On the move...
Nick adds a katak to Atisha's wall
Demo-
The group has sustained a pace of rapid motion over the past few days, and every one of them has been great. From our final days in Lhasa and day trips to Drigung Terdrum ani-gonpa (nunnery) and soaks in the crystal hot springs there, to morning strolls through the courtyards of the Norbulinka (summer palace of the Dalai Lamas), to cruising around modern Xining with our retinue of capable Amdo-wa friends, Phuntsok, Kunchok, Huajar, Tsering Bum (Caleb) and Jerome, we've been on the move. Rest has come in the form of enlightening lectures and discussions on the contemporary art scene in Lhasa with Emory University's Leigh Miller-Sangster and founding artists of the significant Gendun Choephel Artist's Guild in Lhasa to, as Berkley mentioned, afternoon conversations on the ethnic identities and unique religious and linguistic traditions of the Amdo Tibetan region of Qinghai Province, particularly of the Repkong area, with Kevin Stuart and his students of the successful English Training Program at Qinghai Normal University.
This will be our final morning here in Xining, a city on the north-eastern cusp of the Tibetan cultural region which stands in stark contrast to the Lhasa capital of the Tibetan plateau. After noon we'll make our way south down the Yellow River gorge to the Rongpo Valley, and settle down in Repkong/Tongren town for the night. After touring some of the thangka workshops and metal smitheries tomorrow morning we'll move in with our homestay families in the nearby village of Gomar. As independent art studies commence with this change of location, we'll also find our daily pace slow to a more casual momentum more consistent with that of the village life.
So, things continue to go well, we're glad to be here, and excited for the changes to come.
Demo-
Galen