Beauty From Destruction in Myanmar – Part II. (Arts From Disaster)

I've had just enough time to...   ponder on the irony of Life

The monkey peeking out to see if the storm is over...

Driving along the University Avenue road in Yangon, you will pass by an amazing display of huge wooden sculptures all along it and in front of the Sayasan Plaza. Many of them are carved out of fallen trees toppled by the Cyclone Nargis in 2008. ( See Part I – The Tragedy of Cyclone Nargis). The trees that were brought down by the storm that could not be saved ended up as raw materials for sculptors who used it as a most fitting tribute to the fallen trees.

The tall giraffe cautiously stands on high ground...

The lizard gape in wonder at having survived the storm...

Ironically, these trees also helped the sculptors as they provided them with much needed materials for their carving as they were suffering from a scarcity of woods in recent years. This problem was solved at least for the time being as an indirect consequence of the disaster. It also served to raise the awareness of Myanmese wood carvings. Exhibitions were held both within and outside the country to promote the art and the tragedy was a good platform to do so. This is the irony of Life, what it takes away with one hand, it also gives with another.

The proud peacock could not believe her luck...

The leopard growled remembering the storm...

The most prized wood for carving is the famed teak wood but this has become increasingly difficult to obtain. The trees salvaged after Cyclone Nargis however were Koako, a type of banyan tree and does not fetched as high a price as teak wood. Still, the sculptors were unexpectedly gifted with an abundance of valuable raw materials to work on. Most of the sculptures themselves were carved the traditional styles and the most popular subjects seem to be animals whether real or mythical. These are some examples of the wooden sculptures.

The girl is pleased that peace is again at hand...

Isn't it an irony of Life that such destruction should give birth to such beauty?

The gentle white Rhino lay contently on the grass...

Beauty From Destruction in Myanmar – Part I. (The Tragedy of Cyclone Nargis)

I've had just enough time to...   see wood carved from fallen trees

A typical farmhouse in the Irrawaddy Delta, Myanmar

In the last week of April, 2008, a low pressure system built up in the Bay of Bengal. On April 27, the Indian Meteorological Department declared that it has strengthened to a tropical depression. The depression moved north-northwest and was upgraded to the cyclone, Nargis on April 28. Equivalent to a category 1 hurricane, it picked up speed and intensity to wind of 100 mph making it to a category 2 equivalent on April 29. Cyclone Nargis made landfall on May 2, near the town of Wagon, Myanmar and moved inland but along the coast of the rich and densely populated Irrawaddy Delta. It had by then attained a peak wind of 135 mph (equivalent to a category 4) destroying everything in its path.

The very flat Irrawaddy Delta is especially vulnerable to the destruction coming from the sea

Trees, houses, people, everything living or non-living in its path were swept away. If not by the ferocious wind, then by the storm surge of above 7 meters (21 feet) sweeping up to 50 Kilometer (30 miles) up the delta. There was catastrophic devastation and it has been estimated that 138,000 lost their lives and 2.4 million people were severely affected. Some entire population of villagers was killed and wiped off the surface of the earth. Population and villagers just disappeared, never to be recovered. This was the worst natural disaster of Myanmar and caused untold sufferings long after the storm subsided.

The Cyclone Nargis is like a blind ferocious beast that attack everything in its path

Long after the storm subsided, there were trees were all over the land. The awesome power of Nargis uprooted 75 per cent of the trees in Yangon. It was estimated that more than 10,000 old-aged trees were downed of which 6,000 of them were up-righted and saved. Some of these trees were between 30 to 100 years old. Those trees that could not be saved were turned by sculptors into works of arts. More than 50,000 sculptures have been created, exhibitions were held and even a ‘sculpture village’ was created for the sculptors to work and to house these sculptures. Join me for Part II where I will showcase more examples of the fine sculptures.

A Naga (dragon) carved out from one of the fallen trees.

