Sep, 10 2010 10:52:52 PDT Sep, 10 2010 10:52:52 PDT en-us Worldwide Handicrafters, Native Artisans, Worldwide Artisans Artisan Handicrafts from the heart and soul of artisans artisanhandicrafts.com merlinSE.com RSS generator http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/ Website News :: current Nathu la- Trading Cigarettes at the Old Silk Route Pics and text by Sanjay Austa Nathu La is the highest mountain pass which has the famed Old Silk Route between India and China. Trade and business flourished between the two countries from this pass a long time ago. Today it is primarily an Indian army establishment on one side and Chinese across the barbed wire fence. Apart from the view of the snow-capped Himalayan Peaks and the glory of the Silk route #44 the close proximity of the Chinese Posts here are a major attraction for the tourists. A Sign Post Pointing to the Old Silk Route to China However for me it was the along- the- route scenery that was the major plus of a visit to Nathu La. Till Gangtok the capital of Sikkim #44 the climb was gradual but beyond it #44 it became more undulating and steeper. We started out at 6am. We were travelling in an old army jonga. It was a 1988 model jeep the driver informed me. He added with pride that it guzzled three litres of fuel per kilometre. Nathu La at 4300 meters is formidable height and I wondered if the old jonga had enough horsepower to make the ascend. The jonga gave no trouble. It was the driver who almost gave up on us when he began to complain of a headache after reaching an altitude of 3000 meters. He informed us he was from Hydrabad and had never been to a hill station before. The lack of oxygen was affecting him but thankfully it did not show on his driving. Chinese and Indian Soldies at Nathu La Border After 35 kilometres of steady ascent from Gangtok you come across the beautiful Changu Lake. It is situated at 3780meter and fed by small streams flowing down from the mountains. From here Nathu La is only 20 kilometres away and after going over a few loops in the mountain one can see Nathu La in the distance. Nathu La is located on a barren mountain whose flanks are craggy. There is very little oxygen at this altitude to sustain any vegetation. Indian flags flutter at Indian Post in Nathu La The Chinese posts are a big draw for the tourists. Especially because there is always an opportunity of an informal interaction with the Chinese soldiers across the barbwire fence. The two young Chinese soldiers we met knew neither Hindi nor English apar Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=24 Website News :: archived The Lady-Chefs: Pictures and text by Sanjay Austa It is a strange irony that though the kitchen has been the woman #39s domain in Indian homes since times immemorial #44 it is the gaggle of male cooks led by a portly male chef what makes up the kitchen of the fancy Indian hotels. Here the female presence is frowned upon and should a female become a cook #44 eyebrows are raised. Females in hotel kitchens are regarded with almost the same mistrust as a female behind the wheel. Little wonder not many women have ventured into this profession in India. In fact #44 one can count the female chefs on the fingers of one hand. Three of them happened to be in New Delhi. Says Manisha #44 executive chef ast Hotel Marriott #44 Delhi #44 #34In this line it is a lot harder for a female to make it to the top. It #39s a lot smoother for males. A female not only has to work harder but longer. She constantly has to prove herself #34 #44 she says. Chef Manisha But this may be the lament of any career women in any profession in India. However #44 working in the all-male kitchen is different. Says Veena Arora #44 Senior Thai Consultant and Master Chef at the Imperial Delhi #44 #34Most of the men working in the kitchen are not very well educated. They are usually course #44 brusque and pass lewd remarks. This is quite a bit of harrassment when you are younger #34 #44 she says. Chef Vanita Arora Neeta Nagraj #44 corporae chef at Hotel Vasant Continental #44 says one has to develop a thick skin. #34You can #39t sprout abuses if the men in the kitchen are doing so. You just have to learn to ignore and get on with your work #34 #44 she says. Things are however changing. More and more youngsters entering the kitchen line are graduates and have a diploma from a reputed hotel management institutes to boot. They share all the niceties and mannerisms of the hotel front-office attendants. The image of chefs in general has changed. From the mere bavarchis of yesterday to the glamorous page-three regulars today #44 chefs now command both respect and attention. Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=22 Website News :: archived Fitness Mania and Fitness Instructors Pictures and Text by Sanjay Austa Not many years ago hardly anyone heard of them in India. There were a rare breed of professionals who catered to the rich and the beautiful. Popular Bollywood film star Sanjay Dutt had one #44 so did Aishwarya Rai. But if an ordinary Indian wanted to be fit #44 he went for a morning jog or to the local gym where he helped himself to an array of machines or subjected himself to the whims of the gym boy #44 who doubled up as a trainer and cleaner. Not today. Fitness in India is now a whopping 2000 crore industry. Fitness experts being the lynchpin. They are upwardly mobile #44 educated #44 and have the requisite degree or experience and know all the ins and outs of keeping one in shape. They teach us how to lose that extra flab #44 how to do those stomach crunches without straining our spinal column #44 from what angle to fit the weights #44 in short how to exercise the proper scientific way. They have #44 after all #44 studied the human anatomy meticulously in exclusive fitness instituties. No wonder every urban Indian wants to have them. The middle-rung executive #44 stressed out CEOs #44 the portly politician #44 the self-conscious student #44 the middle-aged housewife - anybody who wants to be healthy and can pay for it. At home or at the gym #44 having a trainer is the latest status symbol of urban India #44 thanks to the increasing awareness about the importance of keeping healthy. Take Kiran Sawhney #44 a successful fitness trainer from New Delhi #44 for instance. Her perfect hour-glass figure is an ideal for the women clients who hire her. She teaches at two sports clugs. Aerobic in one and aqua-aerobics in another. Besides the clubs #44 she has over six personal clients which include executives of a big company. #34If you have the credentials #44 you are in demand #34 #44 she says. The credentials include a degree or diploma in fitness training from a reputable institute. Topping them all in India is Reebok #39s Fitness Centre. The Reebok training centres are in the four metropolitan cities #44 including New Delhi. The Reebok #39s centre has an intensive three-month fitness programme where learning the various exercise steps is only a small part. The thrust is on holistic knowledge about the human body and its functions. There is a tough written test at the end of three months along wit Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=21 Website News :: archived Text and pics by Sanjay Austa The Taj Mahal may be one of the architectural wonder #39s of the world but not many people know that The Golden Temple at Amritsar records more visitors than the famous Mughal Monument every year. Also known as Harminder Sahib #44 the Golden Temple is the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith and receives millions of visitors both domestic and foreign every year. What makes it the most frequented sites is the fact that most of the Indian diaspora living in Europe #44 America and elsewhere are either Punjabis (from the state of Punjab) or they profess the Sikh faith. So each year when they visit the country of their birth they make it a point to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple. Golden Temple enshrines the holiest book of the Sikh faith-the Guru Grant Sahib. Golden Temple is also one of the most-favoured tourist destinations for foreign tourists. The serenity and the calmness in the atmosphere and the beauty of the Golden Temple glimmering in the middle of a water body draws everyone. The Golden Temple was built by Guru Arjan (the fifth guru 1581-1606). The temple #39s architecture draws from both Hindu and Muslim styles and yet is unique to itself. The central dome and the upper half of the walls of the temple are covered with gold leafed copper sheets. During the time of Maharaja Ranjit Singh (1780-1839) #44 marble sculptures #44 golden gilding #44 and large quantities of precious stones were added to the