Don't Be Last

NORCAL

This past weekend I loaded my i-Pod with new music, bought the box set of David Sedaris books on tape and jumped in my car (which I love like a husband) and drove up to San Francisco to see my friend Sophie, who has been working up north for three months. Our goal was to eat a ton of food, go to the Alameda Flea market, laugh, talk about art and gear up for some holiday shopping. We accomplished every one of our goals including one of those laughs that makes your face distort and tears run down your face and several days or months later you will think of it and laugh like it just happened!  All I will have to say is “Vancouver” and I know Sophie will laugh her head off for the rest of our lives.

I love the drive from LA to SF there is something dangerous and old time-y about cruising through the Grapevine and sharing that stretch of road with 18 wheelers. The miles and miles of yellow hills against the blue sky never gets old to me. When the landscape changes and the California oaks start mingling with the evergreens you know it is only a matter of time before you get here:

Our first night we went to a delicious dinner at Delphina’s.They have three restaurants in SF. We went to the pizzeria the following night. 

Try the meatballs, the brussels sprouts and the prosciutto and arugula pizza…you will be happy you did. We both throughly enjoyed the pomegranate Bellini as well.

Sunday we got up early-ish and headed to the Alemeda Flea Market. It is gigantic and has some great things. The prices are good too. One outstanding feature are the food trucks on either end and you can get great food anytime you are there. I had a fantastic sticky bun and Sophie had a cheese and sausage bread stick. Perfect fuel for flea marketing.

I got this vintage hat that is perfectly messed up and the ribbon is frayed like a critter gnawed on it while I was sleeping on my saddle under the stars. It was twenty American dollars…score! I always feel a little silly in hats…like I have a siren on my head… but LOVE them on other people…I am making a move to be a hat wearer.

The rug was a great find as well. Navaho most likely 20’s or 30’s with a beautiful design and in great condition. It is my first Navaho rug and I have loved them for years. Why have I waited so long?

After the market we zipped over to Napa to have lunch at the Oxbow Public Market which has several merchants with delicious food, coffee and sweets. We had tacos at   C Casa and an insane salted milk chocolate caramels from Annette’s Chocolates.

There is an antique shop in the market called Heritage and they have gorgeous things. Not quite the bargains of the flea market but I love what I got. 

I am toying with the idea of cooking more and entertaining as well so I grabbed the Lollipop cutting board to serve cheese and crackers to my future imaginary guests.  The bottle opener I couldn’t leave behind because it also has an ice pick on it!  

My family is coming for Christmas and pop overs are a big thing in my family so I was thrilled to find a vintage popover pan so they will pop perfectly. Below is my grandmother’s recipe that we have been using for years.

Before I hit the freeway I stopped in to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and saw the Richard Serra show and the Francesca Woodman show. The perfect end to a wonderful weekend and then I drove really fast all the way home.

home again, home again jigitty jig

I arrived home safe and sound with the feeling a balloon had been blown up and left inside my head. For the next 3 days I hunkered down with my dog, Big Time, who wouldn’t leave my side, and watched movies, drank tea and fell asleep every night before the early bird special is served.

I have been trying to figure out how to sum up my trip. I  have rolled the “I went to India and had an epiphany” cliche around my head enough. I believe I went to India at a perfect time for me. A course of events prior to my departure left me open to any experience I was about to encounter. So something shifted, something happened but I am not exactly sure what. 

I will leave you with some impressions. The people of India are unforgettable. They are very welcoming and friendly and instantly smile when you look at them. They want you to like India, see India and they don’t seem to want to hide the less attractive parts…it is all India and they love India.

Allergies. I was protected against Hepatitus, Typhoid, Polio and Malaria. Nobody mentioned allergies. India is very dusty and has some pollution issues. Bring allergy medication if you go. 

Tight clothing. Don’t wear it. There is a reason Indian people dress the way they do other than religious reasons. It is really hot there and you will want to wear easy breezy cottons that breathe and flow. If you wear shorts and a t-shirt you will just look silly. Leave all your black at home too. I bought more prints and vibrant colors while I was there than I have in my entire lifetime.

Come up with your version of the above and you will be golden.

