Arbore Woman in her Doorway With her shaved head and layers of beads, this young Arbore woman was an arresting sight as she peered out from her family hut.
Another year has rolled around…
I normally head for the fresh air of the Alpine slopes this time of year, but we spent this New Year’s Eve at home blanketed in smoke, with out-of-control fires raging on three sides. The roads to the mountains were unsafe, and there is no fresh air to be had there either as fires blaze through bushland, taking animal habitats and historic villages with them.
It has been a trying time here in Eastern Australia, with loss of life and inordinate loss of property. My country is in the midst of a firestorm and people are in shock.
But, we are still lucky.
The volunteer fire-fighters have worked around the clock – some for months now – to mitigate the damage. Communities are pulling together to shelter and comfort those who have lost everything, and local businesses are delivering hot food to evacuees camped out in safer areas. Spirits remain strong.
And, we are lucky that – whether through insurance, government support, or the generosity of neighbours and strangers alike – families and communities will rebuild.
This makes me reflect on communities I’ve visited where people have (and are mostly happy with) so much less!
A couple of years ago, I spent a morning in an Arbore village in the Omo Valley. The people there – part of the Cushitic peoples and language group – seemed happy and wise; kind and welcoming. Of course, this hard to say for certain with no common language! In direct contrast to many of the other ethnic groups in the region who have fearsome and aggressive reputations, the Arbore are considered a peaceful and cooperative people.
What I can say from observation is that outside of a few cooking pots, the odd shawl, skirt, and blanket, and copious beads and bangles, these people have almost nothing in the way of personal possessions. They value their cattle, sheep, and goats and live on these and modest agriculture.
Come explore:
Arbore Village The grass-and-stick houses and compounds might be simple, but they are brushed clean and tidy.
Animal Pen Livestock is critical to a good livelihood, and is kept protected in a thorn-bush corral.
Animal Pen It is seven in the morning, and the surrounds are soon lit in a warm glow.
Old Arbore Woman Once women are married, they stop shaving their heads: their customary hairstyle consists of tightly woven braids.
Arbore Women The temperature has not yet started to climb, and the women are wrapped against the morning chill.
Arbore Man The men sport colourful beads and closely-cropped hair.
Young Arbore Shepherd Men commonly wrap a white cloth around their heads. This young shepherd was delightfully engaging; one can only wonder what he would do with his life if his horizons were broader!
Arbore Family There is a feeling of space here, with the mountains stretching into the distance. Traditionally, Arbore have practiced slash and burn agriculture – moving to new lands as needed.
Man with his Headrest Most men carry a wooden headrest which doubles as a stool.
Man with a Stick These people have an unselfconscious grace about them; …
Arbore Man … they seem so comfortable in front of the camera!
Old Man What stories lie behind these weathered faces?
Mother and Child It’s a simple life – but not an easy one.
Arbore Woman
Wise Woman So much time and wisdom in these old faces.
“Bloom Where You are Planted” Like the rest of her village, eight year old Gniro seemed perfectly at home, living a life I can barely imagine.
Young Gniro was the perfect dilemma: a girl who has almost nothing in the way of possessions but who seems happy, and who seems bright enough to master any environment, but who was limited to the one she was raised in. Of course, if she was initiated into our world, she might no longer fit into hers, and she would learn to value ‘things’.
Looking at her face is a useful reminder to me, as I face the possible loss of my ‘things’ in the approaching firestorm.
[…] These questions were too big for my short visit! I was with photographer Ben McRae, as part of a small-group Piper Mackay Photo-Tour, and we were all doing our best to have a meaningful engagement – without the benefit of a common language – with these delightful people. I’ve shared some of the pictures I took previously (see: Portraits in an Arbore Village). […]ReplyCancel
[…] Portraits; and Morning Portraits), Daasanach (see: A Visit to the Daasanach) and Arbore (e.g.: Portraits in an Arbore Village; and Arbore Village Portraits) […]ReplyCancel
“Ferry Cross the Mersey” The buildings of Pier Head retreat into the distance as we cross the Mersey with the flag flying and Gerry & The Pacemakers ringing in our ears: this is Liverpool.
