Monday, June 22, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
A Post for Amy
my friend from adolescence who reads this blog from Oakland, CA... thanks for visiting Seattle!
I graduated on June 12. This is me and Professor Ron Chew, former Wing Luke Director, who mentored me during my time in the UW Museology Program.
Immediately following the ceremony, Kort, me, Linh and Andy went to dinner at Casbah in Ballard and ate delicious 5-course Moroccan. The third dish was this powdered phyllo meat pastry thing. We were not invited to belly dance, thank God.
The day after, we resolved to take a trip to Port Townsend. On the way, we stopped in Port Gamble, where I had heard that there was a great ghost tour. We did not find the tour, but we did find a funky natural history museum with a variety of sea specimens.
But this was by far, my favorite display - a frame full of shells illustrating how pearl buttons are made.
In Port Townsend, we stayed at Red Pine, aka Bill Porter's, guest house - a converted garage, designed by the poet/translator himself. Here's the breakfast nook.
And the couch by the front window. Most of the structures we saw were wooden platform frames built to fit standard tatami, then covered with futon mattresses, which gave us great ideas for the future of our 3 tatami mats currently living under our bed.
We used Port Townsend as a home base for exploration and drove out to Mora and Rialto Beach on the Western coast of the Olympic Peninsula, where the landscape is hard to describe.
But I felt much more human beside the sea, cleansed of a lot of recent stress.
Immediately following the ceremony, Kort, me, Linh and Andy went to dinner at Casbah in Ballard and ate delicious 5-course Moroccan. The third dish was this powdered phyllo meat pastry thing. We were not invited to belly dance, thank God.
The day after, we resolved to take a trip to Port Townsend. On the way, we stopped in Port Gamble, where I had heard that there was a great ghost tour. We did not find the tour, but we did find a funky natural history museum with a variety of sea specimens.
But this was by far, my favorite display - a frame full of shells illustrating how pearl buttons are made.
In Port Townsend, we stayed at Red Pine, aka Bill Porter's, guest house - a converted garage, designed by the poet/translator himself. Here's the breakfast nook.
And the couch by the front window. Most of the structures we saw were wooden platform frames built to fit standard tatami, then covered with futon mattresses, which gave us great ideas for the future of our 3 tatami mats currently living under our bed.
We used Port Townsend as a home base for exploration and drove out to Mora and Rialto Beach on the Western coast of the Olympic Peninsula, where the landscape is hard to describe.
But I felt much more human beside the sea, cleansed of a lot of recent stress.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
We learned yesterday that Kort's uncle, Jim Phillips, passed away in a plane accident. Jim was a mentor to Kort when he was growing up and later when he was looking for a direction during his college years. Jim was a psychologist and taught in the Tarrant County Community College system and also ran for many years a camp on his ranch that used the outdoors as a therapeutic approach to working with troubled youth. During the summers, he hosted summer camps that my husband and brother-in-law both have very fond memories of. Kort's relationship with his uncle had a big influence on him pursuing the healing arts as a vocation.
The second time we moved back to Dallas, we went to visit Jim on the ranch. He showed us around the property with his dog Old Yeller No. 2, we watched him groom horses and feed cows out on the pasture. He showed us his airplanes. Later we went to see Jim rope cows in the local rodeo. He was a good man and we will miss him.
The second time we moved back to Dallas, we went to visit Jim on the ranch. He showed us around the property with his dog Old Yeller No. 2, we watched him groom horses and feed cows out on the pasture. He showed us his airplanes. Later we went to see Jim rope cows in the local rodeo. He was a good man and we will miss him.
Speeding around Green Lake on rollerskates this morning, I caught a glimpse of the water plants colonizing the south end of the lake, blooming into lilies that closely resemble white lotus. The water plants have been slowly expanding through the lake for the last few years and keep taking over more space. It was the first time that I'd seen the plants in bloom - a sea of flowers. It made me picture the lake as a metaphor for the chaos of my own mind and how I would like a sea of lotus blossoms eventually fill that space. But these things take time.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I miss the energy and performance of haggling in the Chinese markets - places where you can pay what you want, or work towards a price that is closer to that ideal. Actually, that is entirely possible too in many of the shops, but not so in the U.S. unless you are at a swapmeet or flea market, or dealing with the owner of a thrift shop where you have a relationship.