Below is a video of the destruction of the Cyclone Nargis. Please be warned that some of the images of this photo video are very graphic and may be disturbing. 

The Liebster Blog Award: 11 Answers for 11 Questions – Part I

I've had just enough time to...   receive an award for blogging!

It is not the Oscar but it will do, taken in Kuala Lumpur of a recycled statue

“A Thousand Reasons” was nominated for the Liebster Blog Award by Alena, a teacher of Belarusian language and literature who maintained an excellent blog “My Native Belarus” (please check it out). 

What is the Liebster Blog Award? “The Liebster Blog Award is given to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. “Liebster” is German for “favorite”. This award is the “favorite blog award” then. The rules for this one state that you answer the 11 questions asked of you by the Blogger who gave you this award.” 

Well, the Liebster Award is unfortunately not the Nobel Price or even Oscar of Blogging. (*smile*) If you are interested you can check out the Liebster Award’s origin in this very informative post of “Sopphey Says”. Still, it is nice to be recognized by a fellow blogger that your blog is one of her favourite. Thanks, Alena.

So in the spirit of things, I will answer these 11 questions in “A Thousand Reasons” traditional and unique way. An image and a former post (click the links) with explanations to answer each of the 11 questions. So here goes –

Living well in an imperfect world is my motto.

1. Your life motto?

I like what Mr. Spock does, lifts up one hand, divide his fingers and said “Live long and prosper” so I have a somewhat similar motto – “Live an interesting life”. If you can’t, then try to make it as interesting as you can wherever you are.

Why “The Beauty of Imperfection”?

Because it encompassed my principle of living an interesting life in an imperfect world. To take beauty where I find it, to look for it when it when it is not apparent to the casual eyes, and to know I will find it if I just look hard enough. To live instead of waiting only to find -

Alas, I realized too late –

I was only meant to live

Freedom is the ability to cross the road when you want to.

2. What do you mean the word "freedom"?

The first thing I learned in Economics is the differentiation between “Needs” and “Wants”. Needs are what is needed for survival. Wants are what we desire. To have true freedom, we must first be free of the essentials of need to survive. After that, freedom to me is the ability to do what I want without hurting others. And the freedom to not allow others to hurt me. Idealism such as freedom can only survive after the needs have been reasonably fulfilled.

Why “Why Did the Monkeys Cross the Road?”?

Because the monkeys have the freedom to do as they pleased including crossing or not crossing the road. But even they have to conform to the rules of the tribe and abide by them – freedom within boundary is the only true form of freedom or we are wilder than the monkeys.

The Minions know more about wardrobe than I do.

3. Name 5 things in your wardrobe, without which you cannot live.

I swear this is a more difficult question than “freedom”! For a man that is. For there is nothing in the wardrobe I cannot NOT live with except maybe one. Like the Minions Sang “Underwear! Like the moon and the star above, without them, naked I swear – underwear!”

Why “Minions Rule the World”?
Because they answered the difficult question more eloquently with a song than I can with words -

It is a miracle I found this Buddha by the wood in Munich

4. Do you believe in miracles?

I am not really a religious man. More spiritual than religious if you must. I don’t know if I believe in miracles. But I do pray for miracles to occur – mostly, to help someone beyond help. I am not even sure which God I prayed to but I prayed to him to deliver. It does not make me a believer should the miracle comes true, I do not blame Him when it doesn’t. If that makes me human or hypocritical, you are right.

Why “Buddha By The Wood”?
Because, the last thing I would expect to find why wandering in an apartment block in Munich; is –

When I found Buddha on a walk

In a distant land

By a pile of cut wood

Sitting there, serenely 

Where he belongs

The century old rain tree that soothes my heart.

5. What kind of tree you associate yourself?

The rain tree for I’m most at peace under its spreading branches and million tiny leaves. Whether when the sun blinks at me through the tiny leaves or when rain drops dripped down to soak me, I always feel a closeness with the rain trees more than any other trees.

Why “Saving the Rain Trees of Taiping?”