temple. Within the sanctuary of the temple #44 on a jewel-studded platform #44 lies the Guru Granth Sahib. The pool surrounding the temple is fed by an underground spring. Pilgrims immerse themselves in the water as part of their visit to the temple -- a symbolic cleansing of the soul. Need more information? Send Email Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=18 Website News :: archived Pics and text by Sanjay Austa Salim #44 is a 12 year old boy of a man who makes his living picking rags from Delhi #39s streets. But Salim is also an actor and has played the protagonist in #39Little Terrorist #39 #44 a film nominated for the Oscars in 2005 in the Best Live Action Short Film category. Written #44 directed #44 edited and produced by Ashvin Kumar #44 the film was about a 10 year old Pakistani boy who crosses into Indian border to retrieve his cricket ball and is given shelter by an elderly orthodox Hindu Brahmin as the border personnel launch a manhunt for him. Salim and his brothers with their ragpicking father #34I got to know about selection of #39Little Terrorist #39 for Oscars from the newspapers he says sitting in his dingy slum home in Jehangpuri #44 New Delhi. Initially #44 when Salim told his father Muhammad Kalan about his selection in the film and acting stint #44 his father found it hard to believe. #34When I showed him the newspaper with my photograph from the film #44 he said anybody can get his picture printed #44 #34 Salim recollects. But when Kalan saw him being interviewed on a local television #44 he had to believe him. Kalan and his family have not been able to watch #39Little Terrorist #39 because the compact disc (CD) Salim brought #44 did not run on the rented CD player. He thanks the day when Salim got lost and landed up at Salam Baalak Trust #44 a non-governmental organisation where Salim has been enrolled for nine years. It was during a Muharram rally that Salim got lost near New Delhi railway station in 1996. He spent two nights under the open sky with an empty stomach. Fortunately a teacher working with Salaam Baalak Trust #44 which runs four childrens #39 homes in Delhi #44 spotted him at the station and brought him to the trust. The trust was able to find his parents only two years later. But his father withdrew from the school and got him into rag picking with him. The Trust then decided to take care of Salim. The trust #44 headed by filmmaker Mira Nair #39s mother Praveen Nair trains its homeless children in theatre. Salim acted in a number of television dramas before Ashvin Kumar picked him to play the #39Little Terrorist #39. Salim #44 the 12-year-old actor The film was shot in Rajasthan for seven days. Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=17 Website News :: archived Girls are a Boon #44Boys a Liability in this ancient village where prostitution is family business. By Sanjay Austa As I travel India sourcing handicrafts for Artisanhandicrafts.com #44 I often see many cultural and family traditions that are worth mentioning. When I find artisans #44 their handicrafts always reflect their beliefs #44 traditions and customs. Both the handicrafts and the customs have characteristics that are always memorable. Here is a small community in Badias. They celebrate the birth of girls and consider boys a curse #44 sometimes taking the extreme step of male infanticide. This small community called the Badias #44 spread in small pockets in and around Agra in Uttar Pardesh #44 India #44 has turned the stereotypical Indian middle-class obsession with boys on its head. The girls are a preference as the Badias have been in the business of prostitution since the Mughal Times. It is believed that they were especially brought in to Agra by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to entertain the engineers #44 labourers #44 artisans and other workmen employed in the construction of the Taj Mahal. More recently the girls from this community contributed hundreds of its girls to the Mumbai dance-bars. Though the girls deny it #44 it is alleged that more than 80 percent of these dance-bar girls moonlight as prostitutes. #39 #39 They don #39t think its bad. It is their family tradition and custom and they have been doing it from generations #39 #39 #44 says Gulab Singh SP Agra. The Badias are spread in Agra and its outskirt villages including Dhok village #44 Koralakala and Champura. However it is in Basai #44 a small settlement on the fringes of Agra city where the majority of the Badias live. It was an open secret that the Badias are into the flesh trade and even the Badias made no effort to hide the fact. However over the last few years the police have been cracking down on the Badias #44 arresting girls on charges of prostitution #44 so the Badia lie low and do not openly profess their trade. Need more information? Please send email #44 and we will be happy to help you. Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=14 Website News :: archived Bust out the champagne #44 because India is the number two sexiest country in the world #44 according to an international sex survey. Number one is Brazil #44 which beats out India by 0.2%. France? Too smelly. United States? Too Christian. Thailand? Well #44 lets just say a little class beats out under-aged #44 transvestite prostitutes at the airport any day. Here is an excert from the Times of India: In a new global survey conducted through ThisIsTheLife.com #44 over 3 #44000 people gave their opinion on issues related to dating #44 romance and sex appeal in the modern world. The survey that ran in conjuction with Chivas Regal 12 Scotch Whisky also delivered the results that India is considered the second sexiest nation in the world only .2 per cent behind festive Brazil. Traditionally romance is still hot on the agenda for most couples around the world with 42 per cent ideally aiming for their own slice of paradise with sunsets and moonlit strolls.... So there is something to say about tradition after all. So what was it that makes India so sexy? Is it the world-famous Kama Sutra? Sultry Bollywood babes? Or is it the strong cultural currents of traditional romance? I dont know. But I do know this: those girls are hot. I am Indian. So why do you think India is sexy? Or is it not? Sign in at www.artisanhandicrafts.com and send in your comments. Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=12 Website News :: archived The essence of Indian culture is depicted and represented in gems and jewels lending each piece an individual character. Traditional ethnic jewellery is usually made to withstand time and is therefore generally fabricated from heavier materials to make it robust and add vitality. Fusion Fashion. Jewellery in India has been an intrinsic part of India #39s socail #44 cultural and economic identity from time immemorial. Today #44 the trend is not of a specific style or look #44 it is in an age of a fusion of styles - an amalgamation of new designs and old techniques that has given rise to the new age #39Art Jewellery #39. Fine Art. What sets jewellery attractive and apart from the rest is its fine workmanship. Long years of training and its dexterity is what make the jewellery so exquisite. Intricate patterns are made in almost all shapes and sizes. Art jewellery these days is designed in the fashion of antique gold along with precious semi-precious stones using silver as base. The collections are ensembles of antique settings of various sorts including kundan #44 Meenakari #44 Jadau etc. Colours galore: Today semi-precious stones are adding beauty to jewellery designs. There are dark hued stones #44 that are just right for autumn winter. These are making an appearence in the trendy new age jewellery too. The new age woman is looking at shades of purple #44 red #44 pink. and fire colours as even diamonds have turned pink to keep pace with the profusion of colours. Semi precious American diamonds with a coloured stone as a centerpiece are trendy. This along with the large cocktail rings #44 chunky pendants and stone studded braclets are soon becoming hot conversation topics. Deciding factor: Before taking the plunge into the very high-value world of designer jewellery #44 brides need to understand the prevalent fashion trends and more importantly what piece of jewellery will suit them best. Ethnic jewellery that complements your personality should include accessories like anklets #44 tikkas #44 and braclets as jewellery today is versatile and can be accessorised with any look. So avail of the opportunity to experiment with designs #44 innovate and enjoy jewelleryat any occasion #44 college #44 work and just about anywhere else. F.D Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=9 Website News :: archived Here #39s what to do to make your home Funky Fu. 1. Above the outside of any entrance door (front door #44 back door #44 sliding door #44 etc.) hang an actual Ba-Gua. Make sure it is a flat Ba-Gua. There are 3 different Ba-Gua #39s #44 flat #44 concave and convex. The concave and convex are for temporary use in certain circumstances. The flat can be put above the doors permanently. If you cannot put it above the doors then put it on the doors. 