Liverpool: hometown of The Beatles and so many other popular musicians that the city boasts more No. 1 hit singles than any other in the world; home to the top-tier English football club that is so renowned that I have seen their red-and-white t-shirts in some of the most remote corners of the globe; site of the second highest number of listed buildings in the United Kingdom, including the elegant ‘Three Graces’: the Royal Liver Building, the Cunard Building and the Port of Liverpool Building on Pier Head…
… and, my birthplace.
I left when I was very young, but it is always a joy to return, and to explore a little of what this multi-layered city has to offer.
The last time I visited, I had my husband and my son with me – and it was with some pride I spent a day walking around some of the more iconic sites.
Come share them with us!
Billy Fury on Albert Dock Billy Fury, Liverpool-born singer and actor from the late 1950s to the mid 1960s, and songwriter into the 1980s, was England’s answer to Elvis. He equalled The Beatles’ record of 24 hits in the 1960s, but died young as a consequence of rheumatic fever contracted in childhood.
Edmund Gardner Pilot Ship Sitting where the River Mersey meets the Irish Sea, Liverpool has a long and proud history as a sea port. After almost 30 years service as a pilot cutter, the cheerfully painted Edmund Gardner has retired to dry dock opposite the Maritime Museum.
Waiting: The Monument to the Liverpool Working Horse This wonderful sculpture by British sculptor Judy Boyt is a fitting tribute to the 250 years that horses were used to move goods to and from Liverpool docks and businesses.
Superlambanana Liverpudlians have a quirky sense of humour! The original four-inch Superlambanana, designed by New York City-based Japanese artist Taro Chiezo, was intended to be a cross between a banana and a lamb: a warning against genetic engineering and a nod to two of the common goods that moved through the docks. Today, multiple large, colourfully painted, replicas are scattered around the city.
Pier Head It is said that the ‘Three Graces’ on the Pier Head dock survived the war because they were so identifiable and were used by German bombers as a reference point. Here, the Port of Liverpool Building is in the foreground, with the Cunard Building and the Royal Liver Building tucked behind.
Western Approaches Headquarters Liverpool played a huge part in the Second World War and was the most heavily bombed British city outside of London. We payed a visit to the secret underground WWII bunker on Rumford Street, instrumental in managing the Battle of the Atlantic.
Ceramic Fuses
The Map Room Location accuracy in reporting enemy movements to the RAF was essential. In these pre-computer days, the personal of the Women’s Royal Naval Service and Women’s Auxiliary Air Force worked on a giant map to relay German U-Boat positions.
Bunk House
Secret Hotline The red phone had its own cone of silence.
Bicycle It’s the little touches that bring museums to life.
The Human Faces No one is sure how many children were evacuated from Liverpool – public records are incomplete, and many evacuations were privately organised. My father was among them: sent to the countryside to a family he didn’t know. He hated every minute! He much preferred running through the bombed-out Liverpool streets, looking for bits of shrapnel, like the child in the 1987 film Hope and Glory.
Rooftops
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Liverpool has a strongly Irish heritage, and is home to proportionally three-times as many Catholics as England overall. The Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King is the seat of the Archbishop of Liverpool and the mother church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Liverpool.
Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Affectionately knows as Paddy’s Wigwam because of its circular shape, the cathedral was designed by British architect Sir Frederick Gibberd (1908–84). No photos are allowed in the contemporary interior, which features magnificent modern stained glass in yellow, blue, and red to represent the Trinity.
Church of St Luke Another casualty of WWII is the bombed-out Anglican parish Church of St Luke, originally built between 1811 and 1832.
The Blackie and Chinatown Gate The Neoclassical Great George Street Congregational Church – ‘The Blackie’ – was opened in in 1841 and now operates as a community arts centre.
The Great Escape Liverpool was a major port supporting ships suppling the American slave trade. In this sculpture by English sculptor Edward Cronshaw, the horse, which is constructed of spaghetti-like rope, is unraveling in its quest for freedom.
The Port of Liverpool King Edward VII, a sculpture by Welsh sculptor Sir William Goscombe John, (1860-1952) sits in front of the Edwardian-Baroque style Port of Liverpool Building, which opened in 1907.
