India

The best way I can describe India is... vibrant.
I went for the food and the culture, and returned in complete amazement of the depth of it all.
I've never experienced so much color, spice, friendliness, confusion, variations in lifestyle... and I saw only the tiniest sliver.

I went with a group set up through friends, 16 of us, to Kerala, the southwest coastal region of India. Kerala actually means "God's own country", and it's stunning. It's the spice center of the world, and I will argue that with anyone who dares. They grow a chunk of the world's peppercorn, cardamom, tea, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, vanilla... We went to markets, toured farms and plantations, and had cooking demonstrations at every stop, by chefs, mothers, fishermen, anyone who would cook with us.
I learned that curry is actually a leaf... tea is actually a tree - picked best during monsoon season... black, green, white, and red peppercorn is all from the same plant... indian okra isn't slimy like ours... and cardamom makes everything better...

Beyond Kerala's food, there is rich culture. Kerala is predominantly Christian, with Hindus and Muslims making up most of the balance, and some Buddhists and even Jews (~15 families in Kochin). The Christians eat all meat, even though cows are off-limits in the Hindu culture (Hindus believe that all 365,000 Hindu gods and goddesses live in the belly of the cow). The Catholic church is alive and well in Kerala. We visitied a Sunday morning service, all in Malayalam, but I still got a sense of extreme devotion. Ayurveda is rooted in Kerala as well, a homeopathic traditional medicine and lifestyle that uses massage, oils, teas and herbs. Many Keralites use it as their healthcare. And we used it frequently throughout the trip. Imagine wet fish on an oily countertop. That is ayurvedic massage.

The colors are the best part - the decor and aesthetics, the dress, even hair ribbons. This is a sari store, 4 floors of shelving with the most beautiful colors and fabrics. They take pride in their colors. A favorite thing to do in villages is photos. Everyone loves to have their photos taken, but you must show them on the screen. They love seeing their pictures, shaking hands, smiles go a long way in India...

We ate like royalty, and for many, it's actually how they eat daily. I didn't see any packaged anything; all meat, produce, spices and fruits are fresh and in bulk. They get their milk from cows, local spices and rice... It was delicious. Fresh curry leaves and coconut milk in almost every dish. Treats and dishes like oppams, chappatis, paisams, dosas, masalas...

There's so many wonderful things, I hate to even mention India's challenges, but unfortunately there are many. The cities, especially the big cities like Mumbai, are totally overwhelming with poverty, squalor, and filth. There are very poor water and waste management systems in India, and the city streets become dumps quickly. The roads are horrendous, and apparently the transportation authorities don't fix potholes unless they get a nice fee... The roads, dear god, the roads. If I never go back to India, it will be because of the roads. Buses, trucks, taxis, tuktuks, bicycles, pedestrians, and cows... all on the same road, some going the same direction, all going as fast as they can while avoiding potholes. Except the cows. They mosey right along, sometimes even obeying the stoplights better than the vehicles...

The saving grace to Mumbai was our visit with a couchsurfing friend and his family. Sachin invited me and Dad over to their apartment, where his mom cooked us the most amazing dinner. It was the most gracious thing I've ever seen someone do for strangers, and it set our trip off to the best start possible!

So many wonderful stories, much of it is portrayed in the pictures... enjoy! There are also videos of things like tuktuk rides, Independence Day Parades, rope spinning, etc... Photos and videos will be updated as more come in from other folks in the group.

Back in business...

Whew! So I finally got to sit down tonight to work on some tiny projects that have been on the list. First up, the "Artsy Clutch" from Amy Karol's Bend the Rules Sewing. It's on the cover, and I think it was enough to catch my eye and make me buy the book. The clutch is really just a simple rectangular lined bag with an extra layer of inner fabric for more support, and a button/loop closure. Simple, cute, and very use-able. Good way to use up scraps that (may or may not) match!


Next up, I've been staring at this on my desk for too long:

It's a hideous plastic sewing machine cover. It was $1 I think. I've been wanting to get something a little prettier. It has only 2 pieces, a 15"x6.5" rectangle for the top, and then a 45"x10" rectangle that wraps around the top rectangle and is then stitched down the side. I picked a fabric, cut it out, and had it together in maybe 15 minutes.


If I do another, I'd line it with a nice contrasting fabric for some sturdier support, but this will definitely do the job, and it looks MUCH nicer on my desk.

There's still some green fine-wale corduroy to become a skirt, an apron for a friend's belated birthday present, and a new carry-all bag on the list. I also want to take the time to make a taped dress form of myself. I really think it'll be worth the hour or so it takes to make, and it'll allow me to try so many more dresses and tops on my own form. And since it'll be hanging in my room somewhere, I'll look for some duct tape in nicer colors than industrial silver...

Last up, some favorite pics from Colorado:




Listening to: Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No2

es salaam alaykum!

