Life in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India - October 13, 2012

I have one more month left of my five month stay in Jaipur, the capital and largest
city of Rajasthan, India.  Jaipur is well known to tourists as part of the Golden
Triangle ( which includes Delhi and Agra - home of the Taj Mahal ).  It is often 
called "The Pink City"  and "the Paris of India."  Maharajah Jai Singh II left Amber
Fort in 1727 and laid out the city.  The old city was painted pink in 1876 to welcome
the Prince of Wales who later became King Edward VII,  It continues pink to the
day.  

Jaipur is a city of beautiful palaces, temples, Rajasthani and Moghul architecture.
It has five star hotels, budget properties,  guest houses, autorickshaws, elephants, camel carts, cows roaming loose in the streets, a great variety of restaurants, centers of 
higher education, bazaars, festivals. monkeys here and there, and beautiful fabrics
and jewelry stores.

I have loved my time here except for the blistering summer heat and the distance from
any ocean.  Having spent the last thirty-five years with the Pacific Ocean at my
feet, I've had trouble adjusting to the desert climate.  Even monsoon season failed 
to provide adequate rainfall.

Here are some pictures I've taken of my temporary home, Jaipur.

Out grocery shopping.  People carry amazing weights on their heads!

The beautiful Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, built by by Maharaja Sawaj Pratap 

Singh in 1799.  This five story building allowed the ladies of the royal family to 

observe their city without being seen. 

Kathputli wood puppets of Rajasthan - an art tradition believed to be over a  

tousand years old. 

The bicycle rickshaw - one of many forms of transportation

Pepper and lemon talsiman are used to bring good luck - this hangs from a car bumper.

Beautiful architecture in the Old City of Jaipur

Colorful sari

Street vendors

"Fast Food"

Three little pigs ( well, adolescents ) - cows and pigs wander the streets freely.

Sweet children

Cooking chapatis outdoors

At a wedding celebration

Creative Fashion India - October 11, 2012

My favorite rickshaw driver, Ikram, took me to Creative Fashion India, a lovely
textile store right in Bani Park where I live in Jaipur.  I had been to another much
larger place when I first arrived in Jaipur and had a couple of outfits made.  They
were nice but very expensive and I had been told by many people that it catered
to tourists and I had been charged far too much.  I really wasn't looking to have
more clothes made but wanted something from India to send my daughter-in-law,
Laura, for her birthday.  Creative Fashion was a smaller store, on one floor only,
less ostentatious but they had a large selection of fabrics, were equally willing
to pull out every single one to show you and offered a cup of that wonderfully
aromatic and delicious chai while you pondered a purchase.  I enjoyed my first
visit there, chatting with the owner and the two young men ( I think they were 
his sons ) and I did find a lovely green throw with gold threads running through
it which was perfect for Laura's couch and I got a fuschia one for my bed.

Yesterday, I went back to see if they could alter some of my clothes.  Since 
coming to India, I've lost over thirty pounds and I have been wearing my favorite
clothes because I can't bear to part with them.  In reality, too, I have no others.
Before coming to India the first time, I gave almost everything I had to Goodwill,
including clothes that were too small.  They would fit me perfectly now but who
would ever have believed I would become two sizes smaller!!!  At any rate, 
Creative Fashion said they would alter those clothes and the pants on the Indian
kurta sets I had - and for a reasonable price.  

I decided I should do a blog on the business.  Anuj Ajmera, a delightful young 
man, and I even discussed setting up some kind of business venture between 
the two of us.  I would love that.

I am such a lover of elephants, I could easily buy a dozen fabrics with elephant
patterns! They have bed spreads, table coverings and even fabrics for clothing 
with all sorts of elephant designs.  The briliant colors and arrays of fabrics, some
jeweled, takes ones breath away.  Of course, there are pillow cases, pashminas,
ready made kurtas, and other items.  

Wall hanging

The two wonderful brothers, Manoj ( left ) & Anuj ( right ) Ajmera

Bolts and bolts of beautiful material behind these young men

This hot pink fabric, I bought in 1997 in Singapore.  It lay, folded in my closet 

until I came to India this past December.  I hoped I might find someone to make

it into an outfit for me.  The mother of a Mumbai friend, Tajinder Kaur, had it 

made it into a kurta and patiala pants which, of course, with my weight loss,

were now too large.  Creative Fabrics will take the pants in a bit so I can actually

wear the outfit, sixteen years after I bought the fabric.  It's amazing.  It NEVER

wrinkled - though I have.

This bright, colorful cotton dress - and one made from the same pattern - is 

one of my favorite pieces of clothing of all time.  I've worn it hundreds of times

and it has been on every cruise I've taken since I got it.  My beloved friend of

over forty years, Charlene Payton, an RN I first worked with in Tampa, Florida

when Shawn was just a toddler - she nicknamed him "misery" - made the two 

dresses for me.  At any rate, I wanted it taken in a bit.  Anuj was amazed at how

well the fabric, washed so many times, has held up and has maintained the bright

colors ( I love to do eyeshadows with this dress ).  I can't believe I didn't bring the

other dress with me this time.  Charlene also made a beautiful black cocktail

dress for me and a strawberry coverup that I love.  I wish I could sew but who 

needed to when you had a friend like Char!!

