A little text in Alba -Gaelic words as mute witness

visitor souvenirs, Scottish Parliament Building; hours in English & Gaelic

Prominent Gallic text, labels, publications, seem a bit hollow or decorative (not much Gaelic overheard between staffers, nor at Justice subcommittee; cf. truly bilingual governance, e.g. Belgium or Canada or Switzerland; also India?) to welcome visitors and groups, shop and cafe and exhibit hall. Something in the lighting and smooth surfaces of the sleek 1995 structure that echoes resort or hotel vibe. Full sessions not until 2 pm, but various (sub)committees meet with cctv on some lobby screens (sptv, Scottish parliament tv). To see the organs of government in working order is interesting and a bit of a marvel to see that it does run reasonably well; and that a special debating chamber was created for the purpose of bringing matters to wide discussion and decision making that can be documented and disseminated to citizens. Photo in the permanent visitor display area (click for full image view).

debating chamber on display in visitor reception area of Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh

The lantern speaks silently

click photo for full-size image: Japanese temple lantern in Edinburgh at National Museum of Scotland (12/2017 photos)

 James Douglas Fletcher (d 1927) bought a matching pair of bronze lanterns from a Japanese temple in 1902 (Meiji 35) for his oriental garden on Black Island at Rosehaugh. Moving from the context of concept and creation in Buddhist Japan to recreational private garden stretches the range of meanings of the lanterns greatly. The fact that the ca. 1800-1850 artistic work was away from the natural and man-made calamities of the 20th century allowed this work to live on and speak to today's artists, Buddhists, and gardeners.
Meaning began with the wider context of traditions of lantern makers generally for temples. Some person or group made the decision to cast these, then artisan drafted the detail or was left to his own devices, then recipient of the piece chose a display location. For each generation of priest and parishioner the meaning may have shifted little by little. And for outsiders who were non-parishioners or non-Japanese altogether, then the meaning was simplified to surfaces and shapes alone. The context for creation, worship, and admiration fades away and instead the outsider sees just colors and lines.
Finally, even the transplanted meaning of private ownership on the opposite side of the planet gives way to museum acquisition and display near the entryway at street level. Going from the point of deciding upon a commission In Japan to today in the hallway of the national museum of Scotland is a vast leap, indeed.

protest march paused at stop light, downtown Echizen-city 8/31/2017

A group of citizens was dissatisfied with the city mayor's handling of the construction plans for the new city hall behind the current 1950 building since the last remaining piece of the Edo Period castle, a section of hand-built stone rampart measuring 3.5m by 20 or 25m, would be dislocated and deconstructed. Filing the freedom of information requests showed that the process was not thorough. The march began with speeches by megaphone in front of the city hall and then proceeded on a circuit through downtown for about 20 minutes on a route that passed the Education Department building and came up to the Shokaku-ji (temple) which hosts the original castle's main gate that was moved to safety when the feudal government transitioned to the modern, parliamentary one in 1867. The march ended at a small city center plaza where the marchers joined the chorus (in English, with lyric sheets) for "We Shall Overcome," and the old-time labor union song "頑張ろう" (ganbarou; 'here we go!').