tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post6905171946617333400..comments2024-02-04T01:37:53.246-08:00Comments on Mountain Phoenix over Tibet: A Comment to “Two songs about Tibetan unity” on High Peaks Pure EarthMountain Phoenixhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01726933027905675503noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-12768460288967873702012-04-15T03:18:48.205-07:002012-04-15T03:18:48.205-07:00Actually, I've been thinking some more and dec...Actually, I've been thinking some more and decided that my western fashion show analogy doesn't quite do the people and their situation justice. In some areas of Tibet, especially in the east, for many people collecting jewelry is part of the way of life and something some people aspire to do, a bit like how people in industrialised countries might want to build up a stock or property portfolio during their lives, that will be left behind to their descendants once they are gone. I guess when you live in a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle and want to store your wealth, you need something valuable and portable. It's simple really, for such people jewelry is extremely important. In parts of Kham and Amdo it seems it's a very old tradition that opening or closing ceremonies of festivals can feature shows of men, women and children under mountains of eye-poppingly valuable ornaments, apparently belonging to their families. Seems to be still popular in conservative and traditional areas, like at the end of this Losar celebration in Golok http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rxq_F8pKJxU&feature=youtube_gdata_player The exact opposite of what you see at western fashion shows, these ceremonial costume styles go back centuries or longer, and are the heritage of specific regions and townships<br /><br />Jewels and ornaments don't bring shelter or education or build prosperity for a nation, but neither do other forms of art. Whether visitors or residents, people in Rome, Paris or London cherish experiencing the art galleries and the orchestras. Jewelry and ceremonial costumes are one of the artistic flourishings of Tibetan cultureCuckoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-83610815020127410662012-03-23T00:16:51.394-07:002012-03-23T00:16:51.394-07:00Dear Cuckoo
The comparison with Western fashion sh...Dear Cuckoo<br />The comparison with Western fashion shows and some of their unwearable creations you point out is really good! Looking at it from that angle, I get the idea of the Tibetan clothes presented at events like the Khampa Arts Festival. Not that I have become fond of them now, taste is still subjective, but I get the idea better. I especially appreciate your last remark about people getting food for thought from my blog. If it's doing that, it would be absolutely wonderful. <br />Mountain PhoenixMountain Phoenixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01726933027905675503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-8361108548351496372012-03-20T15:30:20.824-07:002012-03-20T15:30:20.824-07:00Hi I just read this post and really enjoyed it. I...Hi I just read this post and really enjoyed it. I love your nuanced writing and want to keep reading through the rest of your posts. Hopefully I will absorb some of your wisdom and discernment (I need it).<br /><br />You mentioned the Khampa Arts Festivals, which I’ve seen a lot of photos from and wanted to comment something here. Yeah it’s utterly pompous, nobody could deny that, but most fashion shows around the world involve taking decoration to unrealistic, almost fantasy extremes. What I like about the fashion shows in Tibetan festivals is that the people in them come representing many Tibetan towns and regions – the individuality of Palyul, Dardo, Derge, Sershul, Sertar and so on and very visually represented at the Khampa Arts Festival.<br /><br />I totally understand that some people really do not like the sight of people dressed up so ostentatiously. Still, a lot of people in eastern Tibet do like this kind of fashion. I think about how like how piercings and tattoos are hated by many westerners but then others are crazy about them. Personally I enjoy the spectacle (the Khampa Arts Festival costumes), but I totally respect and understand why anyone would either dislike or hate them. It’s a tradition that some locals want to continue, also the government knows it’s good for tourism, so I expect it to continue.<br /><br />I’m sure you noticed that the footage in the background of the Trungtrung Karmo video you posted in this post is from the 4th Khampa festival’s fashion show. I found pictures from it here, they made me ‘whoa’. I suspect you might really dislike them, but I post them for information purposes. http://www.cqwx.net/thread-87020-1-1.html , http://www.mala.cn/thread-58646-3-1.html<br /><br />Keep up the exceptional writing, I’m sure you know that on most blogs only about 1 in 100 loyal readers actually leave a comment, so there's a big crowd of people out there getting food for thought from what you write here.Cuckoonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-36466332542535180022011-08-22T11:15:12.286-07:002011-08-22T11:15:12.286-07:00I bought this cd in Chengdu after going into a rec...I bought this cd in Chengdu after going into a record store in the Tibetan district saying Amdo, VCD NO! This was one of the few cds they had, and it's been one of my favourite cds ever since. So funny in the store, they pointed at Sherten and nodded approving, Amdo! ;-)<br /><br />If you could translate all the names that would be awesome, I've looked up Sherten, Yadon,postvänsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17845045403725671537noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-33485423695429401152011-07-01T05:11:42.004-07:002011-07-01T05:11:42.004-07:00Hi
I think the reason sherten uses doktsa chigdri...Hi <br />I think the reason sherten uses doktsa chigdril over and over again is in my view a response to the factional infighting which took place in late 2009 in tibetan parliament Dharamsala and nothing to do with us uniting under china. Far from it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-272671612382690632011-02-04T19:16:34.493-08:002011-02-04T19:16:34.493-08:00I went ahead and posted The Stainless Life videos ...I went ahead and posted The Stainless Life videos on yuotube.<br /><br />There are several very good songs there, and they deserve to be heard.<br /><br />I can't read or typeset tibetan though, so if someone comments with names of singers and musicians I'll gladly add that info.World Roofhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t6PDycp7Chonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-11192995327278884812010-09-28T10:51:33.484-07:002010-09-28T10:51:33.484-07:00I am a devoted fan of your blog! thanks for writin...I am a devoted fan of your blog! thanks for writing!! I've downloaded Norsang's song and look forward to improving my Tibetan further via song :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-61517093571724040352010-09-17T13:50:06.833-07:002010-09-17T13:50:06.833-07:00Thank you Mountain Phoenix for this fantastic resp...Thank you Mountain Phoenix for this fantastic response to our music videos! We really enjoyed reading your thoughts and will definitely look into the other songs you have mentioned as well.<br /><br />As for the title "Mentally Return", we took the words "sems" to mean "mind" and "log 'phebs" to return. It struck us that the song was very much about inner feelings and emotions, hence this "mental return" that really wouldn't be possible in the physical realm - the kind that we explained in the introduction. <br /><br />As you captured so beautifully in your blogpost, the singers are very much expressing their feelings of unity and love of their homeland which is something they feel in their hearts and minds, so that's why this title seemed most appropriate in terms of encapsulating the meaning behind the lyrics. That was just the thinking behind this particular translation but of course it's always open to interpretation and we gladly accept corrections or alternatives for all our translation work.<br /><br />Very best wishes and do keep writing.High Peaks Pure Earthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15723535729826799227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7304792190086448127.post-16298445334627830742010-09-17T08:27:37.739-07:002010-09-17T08:27:37.739-07:00fabulous article, great writing, nuanced thoughts....fabulous article, great writing, nuanced thoughts. thank you mountain phoenix. i especially loved your musings on how you might have changed the title, etc. while you obviously loved the song. i on the other hand love the amdo 'yayayaya' sound at the end of the line... how different personal tastes can be!Tendorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15785631092962247011noreply@blogger.com