Because in it I wrote –

The trees soothe my heart with a gift of memory

That may not last as long as the trees

Only as long as I live…

These are the answers to the first 5 questions. Come back for the next 6 answers :)

The Sound Of Falling Leaves

I've had just enough time to...   listen to the sound of falling leaves...

Taken one chilly morning in the backstreet of The Rock, Sdyney

Leaves fall

The speed of tears

Smash the ground

Silently splash

Quivering echoes

Through silent streets

The Giant cries

Tears as many as leaves

Catching the mournful wind

Through skeletal branches

Till no more leaf is left to shed

Then deadly silence

Winter is here to stay

Sometimes you are sad. You may not be able to point out a single incident or even a number of incidents that are making you sad. They may have some effects but you know they should not make you as sad as you are. You are just sad. Stop looking for the reasons. Indulged in it for a while. A sad movie, a sad story or a sentimental song. Or a chat with an old friend, a long walk in the park, an evening by the sea. Do whatever works for you. Sadness prepare us for happier times. Just don't lay on It for too long. It may get so comfortable that you would not want to get up again.

Leaves Falling - Sound of Silence by Regon Kuo

The Imminent Destruction of the Creeping Forest.

I've had just enough time to...   shoot the Creeping Forest before its destruction

Shots of the Creeping Forest in the "Beautiful Island" 

That day was a Sunday. It was also the first day of the 2013 Chinese New Year and the start of the Year of the Water Snake. I woke up early and drove towards the factory where I worked on the island named “Beautiful Island”. I do not what they call it before they call it “Beautiful Island” for there is nothing very beautiful about it unless you love mud flats and mangrove swamps. But every day as I drove to and from work, I will look out to a stretch of land which I called the Creeping Forest.

Use your imaginations

It is one of the last few patches of wild land left on the island that is undergoing rapid expansion and I know its days are numbered when they began to widen the road near it. It may only be weeks or months before part or all of this stretch will be bulldozed over and I will only be left with the memories that amused me every day to work. I will not make the same mistake as when I procrastinated too long before taking shots of another idyllic part of the island. Now, it is just an ugly vacant lot for sales that has been left idle for the last two years.

To see the fantastical creatures

The traffic was very light on this very busy highway exactly as I planned. I will feel self-conscious if I were to stop my car on a normal day to take photos as many people who travel this road may recognize me. But on this day, if they are not celebrating the new year, they will be enjoying the holidays which last until Wednesday and all factories will be shut down during this period. There is no one to ask me questions that I do not want to answer. 

That dwell in this forest (I saw a Keelin here every time except today, sigh...)

About a few minutes before reaching the factory, I pulled over to the laterite shoulder of the highway, alighted from my car and took my shot. Unfortunately, the light this morning was too bright and not slanted enough for the shadows to bring out the best of the fantastical creatures. For the real beauty of the Creeping Forest is what you extract from it through your imaginations. And the weather (cloudy or bright), intensity of light, time of the day (especially in early morning or late evening), windy conditions all play a part but none as important as the imagination of the viewer. What each of us sees may be quite different from the other and on a special day of moving clouds, the transformation happened right before our very eyes.

Visible only to those with the "sights".

As I inched forward in my car to take shots from slightly different angles, a strange bird with a black band across its eyes like a robber flew to settle on a branch in the open not more than 10 yards away from me. I shot quickly afraid that it will fly away immediately but I should not have worried. It perched there comfortably and watched me for the whole duration. That is kind of a strange behavior for a bird so I chalked it as one getting unusual rewards for doing unusual things. 

Unsual rewards for doing unusual things or maybe this bird understands me

The creeping forest may just be wild trees with overgrown creepers to some but to me, it was something more, something much more. I know I am going to miss it when it is gone. So I made this post to remember it by. As I drove back to the house to begin the celebration of the New Year, I can’t help but wonder – am I the only driver who notices it and who feels this way?

I will miss it when it is gone...