I sometimes imagine owning a small boutique imports store that would sell traditional crafts and jewelry around the world. At the Tibetan temple in Beijing, I saw beautiful gau prayer box pendants, so unique that I've never seen anything like them here in the States. There were variations on the amulet, but the most exquisite were the deity boxes crafted from gold, silver, and precious stones. They can be found on the internet and ebay, but at upwards of $100 and more. The amulets which do not house figures or photos of deities are a kind of locket that can contain mantras, love spells, talismanic fragments, etc.
I sometimes imagine owning a small boutique imports store that would sell traditional crafts and jewelry around the world. At the Tibetan temple in Beijing, I saw beautiful gau prayer box pendants, so unique that I've never seen anything like them here in the States. There were variations on the amulet, but the most exquisite were the deity boxes crafted from gold, silver, and precious stones. They can be found on the internet and ebay, but at upwards of $100 and more. The amulets which do not house figures or photos of deities are a kind of locket that can contain mantras, love spells, talismanic fragments, etc.
In doing research on a social media plan for the CWB, I learned that Blogger is owned by Google and if Google should choose to terminate my service at any time, I would be unable to recover any of the years of archived material - both photos and text. Thus the slow migration to WordPress.
I graduate unofficially from the UW Museology program tomorrow. My second masters degree and possibly the only degree program I've ever attended that has actually given me concrete tools and skills for working in the real world.
Kort and I have been discussing his recent change of facial hair. I realized that what has been disturbing me about the new look is the incongruity between his appearance and who he is. He is rocking a Hulk Hogan meets Earl meets mutton chop handlebar mustachio look. It being summer, he was prepared to shave most of the winter beard off, but then he decided to experiment. And the experiment was to see what look might bring different perceptions. The results of his experiment? Clients at work do not mess with him and accept his authority and challenge him less. But this is definitely not a look that would work well with the acupuncture/healer persona, at all, which is the man that I know and love. At some level, I understand the performance of appearance - it's like dressing up to look more authoritative when teaching, or putting on a suit to give a corporate presentation or to attend a job interview. To send a certain message and perception. But this is also why we prefer to work for ourselves, so that we can be ourselves.
I graduate unofficially from the UW Museology program tomorrow. My second masters degree and possibly the only degree program I've ever attended that has actually given me concrete tools and skills for working in the real world.
Kort and I have been discussing his recent change of facial hair. I realized that what has been disturbing me about the new look is the incongruity between his appearance and who he is. He is rocking a Hulk Hogan meets Earl meets mutton chop handlebar mustachio look. It being summer, he was prepared to shave most of the winter beard off, but then he decided to experiment. And the experiment was to see what look might bring different perceptions. The results of his experiment? Clients at work do not mess with him and accept his authority and challenge him less. But this is definitely not a look that would work well with the acupuncture/healer persona, at all, which is the man that I know and love. At some level, I understand the performance of appearance - it's like dressing up to look more authoritative when teaching, or putting on a suit to give a corporate presentation or to attend a job interview. To send a certain message and perception. But this is also why we prefer to work for ourselves, so that we can be ourselves.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Kort and I made it over to the Bellevue Arts Museum for the Book Borrowers show which closes this weekend.
We saw sculptural and carved/excavated books, the most interesting of which were Long-Bin Chen's sculptures of Buddhas (one full bodied reclining, and a Kuan Yin head) assembled from materials that included Manhattan phone books!
Also very exciting were the Guy Laramee carved and sandblasted stacks of Encyclopedia Brittanicas which replicated steep gorges and physical landscapes.
After we finished with the artist books exhibition, we walked downstairs to discover the work of wood artist Michael Peterson.
Peterson lives and works on Orcas Island. He hollows out logs and burls to make the material of wood seem as malleable as the steel buildings of Frank Gehry. He makes both sculptural (geometric) and figurative forms and bowl-like landscapes which evoke extraterrestrial terrain. The longer we looked at his work, the more interesting it became.
This was our first trip to the Bellevue Arts Museum which has had its share of crises in the past five years, including embezzlement by a former staff member and a total rebranding of the organization to become crafts-focused. It is a beautiful space across from several luxury malls in the downtown Bellevue area which draws shoppers, tourists, etc., but the galleries were relatively empty today.
We saw sculptural and carved/excavated books, the most interesting of which were Long-Bin Chen's sculptures of Buddhas (one full bodied reclining, and a Kuan Yin head) assembled from materials that included Manhattan phone books!
Also very exciting were the Guy Laramee carved and sandblasted stacks of Encyclopedia Brittanicas which replicated steep gorges and physical landscapes.
After we finished with the artist books exhibition, we walked downstairs to discover the work of wood artist Michael Peterson.
Peterson lives and works on Orcas Island. He hollows out logs and burls to make the material of wood seem as malleable as the steel buildings of Frank Gehry. He makes both sculptural (geometric) and figurative forms and bowl-like landscapes which evoke extraterrestrial terrain. The longer we looked at his work, the more interesting it became.
This was our first trip to the Bellevue Arts Museum which has had its share of crises in the past five years, including embezzlement by a former staff member and a total rebranding of the organization to become crafts-focused. It is a beautiful space across from several luxury malls in the downtown Bellevue area which draws shoppers, tourists, etc., but the galleries were relatively empty today.
Monday, June 01, 2009
China Diary Continued
May 21
The long-awaited terracotta warriors. Many of the artists on the delegation are energized by this trip, and I have to admit, tourist factor aside, the experience was awe-some. Looking down into these huge archaeological excavation sites and seeing these human forms, each unique, standing at attention, guarding the first emperor's tomb.
New figures and artifacts are unearthed regularly.
Archaeologists and researchers have identified the precise location of the emperor's tomb. But here's the rub. The emperor's tomb is suspended on an island in the middle of a lake of mercury. Excavating the site could potentially destroy the fragility of the tomb's environment as well as expose the workers to toxic poisons. So the tomb goes unexcavated.
The original individual who came across the tomb was a Chinese farmer seeking well water. As he dug, he found a head or torso of a terracotta warrior and had enough sense to send these artifacts to the local archaeological college. That was in the 1970s. The site now has been transformed into a UNESCO site which accommodates thousands of visitors everyday.
The long-awaited terracotta warriors. Many of the artists on the delegation are energized by this trip, and I have to admit, tourist factor aside, the experience was awe-some. Looking down into these huge archaeological excavation sites and seeing these human forms, each unique, standing at attention, guarding the first emperor's tomb.
New figures and artifacts are unearthed regularly.
Archaeologists and researchers have identified the precise location of the emperor's tomb. But here's the rub. The emperor's tomb is suspended on an island in the middle of a lake of mercury. Excavating the site could potentially destroy the fragility of the tomb's environment as well as expose the workers to toxic poisons. So the tomb goes unexcavated.
The original individual who came across the tomb was a Chinese farmer seeking well water. As he dug, he found a head or torso of a terracotta warrior and had enough sense to send these artifacts to the local archaeological college. That was in the 1970s. The site now has been transformed into a UNESCO site which accommodates thousands of visitors everyday.
China Diary Continued
May 21
We bid farewell to the desert and climb aboard a plane to Xian. I am sad to say goodbye to our oasis hotel.
We fly to Xian, which takes about two hours and proceed on to the Wild Goose Pagoda - where Chinese monk Hsuan Tsung established Tripitaka Buddhism after walking to and from India which took him 17 years. The Emperor built the pagoda to serve as the storehouse for the sutras and various religious items that Hsuan Tsung brought back with him.
The monk that helped to root Buddhism in China.
Wall of birds
Wishes for 20 yuan. I bought a "Dream" placard and wrote down my short and long-term goals and left my wishes hanging on the general board.
We bid farewell to the desert and climb aboard a plane to Xian. I am sad to say goodbye to our oasis hotel.
We fly to Xian, which takes about two hours and proceed on to the Wild Goose Pagoda - where Chinese monk Hsuan Tsung established Tripitaka Buddhism after walking to and from India which took him 17 years. The Emperor built the pagoda to serve as the storehouse for the sutras and various religious items that Hsuan Tsung brought back with him.
The monk that helped to root Buddhism in China.
Wall of birds
Wishes for 20 yuan. I bought a "Dream" placard and wrote down my short and long-term goals and left my wishes hanging on the general board.
China Diary Continued
May 18
After breakfasting on the dunes, we took a bus to the Kazakh town of Akesai, a fairly recent resettlement development about two hours away from Dunhuang. The Kazakhs are the group that Sascha Baron Cohen, aka Borat, makes fun of. Anyways, there is a large contingency of Kazakh people with the largest community of Kazakhs in China located in the town of Akesai. They did not originally live in the town but on the surrounding land where the people farm and cultivate, but they were resettled into this planned community where there are more modern buildings and living quarters, though the farmers still commute to the land to work, to the places where they once lived. Although the town seemed very new and proud of its economy, it felt empty and ghost-like. There is also a strange kind of segregation happening - the Kazakh people do not intermarry with people outside of Akesai due to what I understood as transportation issues.
We toured the town museum, went to the horseracing track (no betting on ponies), and had a traditional Kazakh meal inside a giant yurt where Kazakh singers and dancers performed. There was also an interactive component where the guests got up and danced. At the museum, I was very excited by the architectural/landscape model of the development which included simulated rivers, mountains, and plastic animals.
This is what the town was modeled after:
Lunch in the yurt was a visually rich experience. Wallpapered textures and painted window shades with distinctly non-Chinese themes/styles.
After breakfasting on the dunes, we took a bus to the Kazakh town of Akesai, a fairly recent resettlement development about two hours away from Dunhuang. The Kazakhs are the group that Sascha Baron Cohen, aka Borat, makes fun of. Anyways, there is a large contingency of Kazakh people with the largest community of Kazakhs in China located in the town of Akesai. They did not originally live in the town but on the surrounding land where the people farm and cultivate, but they were resettled into this planned community where there are more modern buildings and living quarters, though the farmers still commute to the land to work, to the places where they once lived. Although the town seemed very new and proud of its economy, it felt empty and ghost-like. There is also a strange kind of segregation happening - the Kazakh people do not intermarry with people outside of Akesai due to what I understood as transportation issues.
We toured the town museum, went to the horseracing track (no betting on ponies), and had a traditional Kazakh meal inside a giant yurt where Kazakh singers and dancers performed. There was also an interactive component where the guests got up and danced. At the museum, I was very excited by the architectural/landscape model of the development which included simulated rivers, mountains, and plastic animals.
This is what the town was modeled after:
Lunch in the yurt was a visually rich experience. Wallpapered textures and painted window shades with distinctly non-Chinese themes/styles.
Updates
I successfully defended my MA thesis in Museology today. My committee requested some edits and revisions, but the rewrites should not be substantive. Thanks to Carol, Geo, Nicole, Kylie, Kort and Marta for being there and to my committee for their graciousness, generosity, and gentle critique.
Kort trimmed his winter/spring beard down to a moustache and he is looking a bit 1970s meets My Name is Earl. This disturbs me to no end.
I still have a lot to say about China and am moving through processing many thoughts and ideas.
Working on a social media plan for the Center for Wooden Boats that is due to be presented on Monday. Thesis rewrites to be submitted by June 11. Then prepping a museum budget and a job talk for my Witliff interview. And then there is the exhibition that Nina Simon's class is installing this week.
Kort trimmed his winter/spring beard down to a moustache and he is looking a bit 1970s meets My Name is Earl. This disturbs me to no end.
I still have a lot to say about China and am moving through processing many thoughts and ideas.
Working on a social media plan for the Center for Wooden Boats that is due to be presented on Monday. Thesis rewrites to be submitted by June 11. Then prepping a museum budget and a job talk for my Witliff interview. And then there is the exhibition that Nina Simon's class is installing this week.
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