2. Fu Dogs are very important as they guard the home and/or business. And they look so cute! Purchase a pair and place them on either side of the front door #44 preferably outside. If you cannot place them outside then put the right inside on either side of the front door. 3. Tie Chinese coins with a red ribbon and hang or place them in the wealth corner. If you do this make sure the coins are in increments of 3 #44 6 or 8. The 8 being the most powerful money manifesting number. 4. Keep the kitchen well stocked with food. When we have our cupboards filled with food #44 we feel more abundant. Add mirrors to increase the size of a small room. You will create a feeling of more space and bring endless opportunities. Use bright lights-spotlights #44 crystal chandeliers and twinkling lights. 5. Add fire elements in your home ambience with in the south corner of your home. Use objects like candles #44 incense #44 diyas #44 etc. Hang a painting with red as the dominant colour or a photograph frame made of wood in the corner. They would be excellent supplements to the fire element since wood produces fire. F.D Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=6 Website News :: archived The sizzling accessory this season. A scarf is not simply a scarf. It is a belt #44 a cap #44 a bow #44 and a bandana. Anywhere you want to add a dash of color #44 just tie a knot #44 says shweta taneja. Knotty! It is easy to wear #44 looks chic and notches up your style meter. A scarf is the sizzling accessory of the season. You can add spunk to any situation - a night out with friends #44 an important meeting or a picnic with family. Also #44 to hide a tear #44 to camouflage a bad-hair day or to simply add some spice to your look. The market is flooded with colourful scarves in slinky chiffons #44 chic silks and warm crochets in different sizes. Choose according to the look you want. Here are some strong trends for the season. Animal prints: These are straight of the European catwalks. A strong look for the fashion savy #44 prints of animal skins #44 animal sketches #44 patches #44 etc are combined with floral prints and bright colours like pink and peach in splashes. Ideal to bring life to that worn-many-times office suit. Like a painting: Modern art #44 spurts of color on the canvas. The print is abstract with a color medley to brighten up. An elegant way to add some colour to your outfit. Add to an earthy suit for a meeting or on a red halter for oomph. Black or white: Stark and bare. Black and white printed scarves can look good with a single coloured outfit. For a sophisticated formal look #44 add white pearls. Geometric and optical: Lines #44 circles #44 psychedelic prints #44 bright #44 in your face 1960 #39s prints are hot! colourful lines and polka dots are the classic faves. But the bold can experiment with neon colours in abstract pucci-like or picasso-style looks. Very groovy baby! F. D Artisan Handicrafts http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=5 Website Blog :: new post Jaipur #44 popularly known as the Pink City #44 was founded in 1727 AD by one of the greatest rulers of the Kachhawaha clan #44 the astronomer king Sawai Jai Singh. The pink color was used at the time of making to create an impression of red sandstone buildings of Mughal cities - and repainted in 1876 #44 during the visit of the Prince of Wales. The city is best explored on foot and the adventurous visitor willing to go into the inner lanes can discover a whole new world not visible to the tourist-in-a-hurry. Jaipur is 260 km from Delhi and 240 km from Agra and forms the most chosen tourism golden triangle of Delhi #44 Agra and Jaipur. It a bustling capital city and a business center with all the trapping of modern metropolis but yet flavored strongly with an age-old charm that never fails to surprise a traveler. Stunning backdrop of ancient forts Nahargarh #44 Amer #44 Jagarh and Moti Dungri are dramatic testimonials of the bygone era and a reminder of their lingering romance. Jaipur is named after its founder the warrior and astronomer sovereign Sawai Jai Singh II (ruled 1688 to 1744). The decision to move out of his hilltop capital Amer was also compelled by reasons of growing population and paucity of water. Moreover in the early seventh century the power of the great Mughals was dwindling with its aging Monarch Aurangzeb and after several centuries of invasions the north was now quite and the wealth of the kingdom had become greater than before. Seizing upon this opportune time Jai Singh planned his new capital in the planes. Jaipur is a corroborative effort of Sawai Jai Singh #39s strong grounding in sciences and astrology and a Bengali architect Vidyadhar with a strong instinct for planning. The sovereign of Amber #44 built Jaipur in the eighteenth century. It was also around that time that the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb had died and the decline of the Mughal Empire had set in. Jai Singh had started distancing himself from the affair of the Mughal Court and he began concentrating on building of Amber. His search for a safe place for the increasing population of Amber resulted in Jaipur #44 This was India #39s first planned city and a brilliant architect Vidyadhar Bhattacharya from Bengal was commissioned to plan the city. He designed it in accordance with ancient Hindu treatise on architecture #44 the Shilpa Shastra (Vaastu). Jaipur is famous worldwide for its unique Jewellery. Paintings #44 Leatherwear #44 Stone Carving #44 Metal Craft #44 Textile #44 Blue pottery #44 Terracota #44 Durries And Carpets #44 Wooden Artifacts. Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=55 Website Blog :: new post Ingredients 1 1/2 cups long grain rice 1/2 cup peas boiled 100 gms cottage cheese 1 tbsp. broken cashews 1 tbsp. soft small raisins 4 green chillies slit 1 tbsp. coriander finely chopped 2 onions cut into strips 1/2 tsp. cumin seeds 3-4 pinches asafoetida 2 cloves 2 bayleaves 2 cardamoms 1 #34 cinnamon 4-5 black peppers 3 tbsp. ghee or oil 1/2 tsp. garam masala salt to taste lemon to taste Method Wash and soak rice in salted water for 30 minutes. Heat oil #44 fry onions till crisp. Drain. Cut Cottage cheese into small square pieces. Fry cashews till light brown #44 drain #44 keep aside. Add cumin seeds to remaining oil #44 allow to splutter. Add asafoetida #44 cloves #44 bayleaves #44 cardamoms #44 cinnamon #44 peppers #44 stir. Add green chillies #44 drained rice #44 stir gently till well coated. Add raisins. Add 6 cups water #44 bring to a boil. Simmer covered till 3/4 done. Add more water if required. Add peas #44 cottage cheese pieces #44 fried cashew #44 onions (save some for garnish) #44 garam masala #44 salt and lemon to taste. Stir gently with a spatula. Cover and finish off cooking till all water evaporates. Garnish with coriander and some saved fried onions. Serve hot with kadhi or a spicy curry or curd. Making time: 30 minutes Makes: 6 servings Shelflife: best fresh Variation: also you can add chopped baby corn #44 carrots or beans along with peas. Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=54 Website Blog :: new post Global warming is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth #39s near-surface air and oceans in recent decades and its projected continuation. Our way of life #44 our planet #44 and our children are all in grave danger because of global warming. An increase in global temperatures can in turn cause other changes #44 including sea level rise #44 and changes in the amount and pattern of precipitation resulting in floods and drought. There may also be changes in the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events. Other effects may include changes in agricultural yields #44 glacier retreat #44 reduced summer streamflows #44 species extinctions and increases in the ranges of disease vectors. The causes are split up into two groups #44 man-made causes and natural causes. One natural cause is a release of methane gas from arctic tundra and wetlands. Methane is a greenhouse gas. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat in the earth #39s atmosphere. Another natural cause is that the earth goes through a cycle of climate change. This climate change usually lasts about 40 #44000; years. Man-made causes probably do the most damage. Pollution is one of the biggest man-made problems. When fossil fuels are burned they give off a green house gas called CO2. Also mining coal and oil allows methane to escape. Another cause of Global Warming is population. More people mean more cars #44 and more cars means more pollution. Since CO2 contributes to global warming #44 the increase in population makes the problem worse because we too breathe out CO2. Also #44 the trees that convert our CO2 to oxygen are being demolished for various reasons. We are constantly taking advantage of our natural resources and giving nothing back in return. We can make simple decisions that will reduce global warming pollution. A well-tuned car with properly inflated tires burns less gasoline. Drive the car with better gas mileage. Try to skip the drive and take public transit #44 walk #44 or bicycle when you can. Support clean #44 renewable energy #44 solutions #44 such as wind and solar power. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. Install low-flow showerheads and faucets and you #39ll use half the water without decreasing performance. Then turn your hot water heater down to 120°F and see hot-water costs go down by as much as 50 percent. Buy energy-efficient electronics and appliances. Plant a Tree to protect a forest. Please buy recycled products! Educate your community about how it can cut global warming pollution. Lets all vow today to join hands to save our planet. Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=44 Website Blog :: new post Well for me #44 I would rather stick to the institution of marriage over the other. Crossing the walls of all religions and cultures #44 marriage has been accepted and acknowledged as the powerful institution over the years by every society. Marriage is a commitment #44 and love always has unsaid commitment. Marriage is the confirmation of it to the society. Live in relationship gives escape route to it as and when convenient. Some people rightly say that live-in relationship is like a test-driving a car. It gives you good feel when you are on driver’s seat and it gives bad feel when you are car and you are dumped after driving few miles. At least one of the partners in live-in relationship has hidden agenda of driving few miles and then dumping thereafter. Are there no break ups if people marry after live-in relationship? If there are #44 why do people hesitate to enter into marriage? In India #44 there has been tradition of marriage from the thousands of years. It had been great success. People quote this as great example in many parts of the world. In marriage #44 there is commitment of love #44 commitment of caring and commitment of cooperation. When one is fully committed to these three things #44 there arise no question of saying that one has not found the right partner. Live-in relationship is a relationship with out commitment in very first instance. One can understand what kind of the a person can be #44 who has no commitments. We all do not trust and like a person in our life who has no commitments. Do we? Live-in relationship is a way to get out from relationship and hook up with new one frequently and easily on the pretext of finding right person. I think that this approach is creating increased numbers of people without the ability to sustain a long-term relationship. Marriage protects from the social problems also. Married women suffer less physical and sexual abuse than those who are in live-in relationship. With the increase in number of couples opting for cohabitation over marriage #44 be it in western countries or eastern countries #44 I thought it pertinent to write a blog and seek people’s poll on the subject. I would like all those who read this blog to keep their views on the subject and all should encourage their friends #44 relatives and acquaintances to put forward their views on this very important subject. I would like to ask my fellow bloggers #44 what would they prefer if given the option to choose between the two? Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=43 Website Blog :: new post In the 1970 #39s we came dangerously close to losing forever one of the world most magnificent creatures. Poaching #44 deforestation #44 and human expansion brought all species of tiger to the brink of extinction. Indeed #44 over the past century #44 3 of the 8 sub-species that existed became extinct; the Caspian #44 Javan and Balinese tigers. Today #44 we are by no means out of the woods. All remaining sub-species of tiger are endangered #44 making the tiger species as a whole nearly extinct. The tiger population dropped over the past 100 years from an estimated 100 #44000 in 1900 to only 4000 in the 1970 #39s. A concerted effort by wildlife protection groups in the 1970 #39s halted their rapid demise and the global population of tigers in the wild has grown modestly to around 6000 at the turn of the century. Poaching continues to this day #44 however. It is time to realize that when we save the tiger #44 we save the forest and in turn secure our food and water security. Tiger is a beautiful animal and it is also the indicator of the forest #39s health. Saving the tiger means we save the forest since tiger cannot live in places where trees have vanished and in turn secure food and water for all. If we make sure tigers live #44 we have to make sure that all other animals that the tiger eats live. To make sure that these herbivores live #44 we must make sure that all the trees #44 grass and other plants that these prey animals need for food are protected. In this way #44 the whole forest gets saved! Saving the tiger means saving its entire forest kingdom with all the other animals in it. Forests are important for human beings also. Also forests catch and help store rainwater and protect soils. In this way we protect our rivers and recharge groundwater sources. Areas with less trees lead to floods #44 killing people and destroying homes. It takes away the precious soil #44 leaving behind a wasteland. The soil jams up our lakes and dams #44 reducing their ability to store water. By destroying the tiger #39s home #44 we not only harm tigers #44 but also ourselves. The tiger thus becomes the symbol for the protection of all species on our earth since it is at the top of the food chain. The tigers are in a way an indicator of our ecosystem #39s health. This is why please save tigers. Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=41 Website Blog :: new post Agra is a city on the banks of the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh #44 India. It finds mention in the epic Mahabharata when it was called Agrabana are Paradise. Ptolemy #44 the famous second century A.D. geographer #44 marked it on his map of the world as Agra. Tradition and legend ascribe the present city of Raja Badal Singh (around 1475 A.D.) whose Fort #44 Badalgarh #44 Stood on or near the site of the present Fort. However #44 the 12th century A.D. persian poet Salman writes of a desperate assault on the fortress of Agra #44 then held by one King Jaipal #44 by Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni. It was ruled by Sultan Sikandar Lodi in the year 1506. It achieved fame as the capital of the Mughal emperors from 1526 to 1658. It is the one of the prominent destinations on the World Tourism map with three heritage monuments - The Taj Mahal #44 The Fatehpur Sikri The Red Fort #44 all three of which are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. It can be reached by road and rail from Delhi. It is more just a decadent city of graveyards and stones #44 but it is a vibrant center of Culture #44 Art and Religious philosophies that have enriched mankind and shaped human thought over centuries. Agra is famous for handicrafts products such as Inlay work on Marvel #44 Leatherwork #44 Footwear #44 Brassware #44 Carpets #44 Jewelery #44 Zari and Embroidery work. Agra #39s Zardoji is very unique art of embroidery in three dimensions. The artist first makes free hand sketches of the subject. Then he embroiders in cotton threads over and over till he gets the required thickness and movements. Finally the artists take fiber from silk threads #44 twists then together in the shades required for and embroiders with them the particular piece. In the process he creates original unparallel work of art Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=40 Website Blog :: reply This blogger has told us of Agra #44 a city of great historical #44 architectural and religious wealth and traditions #44 and place where artisans make beautiful #44 handcrafted items. Words themselves truly cannot describe the beauty and grandeur