Thursday, March 20, 2008

This is different from 1989


What is happening in Tibet right now is different from the uprising there in 1989, in that in addition to Lhasa, there are uprisings or protests or incidents happening all over what could be called Historic Tibet.
This map from Tibet.org shows what has been happening up and through to Mar.17, 2008.

Also one of the better articles I have seen about the deeper issues in Tibet is:
In Tibetan Areas, Parallel Worlds Now Collideby Howard W. French, New York Times .

Wednesday, March 19, 2008

Pictures from Tibet

With Lhasa being in the news, here are some photos I took while in Tibet in October 1993.
For example here is the Jokhang Temple , at the heart of the Tibetan quarter in Lhasa:

And this is a photo of the Barkhor neighborhood in which the Jokhang is located:




Notice the small vendor stalls; likely some of these were attacked if they were run by Chinese in the recent protest.

Then here is the square in the middle of the Drepung Monastery; the monks there have been under heavy manners since 2006:



The next is a beautiful view looking from Sera Monastery to the back of the Potala Palace. You get some idea of the valley Lhasa is in:



Tibet is beautiful. It is too bad the Chinese only response is to crack down, be severe, and be inhuman.

Saturday, March 15, 2008

Protest in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture



The above photo is of a Friday protest in the city of Xiahe, in the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous region, what the Tibetans would call Amdo. It is just an incredible photo because you see Tibetans waving Tibetan Flags, within China, or what you could call Chinese occupied Amdo.

I haven't seen a follow up story on this, but given the huge protests and rioting in Lhasa recently,my heart, and the hearts of many here, especially in Santa Fe, go out to the Tibetan people at this time.

Wednesday, March 05, 2008

South Central New Mexico Time Warp

Recently, well two weeks back, upon going down through south central New Mexico, and upon my return trip along about the Socorro area, I was at the mercy again of whatever FM stations I could bring in, and naturally I tend to gravitate towards whatever irritates me the least. In other words the FM station of my dreams doesn't even exist.

At any rate on both occasions, I encountered an oldies stations, and sure enough on both the coming and going, a week a part, over the dial came Louie, Louie, by the Kingsmen. Catchy little tune that, sort of the primordial rock'n' roll song. And it sort of bends Time around, and since the Time Coaster is naturally fascinated by Time, and also I have been hitting YouTube more now that I have broadband, I am adding a vid of Louie, Louie just to mark this time warpian moment. Here it is: