I think of myself as an image collector, hence the title. The closest I come to a selfie is usually a shot of my shadow. I try to get at least one wherever I go. This one is actually just outside Mandalay, last October.
Tag Archives: Mandalay
Grinding Out Buddhas
In the marble carving district of Mandalay, this young man and dozens like him spend their days covered in marble dust. Most of the Buddhas carved here are destined for wealthy monasteries in China. The workers, on the other hand, will likely never leave Mandalay.
Gold Pounders Making Music In Mandalay
Millions of Buddhists across Southeast Asia display their devotion by adding small bits of gold leaf to statues of the Buddha, some of which are venerated beyond recognition, with several inches of gold coating them. Much of this gold leaf is manufactured by hand in Mandalay. A small ingot is first rolled through a press, then pounded paper thin by young men with wooden mallets. Then it is cut into squares by women in the next room, layered between paper, and pounded again. The process is repeated, I believe three times, to produce the very thin leaf which can be bought and applied to the Buddha of one’s choice. I was particularly taken by the melodic rhythm produced by the mallets.
Bicycle At The Temple
If you’ve known me a while, you probably know that I like to photograph bicycles wherever I am. Here’s one
near my hotel in Mandalay.
One Bad Ass Monk
He used to be a champion kick-boxer, and those tattoos were made with bamboo splinters, not some pansy machine.
davidscottmoyer 