Mersey Ferry As a tourist in Liverpool, you have to take a ferry across the Mersey! It was late enough in the day that many of the passengers were workers going home.
The Royal Liver Building
Passengers Many passengers on the ferry were like us: just on for the return ride.
Flag over Liverpool The 50 minute ride is a great way to appreciate the foreshore. The 1964 song ‘Ferry Cross the Mersey’ plays on endless loop inside the cabin.
Footsore and hungry, we left the river behind with the 1964 Gerry and the Pacemakers song ringing in our ears.
What a wonderful way to explore my family heritage.
[…] So, we are back in England at the moment: for the marriage of my Australian daughter to her British man. And, I couldn’t resist visiting Liverpool again: with my husband and adult son, to show them some of my roots (see: The Mersey). […]ReplyCancel
A Desert Rose The desert gives rise to people who are tough and resourceful. This beautiful Al Wahiba girl is part of a large family of semi-nomadic Bedu living in the Sharqiya Sands Desert.
The desert is a magically beautiful place.
It is also unforgiving. You have to be tough to forge a life in these hostile, barren expanses where almost no precipitation falls.
Bedouin or “desert people” – from the Arabicbadawī – have made the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East their home for thousands of years. Even today, many still follow a traditional nomadic lifestyle, roaming their tribal territories with their herds of camels and goats.
As early as 6000 B.C., agricultural and pastoral people were living along the southern edge of the arid Syrian steppes. They acquired domesticated camels around 1,100 B.C. By about 850 B.C., they had established a network of oasis settlements and pastoralist camps, and were known as the A’raab. The Bedouin are the nomadic desert descendants of these people, and are considered by many to be “ideal” Arabs – in contrast with their ḥāḍir, or sedentary, city-dwelling cousins.
There are a number of Bedouin tribes, many tracing back to a single paternal ancestor. In Oman, the numerous Al Wahiba tribe are the predominant residents, making their home across the Sharqiya Sands desert.
This desert stretches about 200 kilometres (125 miles) north to south and 80 kilometres east to west, running between Oman’sEastern Hajar Mountains and the Arabian Sea. There are no paved roads, and the only permanent camps are those resorts that have been build for tourists. The roughly 3,000 Bedouin who live here follow a traditional nomadic lifestyle, building temporary camps among the shifting dunes.
Lunch with a Bedouin family was a highlight of my Omani itinerary. The trick, of course, when setting a date with nomadic people, is finding them! It took my guide (with NTT Tours) a number of phone calls to establish when and where we would be welcome. On Fridays, these tribal families gather in larger groups to share news and deal with problems or organisational issues – so we re-arranged our schedule, allowing a camp visit on a Thursday instead.
Once there, we were warmly welcomed, and the food was wonderful! Come meet the family:
Dawn on the Sharqiya Sands The desert is a sensually seductive place, with the sands ebbing and flowing over the dunes into the distance (see: Sand Songs and Desert Dreams). But, don’t be fooled! Once that sun rises over the horizon, the temperatures will skyrocket – with no water in sight!
Bedouin Settlement Barely visible tracks criss-cross a desert punctuated with both portable and semi-fixed Bedouin settlements. We catch sight of several from the car …
Camels in the Desert … before parking next to the camels belonging to our lunch hosts.
Bedouin Siblings This family has six children. They were initially timid, hiding behind their mother’s heavy black robes. Fortunately, I had an Instax mini-camera with me.
Bedouin Boy Once I took one child’s picture, they all wanted a turn – and when I ran out of Instax film, I was able to get some individual portraits.
Bedouin Woman Even mum got in on the fun, agreeing to have her photo taken properly once she too had her instant photo in hand. Before I made any photos, she put on her traditional Omanibattoulah: a special mask which she said protected her from the sand.
Young Bedouin Child Once they got over their shyness, the children were full of life and curiosity.
Bedouin Girl These children have beauty, strength, and intelligence.
Whale Bone The desert and the ocean are linked by metaphor: “ships of the desert’ and “seas of sand”. It’s more than that, though: the dunes of the Sharqiya Sands Desert stretch to the Arabian Sea. Like abstract sculptures, giant segments of whale bone decorate this family homestead.
Child in a Net
Camel at the Camp The Bedouin call camels a “gift from God”, and they serve a number of cultural and functional uses.
Grass in the Sand The vegetation is sparse – how the animals find anything to eat amazes me.
Life in the Sands As unappetising as they look, Vachellia tortilis (Acacia tortilis) – or “Umbrella thorn” trees – are essential to Omani desert dwellers. The wood is used for furniture, cart wheels, and even charcoal. Their leaves are important fodder and their deep roots help fix the drifting sands. They are homes to all manner of animals and insects, and provide some shade from the sun and protection from the winds.
Camels at the Camp Tourist accommodation in the desert is much more substantial than the portable Bedouin camps. Here at the 1000 Nights Sharqiya Sands Camp, located in the heart of the desert, camels wait for customers.
Arabian Oryx In spite of the harshness of the desert, a number of animal species have adapted themselves to the conditions. Unfortunately, the Arabian oryx (Oryx leucoryx) couldn’t survive human predation, and the last wild one was poached in 1972. This small domestic herd was in a compound at our resort.
Arabian Oryx – (Oryx leucoryx) The national animal of Oman (and other countries on the Arabian Peninsula), this beautiful animal is gradually being reintroduced into the wild.
Arabian Gazelles Another pen houses dainty Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica). Appreciated for their grace and associated with female beauty in Arabic literature, these animals are also rated as extinct in the wild.
Camels at the Ready The camels, on the other hand, are ubiquitous; you’d be forgiven for thinking the country has plenty. However, when people found out I was from Australia, one of the first thing they’d say was: “Send us some camels!” In Australia, the 1,000,000+ feral camels – originally introduced into the country in the 1840’s to help with inland exploration – are a pest, here in the sands of the Arabian Peninsula, you can never have too many!
And that’s how it is, isn’t it? One man’s riches is another man’s pest!
I always reflect on these differences in values more when I meet the bright and engaging children in these remote places; youngsters who are perfectly suited to their environments, but who may have limited understand of, and access to, other options.
I can’t help but wonder how they will bridge that gap between their traditional lifestyle and the changing modern world – and I hope they manage it well.
Like Zombies Walking With their bodies painted in white clay and ash, Chimbu Skeleton Men of the Bugamo Tribe in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea face their own fear of ghosts while terrifying their superstitious foes.
What better way to conquer your fears than by facing and embodying them?
The Bugamo Tribe – one of the more than a thousand cultural groups that exist in Papua New Guinea – live in Chimbu (Simbu) Province, high in the mountainous central highlands. Completely unknown to outsiders until the mid-1900s, elders tell stories about their first sighting of European missionaries – and thinking they were ancestor spirits. For generations, tribal groups fought with their neighbours over lands or imagined insults, and families still pay tribute to lost members. People lived traditional lives, looking after their pigs and crops, and traded with pigs, pig tusks, kina shells, stone axes, and feathers.
Most Highland tribal groups were/are Animist, believing that spirits inhabit the land, animals, inanimate objects, plants, and rocks all around them. They worship their ancestors, and believe in masalai, or evil spirits, and the practice of puripuri (sorcery). So, according to other stories, an added bonus of the skeleton body paint is that it terrifies superstitious enemies!
Today, Bugamo dancers paint bones and skulls on their bodies to prepare for a sing sing – a festival of culture, music and dance – rather than for tribal war, and one of the silent story-dances they enact tells the tale of the brave hunters who rescued their children from the ghost, and performed a magic spell to scare it away.
I was travelling in Papua New Guinea with photographer Karl Grobl from Jim Cline Photo Toursand a small group of photography enthusiasts. We arrived in Paiya Village a day before their annual sing sing for a private session with three Asaro Mudmen (see: Asaro Mudmen), three Huli Wigmen (see: Huli Wigmen), and three Chimbu Skeleton Men. We watched and photographed as they applied their traditional face- and body-paint.
These three tribal groups couldn’t have been more different: unlike the formidable and glowering Huli and the quiet, retiring Asaro, the Skeleton men we worked with were a lot of fun. Two of them spoke a little English, making interactions with them easier. When they aren’t entertaining curious tourists, these men grow and market Highland coffee in their rugged, but fertile province.
