vaga #6/5 goodbye Thamel

PART V

I usually write in the order as things happen to me and this is another time

Walking through Thamel, one day I stopped at a small kiosk to buy cigarettes, it was a square with a small stupa, and two boys drinking beers at the entrance of the kiosk, they asked me where I am from, and there was a very lively conversation sharing a cigarette with them, they had never met anyone from Chile, and it aroused their curiosity,  then I joined them later with a beer, the conversation was pleasant and fun. Them, with their comments and curiosity and me, curious as always, we asked questions back and forth. We will have spent an hour outside the kiosk. There I found out that they were Art students, !!! plop !!! so much that I wanted to know about that !!!. I told them, I'm an artist and the enthusiasm of both parties was ignited. Then, one went to buy some skewers, and we sat inside the kiosk it was almost impossible to sit between bottles and boxes, I realised that they were acquaintances of the owner, who joined us and took out some strange liquour that we shared. Within two hours of all this, I was taken to the nearby art school down some alleys. A narrow building in good condition, of course I would never have found it. I was introduced to the Master and saw in general what they did as jobs, I was already tired of the excitement, beers and rare liquor. When I said goodbye they offered to help me and take me home since I was walking around with a somewhat heavy bag, I think it was things from the supermarket. I said no, no problem, but they were so enthusiastic that it was impossible for me to say no. I wondered if it is good for them to know where I lived, out of apprehension that they could return every day for whatever it is, and I could not get them off my back, I took the chance, pure intuition. We arrived at my house after about a 20 minutes walk, there was just manager  Khem at the entrance, seeing me with the guys he put on a cross face. We arranged to meet in two more days at the school to meet other Masters. Khem spoke to me harshly, how could I have brought those guys, who are going to take advantage of you, they will tell you  that their family is in bad shape and if you can help with a sack of rice, money for medication for grandma and that kind of thing. Khem, I was totally broken, we were already friends, he took care of me and always did, and I was very grateful. I told him that they were art students, as I am an artist I was interested in their friendship. He didn't tell me anything, but please to be careful to get involved in some family drama. I went back to the school two days later, and was calmer I saw their artwork and there was another Master, about my age, who didn't speak any English. He explained the artwork to me in Nepali and tried to sell me some art since the school lives on that, on sales and donations, more than money from the students. I explained that I don't buy anything, it's hard for everyone to understand that, I gave a donation in rupees. The boys I don't know what they said in Nepali to him, they talked to him for a long time and always enthusiastically until he called his son on the phone, he did speak English. I talked to him, he told me to meet at school in another two days to talk, then I found out that he was also a master. Then the guys took me to eat something it was already four in the afternoon. We went through some alleys, a labyrinth of alleys no more than a meter wide that I would never enter on my own, I got somewhat apprehensive as we went even deeper, one because I could not leave alone, in short I followed my intuition and let myself go. We arrived at a den, a small and dark house, full of smoke where there were about 5 small and full tables, we got into the end with difficulty between the tables until we found the only free one. They told me there was good and cheap food. There we ate, they asked for something to share. Suddenly my time as a student came to me, how many times I went to places like this with teachers, assistants, classmates after classes, the taste of Bohemia returned to me instantly, and I began to enjoy everything in full; cigarettes, smoke, beers, laughter, you talk almost shouting the atmosphere just like I've been to in Chile, but now in Nepal and it feels the same. Obviously I paid for everything, and as they said it was too cheap. They were very poor, they came from India to study at that school because of its reputation. Suny, one of them insisted that I have lunch one day with his sister who also lives in Thamel, he lives with her, he told me that she would cook for me and asked me what I preferred to eat, if Nepali or Indu food, but he insisted that the Indu was the best thing she cooked and describes very strange things she would cook.... that remained to be seen. In the end I got out of it, everything was so intense, I no longer had the skin, between entanglements to communicate, one ends up exhausted, plus foods so strange and spicy. The time had come to retire, which I have always known how to do, to retire at the right time I never stay until the end. They will go on with their lives alone. Suny, very correctly took me out of the maze until I knew where I was and able to return home. I went back to the school on the day agreed with the eldest master's son. A short character, very skinny and with a curious look, he already knew that I was an artist. The boys entering the room would bow and call him "master here and master there" in English, I felt how they respected him more than the other masters, and then I found out that he had been their personal tutor for 5 years. I was intimidated to know who I was in front of  since the great respect for that master was felt by them more than by tradition. The very circumspect master showed me drawings on the table, explained the techniques, gave me a magnifying glass to appreciate the work, the mandalas, mantras, and I always asked about everything, materials, paper, their meanings, always entangled and impossible to absorb them all, however, I showed my admiration for his work. This lasted about an hour and from him, I learned something amazing. They have 10 years of study, before graduating, they graduate when several Masters approve it and only then can they sign their artwork, and they become recognised artists. Many of these canvasses of art are sold to tourists in the streets, but they do not have a signature, they are not worth it, the tourist on the other hand does not know much about the value of a signature, I did not know it either. Certain more sophisticated stores that I did see that have these works at another price, although at first glance the artworks look the same. The signature is what it is worth for connoisseurs. Ten years of study, more than an engineer who makes sure that a bridge or a building does not fall, or a doctor, I was left thinking about it for several days and I had to ask again and again in case I did not understand correctly, and yes, it is ten years before being able to sign. In the signature is the name of the artist plus the word Lama. The most educated and wealthy Chinese Buddhists bought them, their market was for scholars who wanted to have the work of "Lama".

