In fact he is only one hour away, and I am nearby the airport in Coimbatore to meet him. He has been traveling now for around 40 hours, since leaving the Seatte airport, and will be another 2 before he finally gets to lay down! Hopefully those no-jetlaggers worked as well for him!
I have much more to write but unfortunately don't have the time know. (I was unable to connect today due to connection problems in the small village we are staying at outside of Coimbatore.) For now, I will just tell you what stage we are at here... Tomorrow we will do a quick tour (the condensed version) of the things I have seen here in Coimbatore (an organic farm, a cotton ginning facility, and a weaving facility) and then we will be traveling tomorrow evening to Ahmedabad. So much air travel! I wanted to write today about air travel and global warming, but it will have to wait a few days...thankfully our waitlisted train tickets have become available for at least one leg of our journey to come. More on that soon.
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Originally posted on 2/13/07 by Leah
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Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Friday, July 9, 2010
Sweet, sweet South
Ah... back to the south. I have been here now for two days, and what a full two days its been, full of activities, and full of amazing, belly warming food. My hosts are extremely hospitable, and boy do they know how to dine and feed a guest! For breakfast: masala dosas (delicious crepe-like pancakes served with coconut paste, and dal with vegetables) idly (cute little fermented rice patties) rice, chapaties, yogurt ("curd"), fresh papayas, and delicious coffee! After a very warm reception and with a very full belly, we visited some interesting places... But first let me tell you about my hosts- they have a family-run cotton ginning business, as well as grow organic cotton here (they are part of a group of small to mid-scale farmers who have joined together to become certified- which makes the expensive certification process more attainable for smaller farms.) Their family has also set up a school in the village in which they live that sponsors poor village children so they are able to attend school.
We visited a couple of weaving factories with powerlooms, as well as a few village handloom weavers. What a contrast between the two! I was also shown the cotton ginning process (the process of removing the seed from the cotton, which happens after the harvest in the fall.)
Also, I have been learning more about organic cotton, and I can see now how widespread the issue of organic cotton is here in India. With textiles being a major industry here, cotton itself being the majority of it- cotton permeates everyday life here in a huge way. Now more than ever I see the importance of promoting organic cotton, as it affects so many people here, upstream, downstream, and everywhere in between. From the issue of farmer suicides (which relates directly to the harm of pesticide use on their soil and land,) genetically modified cotton (which is designed to kill the bollworm- a major pest of cotton, but is said also to make bees sterile)- cotton is a loaded subject, and I am really only scratching the surface- so much more to learn. Huge mono-cropping of cotton is also taking its toll on the land in a major way, destroying the soil and sucking it dry of water, not to mention destroying the fragile balance of bio-diversity- all of the birds, insects, and beneficial "weeds" that cannot exist on conventional cotton farms. There is so much more to write on this subject- it should be a blog all of its own. For now, let me just say that I feel that change is very necessary, and that education is the first step towards change. First to educate myself more, and then more on this topic soon...
Paul will now be meeting me here in Coimbatore (instead of Bombay) and then we will travel together from here to Ahmedabad. Also, the Karnataka stage of my trip has been cancelled due to political unrest between Tamil Nadu and its neighboring state (Karnataka) over water issues. There will be a strike which will stop all bus travel between the states on the date that I was planning on returning from there. (Last time there was a strike apparantly they lit a bus on fire!) Better to steer clear of political unrest. Now I am in safe, sweet Coimbatore, and I will be here until Paul arrives. More soon...
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Originally posted on 2/2/07 by Leah
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We visited a couple of weaving factories with powerlooms, as well as a few village handloom weavers. What a contrast between the two! I was also shown the cotton ginning process (the process of removing the seed from the cotton, which happens after the harvest in the fall.)
Also, I have been learning more about organic cotton, and I can see now how widespread the issue of organic cotton is here in India. With textiles being a major industry here, cotton itself being the majority of it- cotton permeates everyday life here in a huge way. Now more than ever I see the importance of promoting organic cotton, as it affects so many people here, upstream, downstream, and everywhere in between. From the issue of farmer suicides (which relates directly to the harm of pesticide use on their soil and land,) genetically modified cotton (which is designed to kill the bollworm- a major pest of cotton, but is said also to make bees sterile)- cotton is a loaded subject, and I am really only scratching the surface- so much more to learn. Huge mono-cropping of cotton is also taking its toll on the land in a major way, destroying the soil and sucking it dry of water, not to mention destroying the fragile balance of bio-diversity- all of the birds, insects, and beneficial "weeds" that cannot exist on conventional cotton farms. There is so much more to write on this subject- it should be a blog all of its own. For now, let me just say that I feel that change is very necessary, and that education is the first step towards change. First to educate myself more, and then more on this topic soon...