Sweet Lahsi is a yogurt drink they make there. I had one every single day I was in country. Drink it. It is good and good for you…it will boost your probiotics which you will be taking too, if you are wise.

When you get them on the street they come in terra cotta cups that you throw away. They do this because it is more hygienic. This was the only thing I ate on the street.

I love her. Bring a shawl you will need it. It is chilly in the morning and the evening. 

When you next buy something that says hand made…think of this picture and know it was. 

next time you are griping because you hate your job and it is hard…think of this picture and know it isn’t.

COW FIGHT!!! The only aggressive-ish behavior I saw from an animal.

The animals that live on the streets in India are amazing. Cows, dogs, pigs and monkeys all sharing the road with trucks, cars, buses, rickshaws, scooters, bikes, people and they never get hit! They mosey around and get where they need to go as does everyone else. Made me a little bit embarrassed for our “domesticated” animals that have everything and still sometimes act like crazy fools. At least mine does. 

In closing what I want to say is… travel if you can. It does not have to be far away but it is always good to leave your comfort zone and discover a new side of the world and yourself. I think you will be happy you did.

This post concludes the India series of Don’t Be Last.  I loved doing the blog when I was away because it made me feel connected to friends and family at home. It also gave me an opportunity to tell the stories of my trip each day and get them out of my head so I could be clear for the next day. I will continue the blog now that I am at home and fill it with things that inspire me or catch my eye. 

Thanks for checking in.

Susie

Farewell India

After we left the villages K.D., Brehem and I drove about 30 minutes outside of town to go on a night safari. I figured if I can go of course looking for a tiger then night safari would be the next natural step. Again your choice…courageous or stupid?

These four were walking home so we gave them a ride. The guy to the left is smoking a pipe. He is not jamming on his Indian harmonica. Their house was about 13 miles down the road.

Heading home after a long day.

Fading light.

This is at the highest point in the park. On the other side of the wall is a 2,000 foot drop. It was a 3/4 moon so, at my suggestion, K.D. turned the headlights off and we drove in the moonlight. Who am I becoming?? It was peaceful and gorgeous up there. We all sat in silence for a long while. 

The crew, L to R;  Brehm was my driver for 6 days. Somehow he knew to grab my camera and take pictures of me. How can someone know you so well after only six days? Ranger Man, for the life of me I cannot remember his name, even though he told me, he got us into the park and told me to come back for another night safari when I come back to India, Deal, Ranger Man. Lastly, K.D. the leader of our adventures…he made sure I saw as much of Ranthambore as I could and it was all unforgettable.

Tea at the ranger station after the safari. Although we didn’t see tigers or leopards…we did almost hit a giant male Blue Buck as it ran across the road, we saw two foxes and a bunch of rabbits who, like the deer in India, were gigantic and it was all fantastic!

These two days were among my favorites of the trip which is saying a lot because it has been a truly wonderful trip.

I spent the day in Dehli with my new friend, Shanti, shopping and then lunch at the Dehli Golf club…very old school. Then I went to meet Vivian’s family at his home before coming to the airport. I know you don’t know these people but I have made friends here that I am sure to have for the rest of my life…it is just the way it is here. 

I am now in the airport lounge waiting for my flight home. I will give myself the 20 hour journey home to reflect on this incredible trip and be back in touch when I am state side. 

Good night.

It takes a village

Priceless.

K.D. took me to a local village in the afternoon. It was a holiday so the women and children were all home. Then men were in town drinking tea which is where, K.D. tells me, they usually are even when it is not a holiday. They welcomed me into their homes and everyone wanted their picture taken.

Mr Groovy shirt and necklace. 

Mr. Waves wanted his picture taken every second. 

Mr. Red Pants was laughing because he had just shaken the bed where his sister was sleeping and she woke up…ALL the children burst out laughing and the baby didn’t even cry, she just woke up.

This is her 3 seconds after her brother shook her out of a deep sleep. 

Best friends.

These boys made this truck out of things they found in the street. It is actually a drill and has a battery attached so the drill bit moves. 

Mother and her 2 week old son. 

Tandem bike…sort of.

Every time I held the camera up everyone would make a serious face and as soon as the camera clicked they would break into a smile. Funny. 

