today

25.2.07

In the office again, it is spread out all across Rajasthan taking people on our tour. Prveen [my partner] and I have been having a lovely time leading a bunch of fun ladies to some of our favourite places. I am really enjoying seeing the open mouthed starry- eyed wonder in some peoples eyes on occasions… I know I looked just as struck on my initial visits. I still find new things to get me just like that but these days feel more like I am visiting old friends and finding out new aspects of them. The biggest certainty in India is change and seeing the amount of work and development that has occurred since my last visit just 2 months ago is staggering…. But really change is the biggest certainty in life isn’t it?

view across our lake from the restaurant at the hotel

10 days ago

I have just been on a jaunt to Ahmedbad with my friends. It is in Gurgurat about 250 km south of Udaipur.
It is a funny place I have been there twice before and frustrated by the place. Hard to find something to the place. There is one of the world’s leading textile museums there – The Calico Museum which I would love to take my groups to but nothing else to soften the place. Well we went down for the museum- wonderful!
And found a great place to stay House of MG it is called. A heritage hotel with yummy food and rather flash.
In the evenings there is a night market at the Law Gardens- this could be called sparkle central- everything is beaded and sequined and sparkles , sparkles, sparkles- so gorgeous in the evening lights. And a book shop like no other. Art Book Centre www.artbookcenter.net specialist on books on Indian Art, Textiles and Architecture
A beautiful collection, so many inspirational books and they will post them anywhere.
Everywhere just like everyone has something lovable about them it is just up to us to find what it is so we can appreciate it/them.

10 days ago

I have just been on a jaunt to Ahmedbad with my friends. It is in Gurgurat about 250 km south of Udaipur.
It is a funny place I have been there twice before and frustrated by the place. Hard to find something to the place. There is one of the world’s leading textile museums there – The Calico Museum which I would love to take my groups to but nothing else to soften the place. Well we went down for the museum- wonderful!
And found a great place to stay House of MG it is called. A heritage hotel with yummy food and rather flash.
In the evenings there is a night market at the Law Gardens- this could be called sparkle central- everything is beaded and sequined and sparkles , sparkles, sparkles- so gorgeous in the evening lights. And a book shop like no other. Art Book Centre www.artbookcenter.net specialist on books on Indian Art, Textiles and Architecture
A beautiful collection, so many inspirational books and they will post them anywhere.
Everywhere just like everyone has something lovable about them it is just up to us to find what it is so we can appreciate it/them.

Udaipur

India again, it has been a few weeks and I have not had the chance to upload images and so not written but i have seen so many wonderful sights......

Textile shop inUdaipur

written 2 weeks ago whenI arrivedBack in Udaipur in India, I have met up with some friends [ English and Aussie] to spend a week of intensive studio with my friend Yaqob-ji.

When I say intense that is the word to use he is a very generous teacher but exacting… we get tired and would like to skive off but we need to finish or tasks first!
Mature aged we may be but students are naughty students time over it seems.

We have been working at chundri techniques [ that is the local name for tie and dye] and dying techniques
In between lots of philosophy and Indian culture… a very rich experience.

Lunch is samosa and other savory snacks , hot chai and sweets- we are working our way through the vast selection in the shop neareby…all yummy. On the way each day we pass fruit stalls with fresh, ripe sweet fruit- for a few cents a bag. Everything is fresh not cold stored and boy! Can you taste the difference.

Afternoon tea was very ritzy in a lovely café in the courtyard of the Palace- great coffee and things and came to a very expensive $16 for the 4 of us- go figure..

And then I did a little shopping in the wonderful Bara Bazaar- the street of haberdashery.
I have a budget of $30 to supply a friend’s fix… I don’t know if I am going to be able to spend that vast amount of money- if I do I will need a separate bag to put it all in….oh well