Come watch as they get ready:
The Shave The Bugamo men need a clean canvas for their skull-painting, so step one is a head shave.
Preparatory Shaving That was a bare razor blade, so I made sure I didn’t distract them!
Portrait: A Smiling Blank Canvas Clean-shaven and ready!
White Clay Paint Traditionally, the white “paint” was sourced from clay; today it is more likely to be acrylic, bought from the local markets. The “brush” is a soft twig with one end chewed.
Building a Loin-Guard The only piece of costume the Bugamo men wear, outside of their body paint, …
Building a Loin-Guard … is a brief loin guard which they craft from the leaves and grasses in the surrounding jungle.
Face Paint The whole process of getting ready took about two hours, …
Painting Skeletons … but the men had fun with it.
Painting Skeletons The bone structure starts to take form!
Black and White Once the black ash (or acrylic) is introduced, the skeletons really start to take shape …
Portrait of a Skeleton Man … and it is easy to see the men as frightening rather than friendly.
Skeletons on the Green This tribal tradition pre-dates any contact with the outside world, …
Soulless Skeletons … so their vacant faces and lumbering postures owe nothing to our Hallowe’en costumes or Hollywood depictions of zombies.
Skeleton Hands
Skeletons in a Doorway It is hot and dark in the surrounding jungle, …
Skeletons in Character … we move to a traditional hut …
Skeleton in a Window … to use it as a backdrop.
Like Zombies Walking The Skeleton Men move silently …
Like Walking Dead … like soulless zombies.
Lumbering Skeletons It is easy to see how these creatures could strike fear into the hearts of their opponents.
Crossing Cultures As a nod to the “modern world”, one of our Skeleton Men borrows and models a set of sunglasses.
Skeleton on the Run But, tribal tensions are still very real. One of our models hides himself in a hooded jacket before heading through the potentially hostile territory of town.
Seeing us Off The local children follow us back to our transport and wave us off.
I find it fascinating that a culture that was isolated for so long, and that in most ways is so different from ours, has nevertheless come up with symbolism we recognise immediately. Some archetypes are, indeed, universal.
Another awesome recap with fantastic images, it’s so much fun to see and read your blog entries, thanks for taking the time to do all the research, write it all up and cap it off with great shots to illustrate it all! Bravo Ursula!ReplyCancel
Searching for Beauty The tropical sunsets over the palms and waters are unbeatable in Florida, even when you are in the built-up areas full of ugly, concrete buildings. (iPhone4S)
My predominant memory of Florida is of miles of asphalt and concrete, overlooked by garish neon signs for noisy bars, and gaudy billboards promoting guns and gambling, escort clubs, the bible and ‘pro life’; a landscape punctuated with plastic theme parks and lined with strip malls, drive-throughs, and featureless clumps of condominiums gathered around kitsch swimming pools.
But, there is another Florida: if you look past the tacky souvenir shops and fast-food outlets, you can find National Parks, Indian Reservations, StateReserves, and privately bequeathed lands that are protected green spaces and a breath of fresh air.
We had made use of one of those indistinguishable timeshares, rubbing shoulders with families from all over the mainland USA looking for a vacation with their children. We even took advantage of our free Universal Studios Florida tickets. But for me, the ‘real’ places – like the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral (see: To Infinity and Beyond!), the out-of-the-way places (see: Key West) – and the preserved natural places (e.g.: Flamingo Gardens; Kissimmee Lake; and Crane Point) – were far more enjoyable.
Come dip your toes in Universal Studios Florida and the Everglades, and decide for yourself!
The Universal Globe When in Florida, you really have to take in at least one theme park!
Universal Entry School holidays haven’t started yet, and rain is in the forecast, so the entry is not too crowded when we arrive.
Emmys for Lucy All five of comedienne Lucille Ball’s Emmy Awards were on display in a case in the Lucy: A Tribute exhibit. This walk-through museum has closed since our visit.
Marlene and the Old Cameras
Cars in the Lot Who doesn’t remember American Graffiti? Those wonderful cars from 1958 and earlier still sit outside Mel’s Drive-In. We admired the classic vehicles, but didn’t stop to eat.