Paul will now be meeting me here in Coimbatore (instead of Bombay) and then we will travel together from here to Ahmedabad. Also, the Karnataka stage of my trip has been cancelled due to political unrest between Tamil Nadu and its neighboring state (Karnataka) over water issues. There will be a strike which will stop all bus travel between the states on the date that I was planning on returning from there. (Last time there was a strike apparantly they lit a bus on fire!) Better to steer clear of political unrest. Now I am in safe, sweet Coimbatore, and I will be here until Paul arrives. More soon...
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Originally posted on 2/2/07 by Leah
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Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Have a Truly Organic Summer!
Our cutest item (by far) is the Sandi Cami, this summer's "must have" Truly Organic item. We crafted this fun piece with our Naturally Dyed Organic Cotton (of course), and we made it in a badgillion (ok, 10) colors.The Sandi Cami has adjustable shoulder straps, a little elastic in the back for added comfort, ties in the front and is adorned with shell buttons and cute white lace. We left nothing to chance on this one!
You can wear it up or down. Keep the summer sizzle in our Brown Eyelet version, or go for a Picnic in our Ash Pink and White checks. It also comes in 4 of our "screen dyed" options.
Oh yeah... All items are 40% Off until July 10th. Pick up the Sandi Cami for only $40.80 (regular $68)!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Delhi blues
On the surface, the Nation's capitol is crusty, hard, and unwelcoming. Suddenly Ahmedabad looks light and fluffy to me. However, all of the people I have come to meet here in Delhi have been wonderful and very interesting to speak with, so it could be a foreigner thing. I have found the outer, public layer to be spooky, edgy, and more than a little cranky. Probably Delhi has seen too many dazed and confused tourists, but I don't know if this is the reason that it greets its visitors with a chill. Certainly there are amazing things to see here, from forts and temples to museums and shopping (!) but I have just not felt comfortable here since I arrived.
On the upside, the interesting people I have met here include: an organic cotton manufacturer, another herbal dyer, and a company that makes lovely handbags out of recycled plastic bags- very cool! Also, the textile gallery in the Crafts Museum is amazing. I like it even more than the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad (which I visited on my previous trip to India) because you are allowed to look at your leisure, instead of getting shuffled through on a big tour with very limited time. But despite the interesting people to meet and places to see, I feel very lonely here in Delhi. Only two more nights before I fly to the more hospitable south, and seven more until I meet Paul in Bombay! I'm so excited for Paul to arrive!
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Originally posted on 2/2/07 by Leah
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On the upside, the interesting people I have met here include: an organic cotton manufacturer, another herbal dyer, and a company that makes lovely handbags out of recycled plastic bags- very cool! Also, the textile gallery in the Crafts Museum is amazing. I like it even more than the Calico Museum of Textiles in Ahmedabad (which I visited on my previous trip to India) because you are allowed to look at your leisure, instead of getting shuffled through on a big tour with very limited time. But despite the interesting people to meet and places to see, I feel very lonely here in Delhi. Only two more nights before I fly to the more hospitable south, and seven more until I meet Paul in Bombay! I'm so excited for Paul to arrive!
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Originally posted on 2/2/07 by Leah
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Sunday, July 4, 2010
Truly Organic deals on naturally dyed fashion
All items are 40% off this weekend only.
Our highlight of spring is the Sandi Cami. This cute and fun woven camisol with lace trim, pin-tuck details and elastic in the back for the perfect summer fit.
The straps are adjustable, the buttons are shell, the organic cotton is naturally dyed and its as cute as it is organic.
Check out this and other great items at http://www.truly-organic.com/.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Independence weekend savings!
This holiday weekend, we are celebrating by giving an additional 40% off on ALL ITEMS at http://www.truly-organic.com/.
Check out the site to find great savings on our 100% naturally dyed, organic cotton fashion.
Friday, July 2, 2010
"HORN PLEASE OK"...
