Category Archives: Curiosities

Tourist Bewilderment Devices


Antony Gormley, the artist who produced the Angel of the North, photo above, is currently showing tourist bewilderment devices (TBDs) on roof tops in London…

The installation, called Event Horizon, consists of 31 sculptures cast from the artist’s own body. Gormley’s clone army will be placed atop buildings and public walkways in Westminster, Lambeth and Camden. Gormley told the BBC he wanted “to recognise that…over 50% of the human population on this planet now live within the city…a totally constructed humanly made environment and what that means.”

If you are in London there is an exhibition of Antony Gormley’s work, titled Blind Light, at the South Bank Center. The event ends August 19th.

See also Another Place, Crosby Beach, Liverpool.

Apparently in a documentary Antony Gormley indicated he has a background interest in Buddhism. I’m starting to warm to art in the landscape.

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Carlos and Fernando

This news story from Guardian Unlimited, Gay flamingos adopt abandoned chick caught my eye! Hope you enjoy reading about these two characters as much as I have.

A pair of gay flamingos have become foster parents after taking an abandoned chick under their wings. Carlos and Fernando had been so desperate to start a family that they had resorted to stealing eggs at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) in Slimbridge, Gloucestershire. Read on…

All credit to Jonny of Do They Hurt for this link. Thanks.

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Ode to Brian

Brian is our postman; he works for the Royal Mail and wears a snappy uniform. We see him driving his little red van all over the valley and he always waves when he passes one of us out for a walk. He probably waves to everybody he sees, it might be part of the job. This time of year he arrives later than usual, perhaps two hours later. There’s obviously more post to deliver around Christmas and New Year. He has been our postman for as long as I can remember, he is almost part of the family now. I noticed that there was a greetings card marked ‘Brian’ set out with the mail; I guess somebody will post it to him in person.

This is the way of things in rural England. The postman (or woman) is a life-line especially for people living in out of the way places like our valley. For many people the postman is the only person they will see in a day. I knew a woman in South Wales who baked every morning for the postman and entertained him daily with tea and jam tarts, amazing! So this is not just a person who delivers a fist full of letters and the odd parcel and leaves, oh no. Postage stamps can be ordered, paid for and delivered next day, medical prescriptions can be delivered and frequently are. On some rural routes there is a Post Bus which delivers mail and ferries people to the local town. What a service! For years we even had two delivers each day, mid-day and evening.

Hand written letters and cards with personal greetings are a treat to receive. So I’d better get stuck into writing some more before it’s time to turn in. Reaching out doesn’t take a lot however it can carry meaning far beyond what one might imagine, for example the card from America from my dear niece. I walked down the yard casually reading the return address on the back of the envelope. Karen? Who’s this from? I don’t know a Karen in America do I? Oh Yes, this time of year reminds me that I do still have relatives and however distant they may be; they still have a place in my life.

The Royal Mail has been around for ever. At the bottom of our lane we have a mail box set into a stone wall. The opening is just too small to accept a CD case, so no joy there. However the last pick up is 5.15 pm which is really handy as that mail could be delivered in London next morning. It’s an antique judging from the inscription. Modern boxes have ER (for Elizabeth Regina) molded into the cast iron, this one has GR. George I’d guess, George Rex. Too bad we didn’t have a King called Brian!

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Amitofu and Answering the Telephone

I have had a rare day of being in one place, sitting behind the computer here at the city temple, answering email and writing for this Blogger. Now and then the phone rings in the office and Dur Ann usually is here to answer it. Having heard her answer the phone I dared to do it myself when she was not here…”Way”, “Amitofu”… and that is far as I got!

Amitofu is the Chinese name for Amitabha Buddha (Amida Buddha in Japan) the Buddha of Infinate Light, also known as the Buddha of the Western paradise in the Pure Land Tradition. Amitofu is the universal greeting when Buddhist do absolutely anything in China and Taiwan, Amitofu crosses language barriers, fills in pauses in conversations, covers confusions while making interminable arrangements (which change constantly by the way) and any rifts that come as a result of social interactions. (here comes dinner with Dur Ann, she is chanting Amitofu, of course!) I have witnessed Dur Ann repeat Amitofu, Amitofu to animals and even fish in one temple garden! She just keeps on repeating Amitofu, Amitofu. I did once wonder if she thought it might stop a dog going for her although probably not! At the monastery where we stayed the night before last I had the opportunity to join in the evening chanting. I was so glad I had listened to the Amitofu, Amitofu etc. etc. etc. chant before. Having heard it, and sang along with it too in the past, repeated over and over (there is a tune) made it possible for me to join in with confidence as we walked around and around in procession in the main hall at this small nuns temple and university. The master of this temple teaches the nuns English there.

Dur Ann does her chanting on her own two, perhaps three, times a day for about one hour. She plays a tape and practices using the musical instruments. She just showed me the small shrine room where she does that. Rising for her is at 5.00 am and I am not sure if she does seated meditation and chanting or just chanting. We have grown close during this week together.

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Keep off the Grass.

Temples are a major focus for devout Buddhist and there are fist-fulls of incense constantly being offered. I rather liked these simple notices which are the equivalent of “Keep off the grass” with a Buddhist sentiment attached.

Found in the temple grounds.

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