This was one of the best parts of my trip.

Safari Creatures

I arrived in Ranthambore Sunday afternoon. After my three hour journey I jumped into a jeep and went to the national park to go on safari. Ranthambore is a preserve for tigers, lepoards, a several kinds of deer and antelope.

  

I know what you were thinking, “Deer!?! Big deal about a deer.” Now what are you thinking, dear? This chap, a Sambha deer, was slightly smaller than an elk and is a favorite food of the tigers. He was about 20 feet from the jeep.

Before and after shots. Call me a heathen but I looked for the horns to stick in my suitcase.

Antelope. As big as a small horse or as some call it… a pony. Oh give me a home big enough to have horse-sized antelope roam…sing it.

Blue Buck mama and her baby. Again…huge. The males are a grey-ish blue. The British named them Blue Buck during their tenure… most likely because their name in Hindi is impossible to say. I say, good thinking! (funny if you use British accent)

Our friend the Lemur (sp. available in the 78 copies of National Geographic in your book shelf ) monkey prefers towns and cities to the parks. One guide told us they will sit on roof tops, climb down through windows, jump in and open the refrigerator and steal food. We saw them in Udaipur tearing out of window with food in hand. As you can see these fellas were one foot away from the rangers station.

We searched and searched the first day to find a tiger. I kept trying not to look but searching and praying I would see one. Finally the sun was going down and we had to leave. I woke up at 5:45 the next morning to be at the park by 7:00. We started on the other side where a mother and her two cubs have been seen several times.

I had this conversation in my head all morning, “It is ok if I don’t see a tiger. I saw all those cool deer! It is enough to be in this beautiful place, seeing a new part of the world, breathe, be in the moment, breathe, it is the journey not the outcome. Breathe, breathe, breathe. I WANT TO SEE A TIGER SO BADLY!!!! GOOD GOD PLEEEEASE, LET ME SEE A TIGER!!! Susie! Stop thinking about it!! Look how stunning the landscape is! Breathe, breathe, breathe.”

For two and a half hours I had that streaming conversation in my head. Then 30 minutes before we had to leave the park there was a jeep stopped and pointing, my guide’s brother, we pulled up and waited. As we waited other jeeps and trucks, w/upwards of 15 people in each, came by and waited to. At one point there must have been 70 people waiting and looking. Peaceful. We waited longer. All but 4 jeeps left and we made a plan to go off course and get closer to the tiger. Our jeep went out for recon. For a girl who is always afraid I will get in trouble…I was 100% game for rolling straight into a sleeping tiger in an open air jeep w/ no doors. Courageous or stupid…you decide. 

After dodging a few tree branches, big rocks and half-fallen trees, I turned my head left and… 

 He was gorgeous. I took my pictures then K.D. called the other jeeps over. The tiger never moved. I grabbed the binoculars and stared at him for as long as I could. He seemed to be looking right at me and his eyes were a deep gold color. I will never forget them. He was a deeper orange than I thought he would be…terra cotta and the white of his fur was cloud white. The other jeeps raced over and everyone took his picture. I watched him shift his gaze from person to person and wondered if he was considering what all the fuss was about and why were people always staring at him? He was just a tiger taking his morning nap. It made me think of my dinner last night.

My hotel is very small. There were 3 tables of people eating dinner, a couple from England, an Indian family of six and me. During my soup course the ladies at the Indian table, who were sitting with their backs to me, one by one turned all the way around to stare at me. Then they started talking in Hindi and one by one the men started staring. Not glancing, long un-waivering looks. This is not the first time this has happened to me. I travel by myself most of the time and it can be amazing and awful.  I knew they were talking about me and wondering what I was doing here in the middle of the Indian jungle by myself. I started thinking the same thing and felt a bit anxious and wished like hell I could will my super fantastic husband to the empty seat beside me. In the next moment it dawned on me how fortunate I am to have the freedom to be here by myself.     And, to be perfectly clear, when I say freedom I do not mean money … I mean freedom.

One of the many insights I have gleaned from this trip is an understanding on a deeper level how free I am.  Yes, we women of the U.S. still have our struggles and a long road to go but we have the most amazing gift of being able to follow our hearts and minds and make choices for our lives… something millions of women around the world never get to do. Take heed, my sisters, and be thankful everyday and never stop believing we can go further and in the process inspire women all around the world that they can too.

Aban, one of the Indian women, came to my table during dessert to say hello. She asked me where I was from, what I did for a living and was I here alone? I happily answered all her questions. She and her family live in Mumbai, are in steel and oil and are involved in the arts in Mumbai. They were here with their daughter and son-in-law and his parents. She was very friendly and I appreciated her coming over. She asked if I had been on safari and if I had seen a tiger. I said yes and not yet. She told me her daughter had seen a tiger on her safari that morning.               I wanted to say, “Now, Aban, she has seen two.”

Afternoon

Once upon a time there was a girl named Susie, who was a waitress FOREVER!!

Then she created a jean that became famous over all the lands.

This is Princess Diya of Jaipur. We had tea today and a long conversation about the empowerment of women in the world, trekking in the mountains of India and the importance of a woman having friends. She is a J Brand gal… as are many women in India I am discovering.

After our visit to the palace we went to see Munnu Kasilwal.  He and his brother Sanjay operate their family business, Gem Palace, that has been in Jaipur since 1852. He is showing some of his creations.

Munnu gave us a quick tour of the factory in the building where he creates one of a kind pieces. These men are shaping the stones. Most have been taught the craft by their fathers.

Shaping.

This man is blowing through tube in his mouth to create a concentrated area of heat to mold the metal he is shaping. Crazy.

Waiting to be strung.

Who’s a princness now?

morning

This morning we got up very early to take an elephant ride through the village of Nyla.

It was a perfect opportunity to get off the streets of the city and see what the villages are like behind them. We were met by many children in the village most of whom spoke English and were getting ready to go to school…on Saturday. 

“Hello, Muum!”, they kept saying that. It was fantastic.

Handsome Harry.

Rady and me on Anarkali. She is 35 years old. I am not. 

It is hard to take pictures on top of an elephant because you are rocking back and forth and it is a long way down. The people in the village came out of their houses to wave and say hello. 

How about that turban!?! So gorgeous. I took about 17 versions of this picture.

Field.

One.

Two and Three.

Special

I had to create a single post for this image. I have tried to get this pictures 27 times and today the opportunity presented itself. You see this hundreds of times a day in India. Whole families with teeny tiny children on a motorcycle. It is not to be believed.

How adorable is this family!!

It is different to be here without the group. The culture shock has worn off and I am seeing an different view of India. I now feel very comfortable here. I am looking past the obvious and seeing the people and the way of life…as much as I can for being here for 12 days.  It really is an amazing country. Today I knew this would not be my last trip here.

Jaipur ride home

I tried a new thing today, since my personal photographer is landing in Seattle any minute, I just held the camera out the window and took random shots as we were whipping through the streets.

Move your foot!
She is so beautiful and you can see her in her son.
Home from the market.Everyone here is very affectionate. Rady told me friends are considered brothers and sisters. Trucks, cars, motorcycles, scooters, bicycles, people, dogs, cows, monkeys and pigs everyone shares the road.Taxis too.Ray of sunshine.

O solo me-o

I am not utterly alone. I have a lovely companion named Rady who is a jewelry designer from Dehli. She is with me on these few days in Jaipur to make sure I get to every shopping destination possible. We are achieving our mission and having a great time doing it. 

The best thing about Rady is she is a young, self-sufficient woman working and living in Dehli. She lived in Dublin, Ireland for 10 years and is truly happy to be back in India these last 3 years. She is giving me the perspective of this country from a peer which is fascinating.

We hit many stores today and i will share with you my favorite.

Ridhi Sidhi Textiles.  

men at work.

the blocks.

They make new fabric and (of course) in the shop I went straight to the pile of vintage blankets they had. Mahesh insisted he take me to the warehouse where he had many more for me to see.

No truer words were ever spoken…and to the right lady I might add.

 This was one pile I looked through. I won’t tell you how many I did look through.

Did you know that in India they believe that if you bring someone 10 pieces of something you should add 1 more for luck. It goes on like that with 21, 31, 41…etc..