of what is found in Agra. We can surely try to describe these great treasures and their significance #44 but how can you adequately picture the majestic architectural forms of love and sacrifice as it is shown in places such as the Taj Mahal and the Fatehpur Sikri #44 two cities within Agra built to the memory of others. And how do you trace and describe the honored #44 revered traditions of artisans as they follow in the footsteps and traditions of many others of great renown and talent? The Taj Mahal was built by Shah Jahan (ruler of 150 million people of the Mughal Empire in India from 1628 to 1658). He had it built in memory of Arjumand Banu Begum #44 nicknamed Mumtaz Mahal ( #34beloved ornament of the palace #34). She was so beautiful that poets would write glowingly of her beauty #44 gracefulness and compassion during her lifetime. On her deathbed at the birth of her 14th child #44 she asked her husband not to marry anyone and for a symbol or a monument of their love. For the next 20 years #44 he built the Taj Mahal. The Fatehpur Sikri was built in honor Saint Salem Chisti #39s love #44 tolerance and openness. We can expect not only large edifices and monuments to be memorials to love and sacrifice #44 but also the small works of art and handicrafts that are found in that great city. He speaks of Zardoji #44 a #34very unique art of embroidery in three dimensions #34 #44 where the artisan uses layers of embroidered cotton to approximate his free hand sketches #44 and then uses different colored silk to produce an #34original unparalled work of art #34. We probably would not doubt that these works of art were inspired by loved ones and sacrifice #44 and we could justifiably conclude that all works of art are made through these kinds of inspirations. India is full of these rich treasures. Speaking of rich treasures #44 I have seen a handmade silk shawl from India that looks beautiful #44 luxurious and regal #44 as if it were spun in the Taj Mahal by inspired craftsman. The silk shawl I am talking about is worthy of conversation. I saw it on Overstock. It was #34handcrafted be skilled artisans in India at Amristar in the state of Punjab #34 and has #34unmatched softness and beautiful designs and patterns #34. Once David Duncan http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=40 Website Blog :: new post TAJ MAHAL is situated in the city of Agra #44 Uttar Pradesh #44 India. It was completed in 1653 A.D. #44 The Taj Mahal built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan as the final resting place for his favorite Queen #44 Mumtaz. Finished in by Marvel #44 it is perhaps India most fascinating and beautiful monument. This monument took 22 years (1630-1652 AD) of hard labour and 20 #44000 workers; Masons and Jewellers to built and are set amidst landscaped gardens. Ustad Isa Built #44 a Persian architect #44 the Taj Mahal on the bank of the Yamuna River. It can be observed like a Mirage from the Agra Fort from where Emperor Shah Jahan stared at it #44 for the last eight years his life as a prisoner of his son Aurangzeb. It is a masterpiece of symmetry #44 Seeming to be floating in the air from a distance #44 and each revealed as an illusion experienced as one enters through the main gate. At the top of gate 22 small domes #44 signifying the number of years the monument took to build. The Taj Mahal has been built on a Marvel Platform that stands above sandstone one. The most elegant dome of the Taj #44 with diameter of 60 feet #44 rises 80 feet #44 over the building and directly under the dome is the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal. His son Aurangzeb erected Shah Jahan’s tomb next to that of Mumtaj. Fantastic Inlay works using semi-precious stones decorate and interiors. Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=39 Website Blog :: new post So now you’re aware #44 there are other dangers on these busses than irresponsible driving and poor road conditions. Sometimes you even have to be wary of the other passengers. Many of the most recent bus accidents in Peru have involved one particular type of vehicle #44 the truck bus. A truck bus is an interesting hybrid of a flat bed truck that has been fitted with a bus shell and seats. These are not factory built and have all been pieced together after market. They are also very unstable. In the past I’ve read that the truck bus has been outlawed #44 but then recently saw a report stating that it has yet to be outlawed. Whatever the case may be they remain dangerous and should be avoided. Last weeks accident near Puno did involve a truck bus. The allure of the truck bus is that it is much cheaper than a regular bus. Since it is cheaper not only have some interprovincial bus companies adopted its use #44 but also some tour operators. Even though you may be traveling with a reputable tour operator #44 do not travel by truck bus. I have advocated overland tourism in Peru. It is a wonderful and beautiful country that is best appreciated by land rather than air. I will definitely travel overland again in Peru but I will never again ride an interprovincial bus. The risks are just too great. Should you choose to travel overland in Peru #44 spend a little extra money and travel with a reputable tour operator that does not use the truck bus. You will be traveling with a guide that values both his life and yours. The driver will be well rested and since he won’t be picking up any additional fares #44 will not be in any rush to get you to your destination before your scheduled arrival time. You’ll also be able to stop for rest room stops and for photos from time to time. There’s just too much to see to pass by in a hurry. In passing through a lovely valley we went by a pair of baby alpacas perched atop a boulder and looking down upon the road. What a beautiful picture it would have made #44 but I missed it because I was on a public bus rushing from city to city. I hope you will follow my advice on this. The risks will be lessened and your experience in Peru will be much more enjoyable. Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=38 Website Blog :: new post To understand fully what was about to happen you need to know that bus drivers #44 like most people in Peru are poorly paid. They try to make money where they can. They also drive tired. Outside of the bus stations there are several unofficial bus stops #44 the ones that the company management does not know about. The driver will stop at selected locations and pick up additional passengers and then pocket the fare. This results in bus races #44 the first bus to the unofficial stop gets the money. Our driver rapidly approached a hairpin turn. He was going way to fast. To make matters worse he was doing this to pass another bus. The other driver was not about to back down either. A message was clearly being sent. Our lives were worth no more to these drivers than a few dollars. As I mentioned earlier I have been on several interprovincial bus trips in Peru but I had never seen what was to happen next on any of my previous trips. As we were passing the other bus #44 looking into the fear filled eyes of its passengers; about five of our passengers had left their seats and began banging on the cockpit begging the driver to stop the race. The rest were all screaming. The driver finally got the hint and slowed down. What was striking about that incident is that these people were used to the harrowing bus rides #44 but this one was particularly deadly and they wanted no part of it. When you’re traveling on public transportation #44 you can’t pick the other passengers. On this same trip there was one fellow who may not have had the purest of motives. As he walked up the aisle to get off at his stop he approached my father who was seated towards the front of the bus. For some reason he singled out my dad to ask if he had a pen. Funny that he had asked nobody else. You may have guessed what he was doing #44 but if you haven’t #44 let me spell it out to you. The kid had not interest in a pen whatsoever. He was trying to get my dad to reveal what he was carrying or at the very least distract him and then rob him. He already knew that my father had a video camera and was going to try and capitalize on a target of opportunity. We played it safe and I answered the potential crook with a resounding #44 “No #44 he doesn’t have a pen!” continued... Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=37 Website Blog :: new post Upon reading the title of this blog one may think that I’ll bring up the topic of the Shining Path in Peru or the FARC in Colombia or even some of the rogue bandits that sometimes roam the countryside lying in wait of the unsuspecting. These threats do still exist although at least in Peru the Shining Path is more bark than bite and has been reduced to small pockets in the jungle. In Colombia the military has frequent check points along the highways and during heavily traveled holidays conducts military convoys from the cities to vacation destinations. The real danger in the Andes is the transportation itself. Every now and again I come across #44 and maybe you have even read some stories about tragic bus accidents in the Andes; often leaving no survivors. Just last week there was another tragedy. Outside of the Peruvian city of Puno a bus plummeted into a ravine leaving forty-five dead with only two survivors. Many adventurous travelers will attempt to save money by taking interprovincial bus transportation. I agree that the only way to see the Andes is by land #44 but precautions must be taken. Three years ago I visited the Andean city of Ayacucho. We opted to take an interprovincial bus. Ironically they were showing a video on board. It just happened to be the Kevin Costner film #44 Dragonfly; you know the one where his wife if in the Venezuelan Andes and her bus takes a dive over a cliff into a river hundreds of feet below. Yeah #44 they actually played this video…was it a foreshadowing of things to come? Well #44 I’m still here so it wasn’t. But it very easily could have been. Upon boarding the bus I pointed something out to my father. It was his first bus ride into the Andes; I had been on several previously #44 each one an adventure in itself. I showed him the bus tires #44 they were retreads and very poorly done. On top of that #44 they were almost completely bald. If that wasn’t cause for concern #44 I don’t know what was. The trip started off in the late afternoon. The bus swayed as it speeded through a canyon on the way up to the small town of Huaytara. I had hoped to stop here because the local church was built on top of an Inca Temple and the stonework rivals that of Cusco. Unfortunately I missed it; the bus did not make a stop. Yet another downside of interprovincial bus travel; you stop when and where the driver wants to stop. The climb to Huaytara is spectacular and I would definitely make this trip again. We seemed to climb forever and as we passed through the small town I loo Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=35 Website Blog :: new post The climb to Huaytara is spectacular and I would definitely make this trip again. We seemed to climb forever and as we passed through the small town I looked ahead and we were only about half way up the winding road. It was dark now and there was hardly a light to be found aside from the occasional oncoming bus. I was able to make out in the darkness a heavy snowfall as we climbed towards the highest pass en route to Ayacucho; the Apacheta. My mind wandered back to the Costner film and the bald tires. Did I get us into a big mess this time? We arrived safely in Ayacucho and were fortunate to have some spectacular experiences and a few adventures as well. About five days later we were set to return to Lima. As we waited at the bus station I once again pointed out bald retreads to my father. The climb out of Ayacucho is steep with many switchbacks. Being acrophobic #44 it would have been a white knuckle ride under normal circumstances. What was to follow shortly after we were ascending out of the city was something out of a nightmare. The Peruvian interprovincial busses have somewhat of a cockpit with a locking door. I was soon to find out why. In my opinion it was to protect the driver and his assistants from the passengers. Continued Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=36 Website Blog :: new post The group was lead by two men who must have been in their thirties and they were accompanied by their wives and children and an older man. I followed them into a parking and storage area of a warehouse. Luckily I had my camera with me and I asked them to shoot a couple of photos. The two younger men discussed amongst themselves and told me no. Then the older man broke in; I couldn’t understand everything he said #44 but I understood one thing #44 “don’t be dumb #44 let him take some pictures #44 but charge him for them.” So we came to an agreement. I was glad to have some pictures #44 and they were happy to have a few dollars in their pocket. Not all people who ask for money have pure motives. Once a friend and I were approached by a teenager asking for a hand out #44 my friend had no money on him so he proved it to the kid by pulling his pockets inside out. I had cash in both pockets #44 so what could I do? I couldn’t pull my pockets inside out and expose everything I had so I pulled out a few soles and handed them over. It was about ten minutes before I found out what the kid was doing. I had given him money and he had gone somewhere. I was sure he was on something and was probably going back for more so I didn’t worry. Then I felt a heavy jolt at my side and well #44 before I knew what was happening #44 the kid was about a hundred yards away. He had picked my pocket. The kid must have been a professional #44 not just somebody looking for some quick cash to get high. He literally had his hand in and out of my pocket faster than I could do it myself. Lesson learned. From that point on I was constantly on guard. Don’t let this experience dissuade you from any possible trip to Peru. I was out in a neighborhood and it probably wasn’t one that I should have been in. In two years living in Peru I was only robbed twice and what was taken from me was of almost no value in United States terms. I wasn’t about to get into any trouble over a couple of dollars. Each time I was stolen from I did allow myself to be in a situation where I was an easy target and I was in a part of town that I really should have been on my guard in. Continued... Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=32 Website Blog :: new post So #44 you’re asking #44 when is this guy going to get to his point of beggars can be choosers? Ok #44 I won’t string you along any further; I’m not a big fan of teasers myself. A group of us were in the northern city of Chiclayo and had just finished lunch. For dessert we were sharing King Kong #44 which #44 is a local pastry made of various fruit pastes and fillings between layers a thick cookie like cracker. I never was a fan of them. For one I didn’t much like the flavor and secondly #44 they were just too sweet. No to understand what happened next you need to know that the best known brand of King Kong is San Roque and comes for the nearby town of Lambayeque. Lunch was along the main drag going into the central plaza area of Chiclayo. This particular stretch was the exclusive domain of one particular beggar. He was an elderly man with legs withered to the point of being no more than dangling appendices. He would scoot around on a little cart similar to the one that Eddie Murphy used in Trading Places #44 only I never did get a Merry New Year out of this guy. We felt he may be hungry; after all he did spend every day on the street begging for money. Since we had one more piece of King Kong left #44 the one I had refused to eat #44 we decided to offer the supposedly hungry guy a nice treat. Now how good were we? To our surprise he looked up and asked #44 “San Roque?” When our response was no #44 he looked up again #44 this time vigorously shaking his index finger back and forth #44 the Peruvian signal for NO. He didn’t say a word. Needles to say we were a bit shocked at this. Then we tried to talk him into taking it. He still refused. Finally we got our message through to him and he accepted. I never did check to see if he had eaten it. The way I figure #44 looking back on the incident is that he probably just wanted to get rid of us so he accepted it. But imagine if you will #44 having to beg a beggar to accept something from you. To this day I still look back upon this as one of my strangest experiences and believe my #44 I’ve had many. It’s also one of my favorite stories of Peru. Oddly enough this wasn’t the only time that something like this has happened to me. Incredibly it had happened once more #44 this time in Salt Lake City. A lady approached my truck in a parking lot and gave us the line that she was just passing through town and her daughter was in a motel room in need of medical attention. She was shaky and obviously on meth and plus we had heard this story before. To get her away from us I reached to Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=33 Website Blog :: new post Oddly enough this wasn’t the only time that something like this has happened to me. Incredibly it had happened once more #44 this time in Salt Lake City. A lady approached my truck in a parking lot and gave us the line that she was just passing through town and her daughter was in a motel room in need of medical attention. She was shaky and obviously on meth and plus we had heard this story before. To get her away from us I reached to the console and grabbed some change which I handed to her. She opened her hand so look at what she had. What happened next is one of the biggest acts of ingratitude that I had ever experienced. She extended her hand in the truck window and dumped the change all over the floor the quietly walked away to the next sucker. Once again we were shocked. In writing this I hope that I’ve been able to entertain you #44 but also give you a glimpse of the reality that is daily life in Peru. There are people that are truly in need #44 but before giving a hand out #44 make sure that you’re not being set up for a dangerous situation and remember that beggars indeed can be choosers. Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=34 Website Blog :: new post I grew up listening to my mother constantly tell me that beggars can’t be choosers. I believed that until I lived in Peru. Poor mom #44 another illusion crushed. I had lived in Peru for almost two years and seeing people in the streets begging was not uncommon. Unfortunately is still is all too common. I hate to make light of this way of life but I honestly try to find humor where I can. Amongst those in Peru who we could classify as beggars #44 there are those who are in serious need and see it as their only opportunity to put food on the table and there are those who don’t wish to work and see an easy way to make some money. Just as there are different reasons for begging #44 there are different methods. Some try a pity angle. I once saw two ladies walking towards me and the all of a sudden one developed a very pronounced limp when the two money toting Gringos came into view. Of course they needed money for some urgent medical attention. This turned out to just be the result of opportunity. I’d been in town for a few months and got to know who would be asking for money and those who those in real need were. There were also groups of campesinos #44 or subsistence farmers from the Andes #44 around the city of Cajamarca. These were people who would come to the coast dressed in their ponchos and straw hats typical of their highland homes. So #44 they came as sort of a curiosity for the people of the coast. They were different and appeared to be in need. They used that angle #44 but even went further to meet their needs. The knocked on doors throughout town and asked for hand outs. I ran into an extended family of enterprising campesinos at a public gathering #44 actually #44 it was a street fight. I hadn’t been to the Andes at this point and was enthralled at first site of these people. Listening closely #44 I could tell that they were speaking Quechua #44 the adopted language of the Incas and the language of their empire. I had rarely heard Quechua being spoken and well #44 they had me hook line and sinker. Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=31 Website Blog :: new post Introductions can be so difficult #44 but I feel that for me a proper introduction should be made so that my readers will know my background and so I can earn their trust. Other than some posts I’ve put on a favorite sports website #44 I’m a first time blogger. My reason for blogging #44 quite simple; I need to get some exposure for my cause and I believe that my cause is a good one. I have lived in Latin America #44 specifically Peru. In living there I’ve gained a love for the people as they’ve left an indelible mark on my soul. I first arrived in Peru #44 a naïve 19 year old who was yet to experience anything other than small town USA and a freshman year of college education. It was August of 1988. The love affair began and Peru became one of my great passions. I saw a people in the midst of a civil war that was about to tear the country apart. Indeed #44 by the time I had left Peru the Shining Path was on track to take over the country in a projected six months. I never thought that I would have ever been in a war zone #44 but something happened at about 7 am one morning that changed that. I was on our roof top doing some light exercises and heard an explosion. It was close enough that it shook me. On my way to breakfast was when I realized just how close it was; about four blocks from the apartment and right along our route to our daily breakfast spot. The intended target was a political candidate and fortunately nobody in the home was injured. The front side of the home was completely destroyed. I was in the northern coastal city of Chiclayo and terrorism wasn’t a daily occurrence as in other areas of the country. But after listening to RadioProgramas Peru each morning and hearing the list of names of those killed in this violent revolution #44 terrorism had finally hit home. Alberto Fujimori’s name will be mentioned for good and for bad #44 but the truth is that he and his government were responsible for defeating the Shining Path. Now only isolated pockets of revolutionaries remain hidden mostly in the jungle and far away from the casual tourist. Yes #44 Fujimori was a crook #44 but he saved Peru. I arrived in Peru just after the arrival of the Inti #44 a new currency replacing the much devalued Sol. I saw the Inti devalue from 3.25 to the Dollar to 110 #44000 to the Dollar in just two years. Currently Peru is using the Nuevo Sol #44 a much improved version of the old Sol and the Inti. It’s been stable for at least the past six years and possibly longer. I returned to the US a wiser version o Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=28 Website Blog :: new post It’s been stable for at least the past six years and possibly longer. I returned to the US a wiser version of myself and pursued a degree in Anthropology and Archaeology. Of course I specialized in the Andean cultures and also made the rest of Latin America a focal point. Outside of class I have read several guide books and historical as well as cultural books on Peru. Peru and everything about it had consumed me and I desperately sought ways to return. It was seven years before I was able to return and since then I’ve been back several times and have met people and seen places that the kid that grew up outside of Punxsutawney #44 Pennsylvania had never dreamed of. After graduation I decided that a future in the archaeology field just wasn’t for me. I was and am fascinated by it #44 but writing cold facts isn’t my style. I’d rather write from my heart. Plus it isn’t easy to find a job and fund a project and let’s face it #44 they just aren’t making ruins anymore. So I got into the travel industry. I figured that there must be a way to combine my love for Peru and Archaeology without having to actually be an archaeologist. Well #44 there is #44 but my path has always taken me in a different direction. I still have faith that that will someday change and I will finally be able to see this land that I’ve become so attached to anytime I want to. I’m here because I’m a dreamer. Almost twenty years later #44 Peru still consumes me and I dream of returning a huge favor to the place that gave me so much. I dream of helping these people progress and giving them a better way of life. I dream of Peru returning to its past glory when the Inca met the Sun each morning with a kiss. I may not be able to restore a conquered empire #44 but I can bring this land and its people to you by telling their stories and helping them become more self sufficient #44 one person and even one family at a time. It may be through writing #44 or even opening the travel service that I’ve dreamt about for the past twenty years #44 or by bringing Peruvian handicrafts to the US for you. I have a feeling that it will be a combination of the three. Destiny has a mind of its own. Recently destiny threw me a curve ball and I bypassed Peru and followed my heart to Colombia. Colombia is wonderful and changing for the better. I’ve been there twice now and plan on returning often. Colombia is full of mystery #44 fascinating cultures #44 and beautiful landscapes. Its people also have their stories to tell and this is another country that I’m falling i Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=29 Website Blog :: new post Its people also have their stories to tell and this is another country that I’m falling in love with. Recently I met the people at Artisan Handicrafts. We discovered that we have goals in common and they’ve graciously allowed me to work with them and aid in opening avenues for a better life for many people in need. I’m a believer that where