There be dragons

Arts and crafts in Asia are flat out amazing. These serpents, or dragons, take your pick, are outstanding. Just don't ask me where they are from.

 

And we think WE have it hard...

While it is true I rarely take pictures of people, it does happen occasionally. These people were so remarkable in their work and craft, they had to be documented (with their permission). Spinning by hand was still a major craft in the 1980s, just as loom weaving was, and I hope it still is. I'm bragging a bit, but when I came upon the spinner, she was astounded that I knew how to do it and watched in amazement when she let me take a turn. She didn't let me disrupt the work she had started, but allowed me to use a drop spindle she was just finishing up. Here is the expert at work:

Note the dog supervising. This man is not actually spinning wool, but he is prepping already spun wool for use and was not part of the spinning group.

Another amazing craft is making umbrellas. They are so intricate and the art is sublime because of painstaking work and talent.

This is not a craft, but a life necessity, and the tiny woman who is carrying this bundle is one astounding human being. I won't say the obvious -- okay I will. Those who mock the strength of women need to take a hard look at this.

A bit of a turn from the normal

While exploring my neighborhood has been both eye opening and enjoyable, I discovered a treasure trove of adventures when I digitized the slides from my travels way back in the Pleistocene era (the 1980s). So, for those of you too young to know about that era, it was before Instagram and YouTube. The camera was a big bulky piece of equipment with film that didn't translate that well into slides, but was considered great stuff at the time. In the '80s I was fortunate enough to travel to several countries: Tahiti, Fiji, Cook Islands, New Zealand, Australia, Indonesia, Thailand, Nepal, Hong Kong, Singapore, India, and Malaysia. Then, as luck would have it, I was invited to sail among the Greek Islands shortly after. The wonderful thing about traveling then was the lack of over-tourism and influencers. Yes, there were the occasional unruly people who could make something unpleasant, but for the most part, crowds were not huge, people were respectful, and traveling was easy and pleasant. Pre-9/11 air travel was a breeze.

True to form, it was rare for me to take pictures of people though sometimes that was unavoidable. I tried to stick to natural landscapes, animals, and definitely architecture. Posts will mostly be without too much in the way of explanation, mostly because I don't remember exactly where a lot of the shots were taken. Some like the Taj Mahal, or the Sydney Harbour Bridge will be instantly recognizable, but many of the nature shots could be from anywhere. If I know, you'll know.

So let's get started:

Those of you who are fans of the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series will know what this is:

Well actually, this is in Nepal, discovered on a bus trip to view what we know as Mount Everest, and what the Nepalis call Sagarmatha. No, I had no interest in going to base camp or climbing the mountain. Viewing it from afar was good enough. But seeing The Restaurant at the End of the Universe was truly a find.

After river rafting down to an area in Nepal famous for its elephants and rhinos, this was the adventure of a lifetime. Yes, I'm ashamed I rode elephants, but made up for it by happily washing them down in the river. They appreciate a good rub down with a large stone and sand from the river bed. Then they happily spray you with their trunks. I wanted to stay with them all day, but their keepers suggested I go and get lunch. Reluctantly, I did. 

This is the river we rafted down.

Once we got to the hostel, we mounted elephants for a tour of the countryside.

At the end of each ride, the elephants were bathed to cool off and have fun splashing.

The rhinos have single horns, unlike those in Africa, and they are severely endangered. Seeing one was thrilling to say the least.

And thus begins the trips of a lifetime.

Buckle up - a rant is coming

Though I do try to stick to happy things like beautiful dogs, cats, and wildlife, or gardens and blossoms, every now and then, I must be true to my cranky old lady self. And lately it has struck me, yet again, how thoroughly sexist our language and our attitudes are to women. 

There are so many words to describe women who somehow don't live up to the absurd pristine image they are supposed to maintain (not that men have to). Slut, whore, bitch, cunt, and lately the infamous Karen. The only derogatory terms for men are bastard and Male Karen. Male Karen!?! So they couldn't come up with a suitable male name for jerks who insist on being entitled, racist, or just plain assholes? No, they had to remind people that really it's awful women who should be chastised. 

Some other things to think about:

Why is it the paternal line for babies when women do 90 percent of the work? 

The idea of marriage and taking the male name. Fortunately more women are keeping their own last names (even though that's because Daddy gave it to them), but too often women succumb to the idea of their married name. And don't get me started on the term, "maiden name." And while we're on the subject - why marriage at all? Why not have partnerships without the formality? Yes, the government has made it profitable to marry, but what if you simply had a contract you drew up yourselves. No paperwork, name changes, or status to worry about correcting should you split. Mmmm.

Spinsters or old maids are chastised but bachelors aren't. And why are single women called spinsters/old maids in the first place? Why aren't they just referred to by their names? Then there was the whole thing about childless cat ladies (though no mention of childless dog ladies) as if that were a bad thing. No, it is simply a choice, and frankly, the whole concern of planetary overpopulation should be a huge issue. Instead, governments are trying to shame women into having MORE children. 

The modern "We're pregnant." No dude, you and your partner may be expecting a baby, but only SHE is pregnant. SHE has to go through morning sickness, changes her body never recovers from, and pushing out a watermelon through a hole that was only meant to contain a corn cob.

Trad Wives online are not traditional housewives - they have an online BUSINESS and probably make more than Hubby. Ballerina Farm as an example.

Master bedroom/bath. What master would that be? What if only women live in the house? It has become fashionable of late to refer to those rooms as primary, though I confess I don't know why they need a name anyway. They're just rooms.

On the good news front, what used to be an automatic use of "he" to indicate someone who was of unknown gender, "they" is becoming more common. It's a bit awkward, but at least an attempt is being made to use a neutral term.

Now, before you throw up your hands and say "OK Boomer," I would like to point out that Boomer women, along with Silent Generation women, made many things in life for women much more equitable and easier to achieve. Prior to the 1970s, women couldn't get credit cards on their own. Only married couples had access to birth control. Equal pay for equal work was unheard of (and pretty much still is but that's another story). And, last but not least, women who were forced to wear skirts/dresses in school and at work, can now wear, GASP, pants. Oddly, women wearing pants to classes and work did not end civilization.

And so, those of you who made it this far - rant over. Doesn't mean there won't be more forthcoming on various topics, but for right now you are free to go about your business. 

A fence with pizazz

Fences make good neighbors - so they say. Mostly though they keep dogs safe or people from wandering around on your property. Most gates are simply there. Wooden or iron or chainlink. Nothing particularly noteworthy. Every now and then, however, people take a more artistic or fun approach which I have been documenting. Well, here's another one that shows a bit of whimsey.

Couldn't resist this face

Yup. Back to cute statues again. Couldn't resist this one:

And just for fun, a beautiful blossom too:

Hand someone some chalk and take it as a challenge

This seems to be the new thing in the neighborhood-- sidewalk art challenges. They're fun and a bit crazy and also brighten up some drab areas. Behold the latest challenge: