Jaipur + a new bedspread

Best part about living in India? Textiles, everywhere, for like $2.00. 

Just bought this hand block printed bedspread from my all time favorite store, Anohki. It's an amazing Indian brand known for paying their workers fair wages and reviving the ancient art of hand block printing native to Jaipur (in the north).

Don't mind the pathetic attempt at making the bed (can you tell I never do it), but seriously isn't this blanket so beautiful? Plus it's reversible, so it totally tides over my antsy decorating/lack-of-commitment-when-it-comes-to-picking-colors problem.

And the best part of all, Anokhi is affiliated with a hand printing museum in Jaipur, which I will actually be hopping on a plane to visit in t-minus 10 hours. So excited--no idea how I'm going to sleep tonight.

Here's a quick look at how they carve the wooden blocks and then print the fabric.

[photos via Cathy Teesdale]

Jaipur is known as the "Pink City", and is supposed to be out of control gorgeous. Get ready for lots of pictures and updates friends.


PS...Thank you all, so much for your insightful (and hilarious) comments about my previous post. I can't even begin to tell you how hard I was laughing while reading them. Lesson of the day: turmeric head--not to be attempted at home. 

The day everyone wore peach.

Living abroad always feels surreal for so many reasons. And when your abroad country is India, that surreality is multiplied by about 1.3 billion.

The day was like any other. The air was hot and muggy, the fish were dead and rotting, and then out of nowhere the streets were packed with ladies, dudes, and newborn babies, all wearing peach.

There was also lots of turmeric head going on. Turmeric head is a phenomenon I haven't quite fully grasped yet. It involves shaving one's head completely and then covering it in turmeric. Sometimes this includes covering the entire face as well. #noidea

Back to the peach. First thought, where am I. Second thought, wtf is going on and why didn't anyone tell me to wear orange.

 

Finally my curiosity got the best of me, and I asked a local lady what was going on. "Christian Holiday," she said.

Now, I'm no expert on Christianity, but I did grow up in the Bible belt US of A, and I don't ever remember an August holy day involving plastic Jesuses and marching.

Apparently the peach wearing will go on for the next 10 days, and there will be another storming of the streets on the 7th day. Additionally, giant masses of people are walking something like 350 kilometers to a pilgrimage spot near Pondicherry.

I'm Baha'i so I might have missed the memo, but if anyone out there can shed some light on what Christian denomination this is, I'd love to hear all about it.


*ps, a little look into my studio here. :) thanks Anabel!

Just a photo

Human lawnmower. Someone's gotta tell her there's a better way.


[photo by alkeemi]

[via Melody Ehsani]

The Dune

Looks like the India took pity on my whiny self and sent me some good karma (maybe it was for the cow painting I made it?).

On Saturday I was accepted into an artist residency at The Dune, an eco village and beach resort 1.5 hours outside of Chennai (insert exclamation point here).

What's an artist residency you ask? Only one of the greatest perks and hidden secrets of being an artist. Residencies are designed as little getaways where artists can live and work for an extended period of time, free of cost. The Dune has offered me my own bungalow right next to the beach, complete with a studio and outdoor shower. Here's a picture:

I've been accepted for the month of September, during which I will

a) swim everyday at the beach
b) swim everyday in their infinity pool
c) eat everyday fo free in one of their three restaurants, which source all their produce from an on-site organic farm
d) paint my heart out

And in case you're wondering, the hub can come too. Only he'll have to commute back and forth to work (kind of worth it I'd say).

Jealous? Don't be. Go read my previous post and remember how lucky you are not to live in a steaming pile of garbage/cow.

Here's to the month of September. :) Cheers friends!

It's all in the bag

In grad school we did this really fun assignment where we made documentary videos about the contents in each others purses/bags. The stuff we carry really does say so much about our lives, so I thought I'd let you have a look into mine. Also, if you're planning a trip to Southern India, this could be a useful list of must haves.

1. Toilet paper. I never ever ever leave the house without a roll. Southern Indians generally just have buckets of water next to their toilets, and I don't know about you, but water doesn't generally dry anything off for me. I was shocked to see that even in private homes people don't use toilet paper. Twice so far I've been stuck with nothing but the bucket + faucet, and let me just say, it was unpretty. And swampy. (Note: Chandigarh had lots of toilet paper, this is in regards to Southern India, namely Tamil Nadu)

2. Sunglasses. *So important*. The men here (Chennai) are not used to seeing Western dressed women and will burn holes through your clothing with their stares. A good pair of shades not only blocks the sun from your eyes, but also gives you a little privacy from lecherous looks.

3. Hand sanitizer. The rumors are true. India is dirty. We're talking Middle Ages, black plague style dirty. You're going to want to wash your hands, a lot.

4. Lip gloss. Self-explanatory.

5. Bobby pins, hair ties, clips. If you have longish hair (or really just hair at all), you're not going to want it touching you. My hair goes way up on top of my head where it chills out and doesn't stick to my neck. #worstfeelingever

6. Wallet. Duh.

7. Camera. For all the crazy things you are 100% going to see.

8. Phone. Duh.

9. Travel note book + a pen. I bought this one from an antique store for my brother and then liked it too much and never gave it to him (sorry D). Chances are you're going to pass something you'll want to remember or meet someone you'll want to see again.

10. A handkerchief (or any kind of fabric/cloth). When I first arrived the smell of Chennai was so bad I would gag, literally, in the middle of the street on an hourly basis. We'd be walking to dinner, gag. I'd be in a rickshaw, gag. On my way to the gym, gag. And by gag I mean, heave so badly I was 100% sure that at any moment I was going to throw up all over myself. I wish you could experience the smell, just to understand how good your life is right now. The smell isn't just like a little whiff of something unseemly. It's like a hot wave of putrid rotting diapers/fish mixed with urine, cow, and Indian armpit. In other words, if breathing is important to you, you're going to need something to cover your nose and mouth with.

11. Sunscreen. Nobody likes cancer.

12. A water bottle. Sometimes you'll wonder if you're sweating or melting? And since you're a woman, you'll need to be covered from collar bone to ankle and will sweat lots. It's a delicate balance though, because drinking too much can lead to needing to pee in a public restroom before you get home (never a good idea).

13. A pack of gum. Chances are you'll be really nauseous anytime you use transportation of any kind. Rickshaws are open to the elements so you're breathing in lots of exhaust and the above mentioned smells, plus it's really bumpy and the driving defies description. Gum can help you not vom.

What's in your purse? :)

FAQ's

Alright friends. You've been writing and asking, and I've been too busy cheating the gods to respond. So here are some quick answers for you.

Q. Why the f are you in India and how long will you be there?
A. My husband is a better person than I am and is doing microfinance research/saving the world. Meanwhile, I'm being an artist and making paintings/maybe making a documentary film on the microfinance research he's doing. I also have an artist residency coming up in September (more on that later). We'll be here until January 2012.

And here's a new painting in case you didn't believe me:

 Cholamandal, Beet juice, tea, and acrylic on paper, 9"x12", 2011

Q. Do you like India? You seem to be really whiny and spoiled.
A. I do actually, really like India. Unfortunately I don't like the city we're living in--hence the whining.

Q. You look Indian. But you said you're not Indian. Then you said you're great aunt lives in Punjab. Are you a dirty liar/What kind of brown are you?

A. Good question. Probably the most recurring question of my life. I'm Persian, which means from Iran. Both my parents were born in Tehran, but I was born and raised in Nashville, TN. As for my great aunt, she was adopted by an Indian family when she was 5 years old and grew up in Punjab. But that's a different story for a different day and a different blog.

Q. I live in India and we have strawberries, not rotten lettuce, and sewers where I live. Why are you making things up about my country?
A. Dear Indians from nice cities, kindly note that your country is massive and that your city is probably different than my city. I have no doubt that Bombay and Delhi have more to offer than Chennai. I'm unfortunately not making anything up--India never needs exaggeration. If anything I tone things down so people believe me.

Hope that answers all your queries dear readers. Feel free to ask anything and everything your heart desires--I'll do my best to answer. And thanks, as always, for reading along. :) Your questions and comments make this adventure so much more fun. xo.

Mahabalipuram

So happy to say I finally made my way to the beach town Mahabalipuram (try saying that three times really fast). It's about a 1.5 hour drive outside of Chennai, but is totally worth it for the swimmable beach!
 
The Shore Temple was by far the highlight of our visit. This incredible structure was built in 700 AD and is considered the earliest important structural temple in Southern India. Also, it's made entirely of finely cut granite, which is mind boggling.

The Temple has been classified a UNESCO World Heritage site, and recent excavations have revealed new structures underneath the sand.

My favorite part was touching the granite because it was so smooth from years and years of wear and tear. 

 
And then India decided I was having too good of a time a reared its smelly head.

Suddenly out of nowhere, a tiny bald woman wearing a face/oxygen mask + bandana pointed at me and screamed, "YOU ARE CHEATING THE GODS!"

Awesome. Still waiting for lightening to strike/praying for forgiveness. 

Pucker Up, Buttercup

With mango season ending and withdrawal symptoms kicking in, I knew I had to find something to replace my 50% mango mousse diet. 

Fortunately Emily Luchetti and her lemon cream recipe came to my rescue. Warning: this dessert might change your life/make you really fat. 

