18 January 2009
This is getting tricky. It’s hard to not get emotional about some pieces, especially when your eyes tell you something is special. Sometimes, even an underdog will stick in your mind.You’ll dream about it at night and when you look in the mirror the next morning you’ll vow to your reflection, “We’ll get it. I’ll fight for it.” And you remember that prom...
17 January 2009
These trips are about stamina and perseverance. It takes time, desire, wherewithal and creativity to find or create good things. Right now, we’re in search of a winner in Batubulan. Claudia and Glen know where to look. They’ve covered this area many times before. Their energy astounds me. It’s hot, sticky and frankly uncomfortable under the beating sun, but we keep going. &ldq...
16 January 2009
Things are different here. Like any good beach town, the island is full of bare-chested and barefoot civilians and lots of scooters. Life moves at a slower pace. Natives take the time to smile and offer warm-hearted greetings. Taxi drivers close and open doors for you. Life moves at a slower pace. Natives take the time to smile and offer warm-hearted greetings. Taxi drivers close and open doors...
14 January 2009
The India leg of the trip is over. Glen, Claudia, and I said farewell to Sandeep at the airport.I can’t say I feel melancholic about leaving India behind. We’ve gained a few extra pounds and a ton of baggage. A portion of the weight is from the rich Indian food, but there's also the baggage from recent acquisitions, some warm clothing from Claudia’s jaunt to Tibet, literature,...
12 January 2009
We are hunting for lingam shrines. We are taking pictures of every one we spot, and there are dozens. Glen and Claudia are doing research for a book they want Primitive to publish on lingams.A large portion of it will be photos, so the three of us plus Sandeep, Sataram, and our ill-equipped driver are trying to spot every single one we can find along the road.In my journal, I have notes from fi...
10 January 2009
I am surrounded by lingams in a man's house in a centuries old village called Bakawa on the banks of the Narmada River. You can't get here by car. We have come to see how lingams evolve. The man’s name is Sataram and lingams have been his family business for over 400 years. He lives with his wife, two daughters, and a son who is away at school.His house is simple – an outside kitche...
08 January 2009
Joe left to go back to Chicago at 2:00 AM. Right now, he’s probably flying over Europe heading towards Zurich, his layover. Now, without him our biggest problem is: Who will carry the camera? Claudia’s newest Canon gadget weighs about what a three-year-old should. It starts to feel like one too. It constantly needs attention. “Where’s the camera?” “Does it ha...
06 January 2009
It wasn’t until Sandeep, Glen, and Claudia called me from Jaipur. It has to be confessed, there is something inexplicably lonely about dining alone, especially dinner. Then everyone knows that you’re going back to an empty hotel room. However, I have one saving grace: my age. I’m twenty-one, but can pass easily for eighteen and get mistaken for it constantly. So tonight, inste...
05 January 2009
Today we are exploring carving made from Makrana stone. This is marble which comes from the quarries in Makrana, India. Claudia pointedly notes a difference between Indians and Americans. Because most Americans have not been exposed to this beautiful, pure white marble, they generally don’t understand its rarity and valueMakrana marble has three quality levels. The highest grade is pure w...
04 January 2009
Sitting at a vendor’s in Udaipur, I started my personal collection. Among shelves of knives, I spotted a pair of brass tweezers with a peacock on top. It was used to pull wicks from oil lamps so one could avoid getting their hands dirty. I was led to believe it was a tool used and made for royal ladies. While Joe chatted at length with the owner about Damascus steel, I continued to peruse...