UPDATE: PICS!
Greetings! I have returned from the depths of the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi to be exact. What a wild experience. Where to even begin explaining it all... So the Middle East International Film Festival was, well... kind of weird. It was really meant for directors to pitch their next projects, which is not what New Year Baby is about. It was a complete honor to be there with the film, but all the screenings were empty, which is just unusual for festivals.
They put us up in the Emirates Palace, probably the nicest hotel in the world, at least the nicest I'll ever stay at by far. The service was just over the top! Rose petals placed in specific patterns all over the room, fresh dates and chocolates refreshed daily, amazing food, views of the sea, just spectacular. But it felt like such a show. We talked to many people staying in Abu Dhabi for a year or so, and they say once you get out of the glitz, it's got quite a dirty underbelly. For one thing, it's progressive, but still women are clearly second class citizens. I dressed pretty modestly, and still they either STARE or look straight through me. It was fascinating to experience the Muslim perspective firsthand also. We walked around downtown quite a bit, admired the sari and burqa fabrics, went on a desert safari (think desolate huge sand dunes), saw some great films... I loved much of it, but know that I couldn't spend much more than a week there.
Here's a few pics to give you a taste. Will update the post later once I post all of my pics with my dad's.




listening to: Monade - Becoming

urge for going...

Travel is always somewhere in my mind. I never pass up the chance to go somewhere new, but the idea of taking a huge trip is always appealing too. I was just catching up on a friend's cross-country and international trip through their blog. They quit their solid jobs in Miami/NY, drove cross country to see friends and family, and then took off for the far east for 3-4 months of travel. 1- I'm terribly jealous. 2- I'm glad SOMEBODY's out there doing what all the rest of us long for. Where would you go? What would you give up to go??
There's just so much world to see. In many other countries, international travel is expected and respected! I wish American culture valued it a bit more so that wanting to take a 3-month trip wasn't so frowned upon. Maybe one day the stars will align and I'll be in a place that allows me to travel when I want.
In the meantime, I certainly won't boohoo the trip to Abu Dhabi! Countdown at 6 days!

listening to: North Mississippi Allstars - Moonshine

Abu Dhabi!

I'm going, we're going! Dad and me. For the Middle East International Film Festival to represent NEW YEAR BABY. Isn't that wild?? The festival wanted a director or producer, so I've been upgraded to Assistant Producer of Screening and Outreach. It sounds so important, I love it! And I'm bringing dad because he loves to travel and, well, what better way to see a beautiful Islamic land than with a tall distinguished man by my veiled side? And thanks to Couchsurfing, I've already hooked up with an American living there who will show us the ropes!
If Zaha Hadid were just a few years ahead, this might be where we're screening.
But instead we're staying and screening at the *yawn* Emirates PALACE.

The journey begins Oct 14th!

listening to: Bird and the Bee - La La La

welcome back!

Now THAT was a real vacation. i've been to the beach before, and i've been to islands before, but this was different. The Dominican sunsets were other-worldly, the locals were beyond friendly, the ocean warm and calm at night, the resort just perfect. i've never been interested in all-inclusive resorts before, but this deal was so good we couldn't turn it down (thanks travelzoo!). i certainly wouldn't do this for every trip, but it is quite the treat to have EVERYTHING already paid for. all that said, here are the teaser pics to get you to view the entire album... and Adi's album...

Now for the highlight of the trip... The resort puts on a show every night, think themed dancing, music, performance stuff. Most of it was cheesy as you can imagine. Then. there's. the. Michael Jackson Show. Dominicans love MJ, and it shows. They had a look-alike and did semi-reenactments of his best songs/videos, including Bad (with amazing breakdancing), Smooth Criminal, Thriller (yes. they did the dance.), Heal the World... It was spectacular.



We spent all 4 1/2 days pretty much just laying on the beach. We threw in some kayaking, salsa dancing, lots of volleyball, football, and frisbee, and we even went to the gym on most mornings! On vacation! It was a tropical outdoor gym, we couldn't pass it up. We got off the resort for 1 day and went to Altos de Chavon. It's a beautiful mountaintop... place... I'm not really even quite sure what exactly it is. (I do know that Michael Jackson was married in the church there.) It's sort of an artist's village/historical community, I think. Anyway, it's beautiful.

Came home to 55 degrees on a beautiful night - Fall is in the air!!

listening to: Leah Siegel - The Grandma Song

not quite fall yet...

We went apple picking today up in Warwick Valley. Just an hour or so from the city and you're suddenly in NY's wine country. Macs, Red Delicious, and Granny Smiths (which they called Greenings?) are ripe. Lucy discovered apples as both toys and treats.
It would have been a perfect afternoon if it had been about 20 degrees cooler. I loooove the feel of Fall, and although the day was wonderful, there's just something extra special about sunny warm apples on a crisp day. Soon enough.

In other news, I'll be fabric shopping this week to make a simple padded envelope case for the macbook. Will also be getting something to start the toy project. Venturing out of the world of knitting scarves and sewing skirts. Should be very exciting.

listening to: Miles Davis - Blue in Green