more massive doorways appear and far beyond them in the dim light, a semi-dome, blazing with gold mosaics. Then you see the mosaic of Christ the Pantokrator on the big dome, which soars above you, seemingly held up by nothing. The enormous central dome does not rest on solid walls, but soars from a row of windows at its base. A unique arrangement of arches and half-domes gives a feeling of great spaciousness.

Then pass through the Imperial Door. To the left is the Weeping Column, a copper facing with a hole in it placed on a column. Stick your finger into the hole and make a wish. Legend says if the tip of your finger comes out damp your wish will be granted! Clap your hands for a resounding echo!

As you leave the church-museum to the left is the baptistry, converted into tombs for sultans. You have to take your shoes off to walk around, as it is a sacred place. It’s quite an eerie feeling to think that bones of people are in those boxes there! The man who takes your shoes will expect a tip. Tipping is a big part of life in Istanbul and everyone expects something. Costs are generally quite low, though, and the Turkish people are very friendly and helpful.

Another famous building in Istanbul is the Blue Mosque. The Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia face each other across a park and are a wonderful example of the juxtaposition of many different elements, which occurs so frequently in Istanbul. These two buildings look fairly similar to the untrained eye, but are actually separated by time (1,100 years), by culture (Byzantine v. Ottoman), by language (Greek v. Turkish), and by religion (Christian v. Muslim).

The old romantic Orient Express train still runs but is now very expensive and largely given over to organized tour groups. Most people arrive in Istanbul by air, but the most spectacular way is still to arrive by water, with the shadowy silhouette of hills and minarets slowly becoming more defined, and with the sparkling water all around you.

For more information go to http://english.istanbul.com/ or

http://www.istanbulcityguide.com/

For Information on the legendary train trip go to http://www.orient-express.com/web/vsoe/venice_simplon_orient_express.jsp

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A Divine Bell

THE DIVINE BELL OF KING SEONGDEOK  (Seongdeokdaewang-Sinjong) at the Gyeongju National Museum, Korea.

 

 

This bronze Buddhist bell was a highlight of our visit to the museum. It has a separate shelter in the gardens and all the Korean visitors stop there first. We heard much speculation as to how the Silla Dynasty craftsmen could have made it. Apparently, Koreans today are trying to reproduce it with modern technology, but haven’t succeeded so far. It weighs 20 tons, and is 3 meters (10 feet) high and 2.3 meters (7 ½ feet) in diameter.

At the shelter we heard some recorded bell “music” and it certainly was deep, resonant and impressive. Many Koreans love this sound, and our host, Jongsoo, even has a CD of bell music. The bell is also known as an Emille (pronounced Em-ee-leh) Bell, which comes from an ancient Silla term that literally means “Mommy”. Some people say that the sound of the bell resembles the voice of a lost child crying for its mother, but I can’t say that we heard that aspect to the sound!

Characters inscribed on the Divine Bell refer to Silla King Gyeongdeok’s failed attempt to make a large bell using 120,000 geun of copper to pray for the happiness of the late King Seongdeok (reigned 702-737). After his death, his son, King Hyegong, completed the bell on December 14^th, 771. This is the oldest of the Korean bells whose manufacturing dates are known. It may be the most remarkable bell in Korea, judged on its beautiful shape, patterns and decorations (including four relief devas, or gods, kneeling on lotus blossom cushions) and stirring sound.

This bell was originally at Bongdeoksa, the guardian temple of King Seongdeok. After the temple fell into ruin, it was moved to various places, and finally to its present location in 1975.

This Divine Bell is a Dharma Bell, which is one of the main sound instruments used for assembling and teaching an audience in Buddhist temples. The Koreans we spoke to are very proud of this bell and make a point of explaining that it is not like the bells from other Asian cultures. Though they originated from Chinese bells, Korean bells have their own distinct features. First, the bell connector used to hold them is not a two-headed dragon of the Chinese style, but a dragon extending its head and legs, and beside the connector is a sound tube. In addition, there are a band of vertically-carved patterns, four cases (each with 9 raised flower motifs inside) and a beating spot on the bell’s surface, all of which are absent from or different to Chinese and Japanese bells.

The Divine Bell is listed as National Treasure No. 29 and even we could tell that it is something very special.

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Palffy Palace Perfect for Chamber Concert

Vienna: Josefplatz

The Palffy Palace, opposite the Hofburg (Royal Winter Palace), was first mentioned in 14th-century archive files. In the 15th century the palace was owned by Count Paul Eberhard Palffy von Erdod and remained property of the Palffy family until the end of the 19th century. It was rebuilt after being damaged in WW2 and is now considered one of the most beautiful palaces in Vienna.

The

Figaro-Saal (Figaro Room) upstairs is certainly a beautiful venue for modern chamber concerts. The idea for this modern tradition stems from the historical concert given in this room by Wolfgang Mozart and his sister Nannerl on October 16th, 1762.

We attended a concert one Sunday evening. These old palaces are amazingly grand and we felt lucky to get a glimpse inside, of wide staircases, high ceilings with lovely frescoes, chandeliers, huge framed paintings, heavy curtains. Our Mozart and Strauss-Dynasty concert was pretty varied giving a flavor of chamber music performances in Imperial days gone by, but it wasn’t too long or too demanding on the audience. Lovely, light-hearted fun. The 5 musicians, a soprano singer and a duo dancing in various costumes were very professional and had obviously practised together a lot as they were really slick.

Attending at least one of these concerts while in Vienna should be on every visitor’s list! Different venues around the city offer various concerts, all with a similar focus on Mozart and Strauss (but this year—2009—many Haydn concerts are also being offered as this is the celebration of his death 200 years ago). Over the years we’ve been fortunate enough to attend 5 concerts; 2 in Musikverein, one in Schonbrunn, one in an old Mozart House, and now this one.

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