(Un)Silent and Selfish

(Un)S I L E N T & S E L F I S H by Adam Kemp

Shanti Stupa, the peace pagoda in Pokhara Nepal is a special place where silence is to be observed. Perhaps not everyone can read the signs, written in Nepali and English, explaining the duty of those visiting which is to maintain the peace. Maybe people just had to explain to each other how to take a better selfie?

I'm not sure, but there was a lot of chit chat.
It makes me wonder if photography has ruined people. Has it claimed the way we experience the awe around us? in short: Yes. I spent my time at this pagoda, in silence, photographing other duffers with cameras.

Peace Pagoda Shanti Stupa, Pokhara, Nepal 2017	Please Looking back at Sarangkot from the entry of the Peace Pagoda. We saw the sun rise that morning from a tea house to the right of the peak in the distance.	Stupa Approaching the Peace Pagoda
Silence Enforced. This guard is stationed here to enforce the silence. Ironically with a whistle.	Buddha The pagoda has ornate statues of the Buddha that represent events of his life.	Buddha-ha!
This kid looks at the world through that screen.	I am not immune.	People are silly
Silence Oh, serenity. These walls are very white, they were being repainted when we walked up.	Mum come back Child abandoned as parents chase impeccable selfies.	Two men photograph the women of their family on the pagoda steps. The ridiculousness of selfie costumes became humorous for Robs and me on the way down, as a woman stumbled down the slippery stone path in her heels.
C'mon man. Tripods are banned at the Pagoda, along with the flying of drones. This man's solution is to rest the iPhone against a beautiful ornament, and shoot the other way, towards his and his girlfriends goofy faces.	Here is a flower in a drain. I wonder how I can refrain From laughing at tourists, and from being the same. This poem's done now, because it's lame.