...this is painted in large rainbow letters across the back bumper of a great many rickshaws and buses everywhere I have been in India. Since there are so few traffic lights (none in Ahmedabad at all, in fact) the main rule of the road is the one who honks loudest and longest gets through the fastest. This is the reason I have now adopted a rickshaw driver trick- earplugs as a rickshaw passenger! (I'm a bit slow to catch on sometimes, but this is a fantastic new discovery for me- I am getting such good use of my earplugs I'll tell you.)
If Goa was too soft, and Ahmedabad too hard, Pushkar was just right. I was there for 2 short days- just long enough to visit the Brahma temple, do some shopping (in the good name of research) and book onward travel tickets. (I finally booked a seat on a train- a wait-listed seat mind you, which means I could end up sitting on the luggage shelf above, which is also ok and a perfectly fine way to travel in India.) Pushkar is absolutely delightful, and I could have easily spent another 2 weeks there.
Now I am in Jaipur "The Pink City", in Rajasthan, and I have spent one full day here. Jaipur is famous for constant hassles from rickshaw drivers wanting to take you to their brother's/uncle's/cousin's hotel instead of the one you asked to be taken to, or wanting to take you on a full-sight-seeing tour instead of the one stop you want. I was given fair warning of this ahead of time and have used the don't-mess-with-me tone, and have had no problems.
Jaipur is also famous for blockprinting, and today I visited the Anokhi shop and textile museum. www.anokhi.com/html/anokhi_museum.html Fascinating information about hand blockprinting, natural dyes, as well as some information about chemical dyes and some of the history of it's use and environmental effects (not on the website but in their museum catalogue.) Also today I visited a museum park of massive sun dial instruments, built in the 1700's. Huge constructions used to measure time to the accuracy of 2 second increments, as well as giant dials used to identify and locate planets, and other instruments used to measure the angle of the sun throughout the seasons, etc. Fascinating. Endless things to visit here. Endless textiles as well. Although organic cotton rarely makes its way into the Indian marketplace, natural dyes can be found here and there. Shop-keepers falsely claim synthetic dyes to be natural though, when I ask for naturally dyed items in regular shops. Caution always, in India, but there is some authenticity to be found with an educated and critical eye. Once you know it, the beauty of natural dyes cannot be mistaken.
Tomorrow I travel by train (hopefully in a chair!) to Delhi. First time to Delhi! Lots of places to visit there before flying to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Feb 7th (stream-lined the itinerary.)
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Originally posted on 2/2/07 by Leah
------------------------------------
If Goa was too soft, and Ahmedabad too hard, Pushkar was just right. I was there for 2 short days- just long enough to visit the Brahma temple, do some shopping (in the good name of research) and book onward travel tickets. (I finally booked a seat on a train- a wait-listed seat mind you, which means I could end up sitting on the luggage shelf above, which is also ok and a perfectly fine way to travel in India.) Pushkar is absolutely delightful, and I could have easily spent another 2 weeks there.
Now I am in Jaipur "The Pink City", in Rajasthan, and I have spent one full day here. Jaipur is famous for constant hassles from rickshaw drivers wanting to take you to their brother's/uncle's/cousin's hotel instead of the one you asked to be taken to, or wanting to take you on a full-sight-seeing tour instead of the one stop you want. I was given fair warning of this ahead of time and have used the don't-mess-with-me tone, and have had no problems.
Jaipur is also famous for blockprinting, and today I visited the Anokhi shop and textile museum. www.anokhi.com/html/anokhi_museum.html Fascinating information about hand blockprinting, natural dyes, as well as some information about chemical dyes and some of the history of it's use and environmental effects (not on the website but in their museum catalogue.) Also today I visited a museum park of massive sun dial instruments, built in the 1700's. Huge constructions used to measure time to the accuracy of 2 second increments, as well as giant dials used to identify and locate planets, and other instruments used to measure the angle of the sun throughout the seasons, etc. Fascinating. Endless things to visit here. Endless textiles as well. Although organic cotton rarely makes its way into the Indian marketplace, natural dyes can be found here and there. Shop-keepers falsely claim synthetic dyes to be natural though, when I ask for naturally dyed items in regular shops. Caution always, in India, but there is some authenticity to be found with an educated and critical eye. Once you know it, the beauty of natural dyes cannot be mistaken.
Tomorrow I travel by train (hopefully in a chair!) to Delhi. First time to Delhi! Lots of places to visit there before flying to Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Feb 7th (stream-lined the itinerary.)
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Originally posted on 2/2/07 by Leah
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