Lama, in Tibetan Buddhist culture means "teachers", "spiritual guide", "authority in doctrine". The Lama is thus a spiritual director on which the initiate will rely to be able to achieve enlightenment. For this, the disciple must offer complete submission to the teacher, always under a very close relationship. (text taken from Google) Lamas belong to different lineages and some may become authorities of their monastic communities and in the field of art they are recognized.

With the boys that we had already shared for three days, we laughed a lot at each other, even though they were aware that the teacher was in the room. He watched from his table. In between, the boys showed me their drawings, I asked them if I could take photos of them with their works. They more than quickly told me -we want a photo with you-, and hence more laughter, and photos. The teacher already got up from his chair and wanted to appear in the photos, between the laughter I put my hat on him, which he laughed, joining the photos and laughing. The students enjoyed seeing their teacher relaxed, playing with the hat, laughing, it was in a unique situation, special for them than for me. You could feel the affection they had taken me and I for them. They invited me to spend the next day, for a short while how they told me, regardless it was a Hindu festival of several days and that is why they were not in classes or rather each one working on his work. I came back because they asked me to, but I had already learned everything and I did not want to be a bad wave in refusing. They were waiting for me there, they had a gift for me. A work of art by the master and signed "Lama", I was speechless, I get shy, in those situations. No, he couldn't accept it. That work, which I already knew, is worth about 1,500 dollars, they are 1,500 dollars that they stop receiving and that the school works for a few months with that money. I thought to myself that I could not carry it in the suitcase traveling the world, nor where to put it anywhere, it complicated me. At his insistence, I humbly accepted it and thanked it with recollection (Peter, when he visited me in December, he took it to Chile) and there is the historical photo, ……. what can I say……...

Gyan Dhoj Lama, his name, was totally hooked on me. He asked me for my whatsapp to exchange the photos, which I did, I was leaving in a few days from Nepal. He asked me that when I return (in December to meet Peter) that we please get together for lunch. He intrigued me because it is not his lifestyle, much less going out to eat with a female tourist. I felt indebted for his gift and curious about him as well as the interest he showed me. At the end of December I returned to Nepal, I called him and we had lunch. I thought we would talk about art, perhaps curious about my work, I was prepared to share it, so many differences, one without symbols, only color, abstractions, composition etc ... and without meaning for them. But he didn't ask about that and I didn't impose myself with my things. It was a dinner of few words, he showed me a photo of his 5-year-old daughter, and he told me something about his father and grandfather who are artists, who began to draw at 4 years old and what the family tradition is like for generations of artists, They have almost no other choice but to continue in that, they are "the chosen ones." In the end he told me why not to visiting his village, where his mother is alone since her father lived in Kathmandu as a superior teacher in a strict hierarchy. .. !!! plop. !!! I always say yes and then I evaluated it and in this case more because everything looked very tangled. A whole chapter of my visit to his village is coming, it was extraordinary.

The photos inside the school are very deficient since there were very powerful phosphorescent tubes to be able to see the details and without natural light, the rooms were too small to take distance, however, they give an idea at least.

Tibetan art refers to the art of Tibet. For thousands of years, Tibetan artists have played a key role in the cultural life of Tibet. From the designs of painted furniture to the murals elaborated in religious buildings, practically present in all facets of life. Specifically, Tibetan Buddhism contains Tantric Buddhism, also known as Vajrayana Buddhism. Most Tibetan Buddhist art can be seen in paintings on canvas or murals. Structurally, sacred space (the centre of the Universe and support of concentration) is represented as a circle inscribed within a quadrangular shape. From the cardinal axes, the internal parts or regions of the mandala-circle are usually sectorised. The mandal figures are due to the fact that the concentric forms suggest an idea of perfection – of equidistant with respect to a centre – and that the perimeter of the circle evokes the eternal return of the cycles of Nature and can thus be seen to be reincarnation, the eternal return.

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They incorporate many visions or imaginations during meditation, and most of the elaborate tantric art can be seen as aiding these visions, from depictions of meditation deities. A striking aspect of Tantric Buddhism is the common depiction of angry deities, often depicted with angry faces, with circles of fire, or with skulls of the dead. These images depict the protectors and their terrible appearance conceals their true compassionate nature. In reality, his anger represents his dedication to protecting the teaching of Buddhism and its mantras, as well as protecting specific tantric practices to prevent corruption or disruption of practice.

the following photos show students starting their studies, and I saw a young woman, I was surprised, they copy previous images, which are easier than mandalas and what they told me they make "modern drawings", they practice before moving on to mandalas, they sell them, even without signatures.

of sacred art, I can have no judgment on that, for the 10 years of studies, they are supposed to become Lama; spiritual, meditation through drawing, practising mantras. It is like so many centuries painting in the West only dedicated to religious images, it has always been a way of teaching doctrine and for a while you could only paint that or only be able to expose those. Creativity as we know it in the twentieth century, in this school is not. But if there is contemporary art and I had the possibility to go to an opening with a Nepalese friend outside Thamel.

my meeting with my artist friends the last photo was of the brother of one of the boys who had been kicked out of school, after several years for having problems with alcohol.

ANOTHER RANDOM DAY

Unlike the other festivity, "vaga #6, "namaste Thamel", IV, here I heard music in the streets and there I left with curiosity in front of me I found a procession along the same street of the previous festivity towards Durbar Square. It was impossible to photograph, there was no space in the crowd. They went in compartmentalised groups, each group with its own music, cymbals, drums of the most diverse types. There were many dressed in costumes, dancing one by one or in groups. Others carried the large photo of a woman, surely a dead woman and revered by her children. Some with incense lit. Between music that overlaps, dances, the faithful in an attitude of recollection, children and adults in disguise, pedestrians continue in the middle with their chores outside the festivity, vendors, observers. There was a lot of energy, joy, impossible not to get infected. I was there for about 4 hours, and without children, so I arranged all the time to fit my interests, in this case, the chaos of Thamel. It was very hot. In the end I reached the square among the groups. I saw some local spectators above a not very tall temple that was in ruins and protected by some barriers that I had seen before, and I was not far behind of course. I climbed with difficulty and what better view from that height. You could only see on a very narrow street that passed smaller groups, without dancers, composed of a couple of people, but all with umbrellas, festive umbrellas, very well produced, large and beautiful.

Again I just figured out what festivity it was with the help of Gopal. "Gai Jatra", and again from the Newar community of the previous holiday. It is a festival of dance, dance and joy that is celebrated in Kathmandu. A centuries-long tradition when a king made this festival for the queen to enjoy watching it as it passes. There is no longer a ruling monarchy, but the tradition remained. It also commemorates the family members who have died in that year.

If I summarise the two festivities, one; the festival of the reds, and this one is the festival of music and umbrellas.

observers and more umbrellas, these are from the observers of the place where I settled at the end, from a ruined temple

and when the festivity was ending and the square began to empty, and I thought it was finished , when I found myself in this situation. A young woman took her sacred cow to the square, people gave her blessings, gave her carrots, threw rice and flowers at her, came to touch her. I also learned that was the day the cows are honoured.

I end up with other inhabitants of Thamel. Impossible to ignore, they are part of the landscape, they are everywhere, and I did not make friends with them, but I learned to tolerate them. This particular little mouse was during the holiday, in a hole between the earthen tiles watching and accidentally rice and flowers came to him as unexpected offerings.