What you'll need:

4 lg. egg yolks
2 lg. eggs
About ¾ c. granulated sugar
½ c. lemon juice
1 c. heavy cream

If you live in a place other than southern India, please go buy 1 pt. strawberries and 1 pt. raspberries to use at the end. Nobody here has ever seen a berry.

 What you'll do: 

1. Whisk the yolks and eggs with ½ c. of the sugar and the lemon juice until smooth. Transfer to a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring continuously with a heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon, for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture thickens to a mayo-like consistency. (If the mixture gets lumpy at any point, whisk until smooth.)

2. Strain the lemon curd through a mesh sieve into a bowl and place plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Chill until cold, about 1 hour.

3. Whip the cream on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, fold the whipped cream into the chilled lemon curd.

4. Remove the stems from the strawberries (cut in half if they’re large). Put them in a medium bowl with 2 tbsp. sugar, and, with the back of a spoon, smash them a bit to break them up. Stir in the raspberries, smashing them up a little, too. Taste and add more sugar if wanted.

5. Spoon the lemon cream into glasses and top with the smashed berries.

I so sincerely wish I had a pretty picture to show you what it looks like at the end, but every time I make this, Ken and I finish all 6 servings within the hour.  So here's an aftermath photo instead.

[From Emily Luchetti via DailyCandy]

Kolam

Most days I try not to leave our apartment because of the mosquito herds + rotting fish smell, as noted in my last post. But on the days when I do brave the Indian elements, our Kolam drawing is the best part of my day.

Kolam is a traditional folk art in India and is practiced differently in each state. Here in Tamil Nadu, the drawings are made on the pavement outside of homes (kind of where a welcome mat would be in the States). Typically it's the woman's responsibility to draw them, but since we're in an apartment building, our caretaker Tulsi makes them.

The patterns are always beautiful and intricate and change daily. Initially I thought they were drawn with chalk, but recently I learned they're made with rice flour. Sometimes they'll even add color with natural spices like turmeric. Here's a peek at the entrance to our home....and our watchman, Supermania (that's actually his name).

 

And in case you want to read about what a normal day is like for me here in Chennai, hop on over to Rachel's beautiful blog and check out my "Typical Tuesday."

Happy weekend friends!

Chandigarh + a long lost Auntie

How were your weekends dear readers? I've been in Chandigarh for the past 5 days, hence the radio silence.

Chandigarh is in the northern state of Punjab and is the only planned city in the entire country (hah). It is so clean and not polluted I almost forgot I was in India.

My grandmother's older sister and her family live there, so I headed north for a visit. It was the first time I'd really spent time with them and was shocked at how similar my great aunt is to my grandmother. They are practically twins! Not to mention she's adorable and talks with a super high British accent. What other 89 year old woman do you know that can pull off strappy sandals like that? I mean, come on.

My auntie's house is like Anthropologie on crack. It's stunning. And she has a whole team of servants to do everything and anything for you. Need a shirt ironed? Done. Want some water? They'll bring it to you on a tray. Feel like a massage? You're in luck because their masseuse comes every Sunday. Ken was super distraught to hear all this--anticipating the ramifications of my new found level of spoiledness.

My 5 days with them were fabulous and went by entirely too fast. I was reminded of just how incredible my visit was when my plane landed in Chennai last night, and I was greeted by a swarm of mosquitoes and the smell of rotting fish.

Oh Tamil Nadu, how you charm me.


[photos via alkeemi]

Just a photo

All doors should look like this.

[photo by alkeemi]

"Noticeable Nobody"

A really worthwhile use of the next 13 minutes and 56 seconds of your life. Promise.




[Thank you Petra and Alessandra]

Palaces, Bazaars & Bangles

Turns out, the train ride was worth it (mostly). Hyderabad is flipping gorgeous.

 

To bring me back to life, Ken promptly took me to a palace (smart man). The Chowmahallah Palace is possibly the most beautiful thing I've seen in India. Modeled after the Shah of Iran's palace in Tehran, every last detail is fabulously opulent and over the top. Don't know why, but Persians just do royalty right (word to my people).

Thanks to the wonderful India Tube and some lady friends at Dakshina Chitra, we had a long list of sights to see and places to eat.

If you're planning a visit I'd recommend the Golconda Fort and the Shilparaman Craft Market. Skip the Salarjung Museum (India doesn't know how to take care of its paintings, so everything is deteriorating), and the Laad Bazaar was medium with nothing to buy other than plastic bangles. Also it's filled to the brim with beggars that b-lined my white man every chance they got.

We got home last night--this time via airplane, that brilliant modern marvel. And it took about 55 minutes. That's 15 hours and 5 minutes less than our arrival journey.

Lesson of the week: just say no to Indian trains.