Jack the Clown I’m not a fan of horror movies, but Universal’s Horror Make-Up Show was on our path, so we checked it out. I could be forgiven for not knowing Jack the Clown, as he was invented for the Universal Halloween Horror Nights.
Hellboy I did know Hellboy, having seen Ron Perlman in the 2004 movie with my son, …
Lon Chaney … and horror fan or not, everybody knows Lon Chaney!
Curious George Car The sprinklers were going full-force, but there were no young children around to explore the Curious George Town. That was probably just as well, as we found a large sea snake in the paddling pool!
Raincoats in the Street As predicted, the rains came. Most of the shopfronts are restaurants and souvenir shops; they did a good trade in plastic raincoats! (iPhone4S)
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit In spite of the weather, there were plenty of takers for the various roller coaster rides.
Jimmy Buffet Plane We opted instead for a quiet lunch at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, and then watched a new-release move before leaving the park.
Riding the Everglades Airboat A week later, we were enjoying our second Florida airboat ride: this time on the Miccosukee Indian Reservation in the Everglades.
Miccosukee Indian Reservation There is a wealth of birdlife in the ‘River of Grass’, as the Everglades is called, but it is hard to take photos with the noisy vibrations of the airboat.
Spatterdock (Nuphar Luteum) Spatterdock, or cow lily, is a large aquatic plant native to Florida.
Spatterdock With its wonderfully showy seed pods, it is one of my favourite Everglade plants.
Miccosukee Village I chose this particular airboat ride (out of the many on offer) because I was interested in learning a bit about the Native American Miccosukee people who live here.
Water Hyacinth under the Bridge Getting off the airboat allowed us a closer look at some of the plant life.
Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia Crassipes) Beautiful though it might be, this imported plant, native to the Amazon basin in South America, is considered a major weed species in Florida. Considerable money and effort has been put into its control and management.
Everglades Airboat Although we get to look through old village buildings, I don’t feel as if I learned much from the static displays. Our Miccosukee driver is rather uncommunicative, and stays with the boat while we explore.
Everglade Grass The water is dead calm in the high overcast; there is not a whisper of wind in the grass.
Small Fish The fresh water around us is so crystal-clear that it looks as if the fish are floating in air.
Spatterdock (Nuphar luteum) It is going to rain. But for now, everything is hushed, calm, and luminous.
Crested Floating Heart – Nymphoides Cristata Introduced to the United States as a water garden plant, this pretty lily-like freshwater floating perennial from tropical Asia is another invasive pest in the Everglades.
Great Blue Heron (Ardea Herodias) Southwest Florida is home to the great blue heron, the Louisiana heron, the little blue heron, the great white heron, the little green heron, the Wurdemann’s heron, and to the yellow-crowned and the black-crowned night herons. I’m pretty sure this one is a great blue heron.
Rainy Roads As expected, the rains came. We ducked into the Miccosukee Restaurant for a late lunch and a last taste of the Everglades before battling the weather and driving west out of the grasslands. (iPhone4S)
It is certainly true that Florida has something for everyone.
I for one prefer the wild natural spaces over the concrete jungle and plastic theme parks.
- Performing the Ganga Aarti from Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi
- Buddha Head from Shwedagon Pagoda, Myanmar
- Harry Clarke Window from Dingle, Ireland
- Novice Monk Shwe Yan Pyay Monastery, Myanmar
Packets of 10 for $AU50.
Or - pick any photo from my Flickr or Wanders blog photos.
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Looking at her face is a useful reminder to me, as I face the possible loss of my ‘things’ in the approaching firestorm. 
I can’t help but wonder how they will bridge that gap between their traditional lifestyle and the changing modern world – and I hope they manage it well.
[…] These questions were too big for my short visit! I was with photographer Ben McRae, as part of a small-group Piper Mackay Photo-Tour, and we were all doing our best to have a meaningful engagement – without the benefit of a common language – with these delightful people. I’ve shared some of the pictures I took previously (see: Portraits in an Arbore Village). […]
[…] Portraits; and Morning Portraits), Daasanach (see: A Visit to the Daasanach) and Arbore (e.g.: Portraits in an Arbore Village; and Arbore Village Portraits) […]