Sandy Chandler: Bali Island of Odalan

Photo © Sandra Chandler -All Rights Reserved
A third-time participant in my photo-expeditions (The Gnawa in Morocco, Tribes of Rajasthan & Gujarat, and Bali Island of Odalan), Sandra Chandler is a photographer and interior designer based in San Francisco. She tells us that color, smells and sounds drew her to world travel. Her city's Asian culture first enticed her to China in 1978 when the People’s Republic first opened. She then continued her exploration of Asia by traveling to Bhutan, India, Japan, Singapore, Nepal, Thailand, Tibet, and on to South America and Europe.

The above photograph was made at one of the many odalan anniversary celebrations in Bali during our trip. The musicians play traditional instruments such as the gamelan, and are called upon to perform at many functions, including weddings and cremations.

Photo © Sandra Chandler -All Rights Reserved
The above photograph was made during the Legong dance perfomance at the Ubud Place, and is of the Baris. The Baris is a traditional war dance of the island, in which a male dancer depicts the feelings of a young warrior prior to battle.

Photo © Sandra Chandler -All Rights Reserved
This photograph was made at an odalan held in a forest setting, near the village of Birta. Here, female pemangku are surrounded by incense (known as dupa) smoke used to appease the spirits and accompany offerings at all temple ceremonies.

Photo © Sandra Chandler -All Rights Reserved
The adorable grand-daughter of a wayang kulit (shadow puppet master) was a willing subject for Sandy's lens. We spent about 3 hours at the home of I Wayan Martha, the shadow puppeteer, in Sukawati where he and his assistants gave us a private performance of this traditional Javanese/Balinese tradition.

Sandy also published a book ‘Carnevale, Fantasy of Venice' of her beautiful photographs of Venice and its magical Carnevale.

Moises Saman: Iraq's Final Resting Places

Photo © Moises Saman/NYTimes-All Rights Reserved
A compelling photo essay titled Iraq's Final Resting Places by Moises Saman appeared in The New York Time's web edition. Probably as a sort of commemoration for the so-called official end of conflict in Iraq, the photo essay documents the graves and tombs of the thousands of unknown Iraqis killed since the invasion of 2003.

The Iraqi Interior Ministry estimates that 72,124 were killed since 2003, while at the morgue, it's estimated that at least 100,000 have yet to be identified. Other estimates differ in their calculations, but some reach over 1 million Iraqi civilian deaths since 2003.

Coincidentally, an op-ed by Paul Wolfowitz also appeared in the same edition, calling for the United States to stay true to its "commitment" to Iraq. You'd think these people would disappear in the holes from whence they came, but no...they still don't accept responsibility for our country going to war on false information.

We all know that Wolfowitz was a member of the cabal who vociferously influenced the Bush administration to invade Iraq on false pretenses. We also recall that Wolfowitz was acrimoniously removed from his post at the IMF because of shenanigans involving his girlfriend's pay.

If there was true justice in this world, I'd love to see Wolfowitz at the Cemetery of Martyrs in Najaf, and explain to Muhammad Jassem's mother, aunts and sisters (in the above photograph) why he was killed....and then do the same with the 4000+ US families who lost a family member in Iraq.

Musicians Sealed In The Castel Of Salerno

Oh yes, it's a terrible story about the destiny of some persons that lived in the castel of Salerno. I'll show it to you, all in the photos I've made just some days ago, on August 27. :-)))

The castel of Salerno was created to control the territory from the highest place over the town and it was used mostly for the defence. All the plan of the fortress that included the understanding town is so efficient that it was not necessary to live in the castel. The princes went only when it was necessary there, I think.

Some years ago the castel was repaired and now it's a splendid place where to go for a walk -with typical plants of the zone, some species of animals, normally living in the wild places here, and views that literally make you forget everything.

On the photo is the port of Salerno with a cruise ship in it and the Amalfi coast in the background.

The castel gave hospitality to a Festival of the classic music this year, and they decided to close musicians in the rooms of it. One artist told a love story of a princess Liutpranda to the guests and they were guided through the rooms, accompained by the classic and medieval music. There were many journalists, TV and many persons that wanted to partecipate on this event. Many of the guests, we too, thought, it will be a guided visit of the castel, but they wanted to present the musicians in this special way.

We wanted to see the castel before the show began and understood the idea of the presentation after we saw these strange cloistered artists:







They like to close the artists, the responsables for the tourism in the municipality of Salerno, you know. Some years ago they closed painters in a Cistersian monastery for a month. The painters had to create their artworks and than they could go out from the cloister.
You had to see those opuses! I think, they did not give them to eat too. Or maybe invented other kind of torture. At least it was the impression after I've seen what the painters created in that month.