Needless to say these are my 31 vintage Indian blankets. Merry Christmas, Happy Birthday, Best wishes or ‘That will be $500.00, please.’

Mahesh gave us a tour of the whole place. These women are making jackets and bags out of the blankets. 

They were very sweet and showing me all the things they were making. 

I had to force myself to leave!

I LOVE that kind of place!! If I had stayed it would have been 111 vintage Indian blankets.

Hammer closing

I believe that if you think you might want to marry someone you should get in a car and go on a road trip with them for, at minimum, a week. By the end of that week you will know if you can live with that person for the rest of your life. 

If you want to become life long friends with someone pick a country far far away, have jet lag, get on a bus everyday, see beautiful things, get stuck in traffic, meet wonderful people, sit on the tarmac for 2 hours, see more beautiful things, don’t have time to exercise, laugh your heads off, get low blood sugar, see more beautiful things and have your life be changed forever.

the crew…

 

Our last night in Dehli…

The Poddar’s home.

Lekha and Anupam Poddar

the last supper.

We returned to the hotel to an engagement party…

i wonder if they have ever been on a road trip?

Dehli

We arrived in Dehli after a long flight delay and a trifecta flirtation with a international body guard that had me swirling like a whirling dervish! It was like being in a Bond movie.

In Dehli we are visiting more galleries and artist studios.  

We all look very serious but… Renu Modi, with her back to us, is the director of Gallery Espace. She was talking about, Zarina, an artist she represents, that we were all very interested in. She had a lovely dinner for us at her beautiful home afterwards. 

  

A piece by Rajani Shettar at Talwar Gallery.

A piece by Jagannath Panda. First tigers, then elephants, later cows, now goats…the animal lovers in all of us we crazy for this guy!

We also visited Subodh Gupta’s and Bharti Kher’s studios. They preferred we not take photos. Google them…you wont be disappointed. 

Dori and David in a piece at the Devi Foundation.

Some other images in and on the way to Dehli…

Man walking at beautiful tomb in Dehli.

Snakes On a Plane…Snakes In A Parking Lot. 

stunning.

 

mother and daughter.

laundress.

Taj

All the public places have separate lines for men and women. Sometimes women and high value women.

It took 22 years to build the Taj Mahal. Taj means beauty, Mahal means palace.

It is amazing.

You have to cover your feet when you go inside. 

Pictures cannot express how impressive this is. We woke up early to be there when it opened at 6:30 am. We watched the sunrise while we were there. 

Ruth’s view

Some random shots from Ruth…

Hey there fancy lady!

I am sure at some point I had a crush on this guy.

Now I want a cow of my very own.

World Of Interiors

This one doesn’t have a runny nose.

This is RUTH!!!!! Yeah, Ruth, thank you for sharing your talent!!!

In the Wild!

Our hotel in Jaipur was in the middle of nowhere. We got to see a bit of the country side AND the BEST part was 3 kilometers away is a tiger and lion rehabilitation center. At five o’clock in the morning they start talking. It was incredible to wake up to those sounds. It made me very happy. India has banned using tigers and lions in the circus so they come to this place to get strong and healthy and then they are sent to Ranthambore an animal sanctuary where they will live in the wild…the protected wild but wild none the less. I will be in Ranthambore at the end of my visit.

Sleepy time Joe.

After the lions and tigers we went to the palace and rode elephants up to the top. It was hilarious.  From my perspective, the elephants were better than the palace. 

Dori and Charles.

Alex and Erica.

Susie and Susan. I am trying to take over Susan’s personality or at the very least morph into her. Our beautiful elephant kept throwing her trunk from side to side and splattering me with inside elephant trunk what-have-you and after the fourth time I said to Susan;

” I am covered in elephant snot!”

She said, “Oh dear, I haven’t had any get on me because you are acting as my sheild.”

10 seconds later our girl (the elephant, not Susan) swooped her trunk the far right, missing me, and showering Susan with elephant snot. She literally had spots on her t-shirt. We were laughing so hard we almost fell off the elephant.

At the end of the trip there were no hard feelings as our girl reached up to say goodbye to Susan and me. 

Everyone on this trip is animal crazy so we could have gone home at this point and been thoroughly happy.