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...
03 January 2009
I’ve learned things rarely go as planned, especially on buying trips. Joe and I searched for Pichvais all day and returned to our hotel with nothing. We went where we were directed and came up empty-handed. The only thing that remains conclusive is we are in the wrong place.Claudia reassured me over the phone that this sort of certainty is not without value. “Now, we know where not ...
02 January 2009
I swear we spend close to half our energy making travel arrangements. Today, the team has been divided. Glen and Claudia left early this morning for the Himalayas in northern India to investigate the possibility of a Primitive bottled water brand. Joe and I remained in Delhi for a leisurely breakfast. Afterwards, we flew to Rajasthan, one of India’s most colorful states, hot on the trail ...
01 January 2009
Later, in Old Delhi I am wearing diamonds so big and heavy I announce, “I need to go to the gym so I can lift my ring.” Claudia laughs and says, “That’s going in the blog.” Over lunch (chicken masala, dosas, and rice) we see bag after bag of diamonds. Without warning the power goes out and Glen, smiling, rhetorically asks, “Who would think this is possible?&r...
31 December 2008
We’re looking for a feel. Or, is it, we’re feeling for a feel? We are sorting through hundreds of silver plaque amulets in one of Delhi’s obscure markets. Claudia notes, “They’re not as good as they used to be.” Glen looks up and adds, “We’ll just have to look harder.” After a long time, we end up picking out 147 for further consideration.Jo...
30 December 2008
This time of year, Delhi is enveloped with fog. It hangs in the air all day, and at night enters into the hotel lobby. Like Chicago, it's winter, but it's not a Chicago winter. The evenings are cool, not bitterly cold, and the four of us wear jackets.Glen, Claudia, and Joe had begun the trip much earlier. Glen left for China. Claudia and Joe traveled to Kathmandu and Tibet. We all met up in Del...