one benefits #44 many can. Everything works in a chain and I’ve already seen the small scale artisan and shopkeeper bring others into the fold. For some it’s a family affair and for others it’s a cooperative effort in their neighborhood. But whatever the case may be #44 those less fortunate are benefiting #44 and learning new skills. So #44 now that you’ve met me #44 come along and share my dream. Hopefully I can bring a new world to life for you and possibly even give you new insights on something you may already know. But most of all #44 let’s have fun and help some people who live under different circumstances than we do. Remember #44 you’re part of the chain and when one benefits many can. Dan Ott http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=30 Website Blog :: new post The much touted clash of civilisation-between the East and the West. More specifically between the Western way of life and the orthodox muslim life-style is irrelavent in India. If muslims have a problem with the Western world they are the muslims in American and Europe and the Middle-East. Not in India. The muslims in India do not join the chorus of a jehad agaist the west. Even American President was forced to admire the Indian Muslim. He observed that when there were countless American and European Muslims who swore allegiance to Osama Bin Laden #44 there wasnt a single Indian muslim who was part of the Al-Quida. That sure does speak volumns about the prural Indian society. There sure are sporadic communal clases between the Hindus and Muslims-most notably the Gujrat Riots but that hasnt pushed the muslims into declaring the rest of the Indians as enemies. One fervently prays it stays that way. Sanjay Austa http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=26 Website Blog :: reply indian is a secular state but the appeasement of the minorities-namely the muslims goes againt the very grain of secularism. The appeasement is done by political parties-primarily the Congress party and it only encourages the right wing hindu fundamentalists to advocate their fascist ideals. Religion methinks has done more harm to humanity than good. Sanjay Austa http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=26 Website Blog :: new post It is an interesting fact that most of the artisans in India are from the muslim community. During the mughal period there artisans were patronised by the emperors and they have carried their profession to this day. However competing in the new global enviornment with new market forces has put a lot of pressure on these artisans. The effect is so much that it threatens their traditional means of livelihood. There are many instances where a weaver or a potter had to leave the loom and the wheel respectivley to become a vegetable vendor or rickshaw-puller. Government is giving incentives to these artisans but its not enough to compete with the products of the multinational companies. Anyone who has brought a handicraft product for the first time is often left wondering why he or she spent all their money on the insipid stuff from the supermarket. The answer is simple-There just insn #39t enough publicity to promote the artisans and their products. I believe today you can sell anything -even a third rate product-if you know how to package and market it well. Alas the artisan who is usually poor and illiterate has no clue how to promote himself and his products. Sanjay Austa http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=25 Website Blog :: new post Jessica Lal an aspring model was shot dead in a famous bar in New Delhi seven years ago. Over 200 people mainly socialites #44 fashion designers and all the who #39s who of Delhi #39s rich and famous were present in the bar. The murderer asked for a drink from Jesscia Lal who was tending the bar. Jessica refused saying the bar was shut. The man allegedly Manu Sharma #44 the son of a politician whipped out his piston and shot Jessica between the eyes. He was arrested three days later and a few days ago the Delhi High Court acquitted him. The reason--lack of evidence. Not one of the 200 people who saw the crime came forward to depose before the court. The man who did #44 turned hostile and said he did not see anything. During that time i was a cub-reporter and i had met all the people who were supposedly at the bar that fateful night. None of them said the truth. They either said they had already left the bar before the shot was fired or that there were not there at all. The police officers conspired with the accused to tamper with the evidence. It was as shoddy an investigation as it could get. Now a huge public outrage has build up in India. it is an outrage that has never been witnessed before. The indian media is not letting the issue die down. They are collecting messages from people and will petition the President for a fresh retrail. Jessica has now become a symbol for Justice . Justice that was denied to a common person and where the rich and the mighty got away with murder. You can also join this fight for truth and justice by writing in your comments. Sanjay Austa http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=16 Website Blog :: reply It has been the triumph of the Indian media -in the Jessica Lal #39s case. The acuittal had the media up in arms and the common man responded with shock and fury. The Delhi cops who bungled the investigations were forced to answer the tough questions when the question was raised in parliament and the home minister promised to see that justice was done. Some heads are expected to roll. But its not a retrial that would get Jessica justice. What the case really needs is an reinvestigation. The witnesses have to be found and re-examined. The old records looked into. Only then can the justice really come about so that the common man #39s faith in law and rule of law and justice is restored. Sanjay Austa http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=16 Website Blog :: new post George Bush does not have the natural charisma of Bill Clinton. When Clinton was in India as a President of USA he impressed eveyone with his charisma. Bush on the other hand is a charmer. At the banquest hosted by the indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh he went from table to table talking to guests and genuinly listening. India is happy that the Nuclear deal has gone through-though it still has to be rectified by the American Senate. But my question is can Bush be really good to India when he is bad for the rest of the world. For the muslim world he is no more than an arrogant tyrant #44 a killer and a psychopathic madman. There were protests againt Bush in India as well. But then there are protests again Bush #39s policies even in the United States. Now Bush is in Pakistan where protests againt him by the fundamentalist Islamists are more vociferous. Imran Khan -former Pakistan Cricket Skipper turned Politician who was planning to lead a huge protest march was put under house arrest. In India however everyone is happy that the Neclear Deal through. However i think there are strings attached. A day may come when Bush may ask India to reciprocate and send troops to the next country on his #39axil of evil #39 list. Sanjay Austa http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=15 Website Blog :: new post I am testing this David Child http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=13 Website Blog :: new post I ask many people as to what they do in the celebrations to welcome new year. I get very common answer from the most of the people i. e. they drink #44 dance and dine to welcome new year. This is not so that everybody is so privileged to welcome the new year in this way. There are many on the one or other part of the world looking forward for such privileges in life. Some of them are artisans who make beautiful handcrafted items out of their creative imaginations. These people #39s livelihood come from by the making of such items. Dancing is the expression of happineness and celebration. We can make our these brethren to dance next year with us by doing simple thing. That is by buying products from these people. Some of these artisan are struggling to keep the age old art alive. It could be our contribution also to keep these artisans continue with their rich heritage of art and craft. If those who drink #44 do not do so and use that #44 however small #44 money spent on drinking to buy the products made by these artisans #44 I think we shall be making these artisans also dance and dine in celebrations to welcome new year next time. This could be new beginning #44 otherwise all days are alike. Mahesh Chandra http://www.artisanhandicrafts.com/en/blogs.asp?i=11