Lord Ganesha, the Remover of Obstacles - of course, I did have to buy this.  He

is the one Hindu god I recognize immediately because he looks like an elephant.

I do pray to him, from time to time - for what?  Please, Lord Ganesha, help me get

back to India, the country of my heart!

Amazing fabrics, jeweled and beaded

Anuj, with one of the ready made, one-size-fits-all kurtas that come in many colors

More beautiful fabric

Indian women at weddings and festivals are amazingly beautiful, dressed in fabrics like this.

I think Anuj should be wearing the nice white pants and shirts I see so many Indian

men wearing.  He tells me they make these sets for women as well, in colors!

I love these colorful Rajasthani puppets

I wish I had the money to have a variety of Indian outfits from the fabrics on these shelves!

Wonderful colors

Just hanging out with the boys

You can visit Creative Fashion India on Facebook at: 

https://www.facebook.com/CreativeFashionIndia?fref=ts

or email Anuj Ajmera for more information on his products -

anuthenice@rediffmail.com.  Items are shipped FedEx and insured.

A Great 68th Birthday in Jaipur, Rajasthan, India - October 3, 2012

I just spent two hours at the computer and had this post all but completed.  Somehow, 
it disappeared.  I cannot believe it.  All that work for nothing.  I just hate being at
the mercy of the gods of the internet!  Oh, well, here we go again though I'm a bit
tired of looking at my wrinkled birthday face!

I got up at my usual 6AM on the 3rd of October, all my joints and muscles aching to
remind me that I am no sweet, young thing.  I've been having massage alternate 
days almost since arriving in Jaipur and, for about six weeks, I've also been having
accupressure.  I really do think that has helped tremendously.  At 7AM, my lovely
landlady, Madhulika arrived with a beautiful bouquet of red roses and I had my
morning chai.  

After breakfast and my massage, I headed to Dr. Galundia's office.
He welcomed the "birthday girl" and greeted me with a kiss on the cheek and, 
at my reminder that "this is India," I got a second kiss.  Come to think of it, NONE 
of my U. S. doctors has ever kissed me.  After the kiss, he left his office and, though 
he's told me I need to lose more weight, he came back, bearing a candy bar - "only 
because it's your birthday."

From Dr. Galundia's office, my driver took me to the Holiday Inn for lunch with my
friend, Food and Beverage Manager, Surendra Dhabai, formerly of Royal 
Caribbean Cruise Line.  The hotel has a lovely buffet with a large selection of 
both continental and Indian food and a nice dessert spread.  I was able to limit
myself to only five jalabees, a sweet Indian concoction that has become a favorite
of mine.  It's almost like flat swirls of a batter, fried in ghee, then soaked in a 
sugar syrup.

Many Indian hotels have handsome doormen like this, sporting turbans and these

large moustaches!

Lobby of the Holiday Inn, Jaipur

Definitely NOT a place for the weight watcher

The Holiday Inn dining room

Lovely salads

A delicious meal, every bite

My friend, Surendra Dhabai

Chef Roushan

I love it!  I got a rare positive comment from my youngest son, Jeremy ( soon 

to be 28 ):  "Damn, looking all skinny.  Keep up the good work."

Surendra and me - he needs roller skates to keep up with all his work!

Here are all those handsome Indian fellows - they remind me of the Royal 

Caribbean wait staff - I lovingly called them my "Bollywood boys."

About 4P, as I was leaving the Holiday Inn, Ajay Singh Shekhawat, manager

of the beautiful heritage hotel, the Umaid Mahal where I stayed three days in

January and two days this past June, called and told me to be on the Umaid

Mahal rooftop at 5PM.  "Good grief," I thought, "I can barely waddle to the 

taxi."  I could hardly disobey my Jaipur hero and I even arrived early.  

Precisely at 5PM, he escorted me to the rooftop restaurant where a lovely

bouquet awaited me, along with a chocolate cake, and Spanish, "Sangre de

Toro" wine.  Of course, there were also Bollywood boys present.

Ajay is amazing.  He has always remembered that yellow roses are my favorites.

Cake number 2 - I shared it...but the wine was all mine.

Chicken pakoras with my favorite spicy green mint sauce.

 y

My Umaid Mahal Bollywood boys

With Ajay Singh Shekhawat

Now, one would think that would be enough birthday celebration for a vintage

American in India but, oh, no, more was yet to come.  My landlady had arranged

dinner at our residence.  We had a pre-dinner birthday cake out in the garden

with her daughter, Geetanjali and son-in-law, Karan Rathore, and her two 

grandsons, Vishu and Arjun, and my friend, Ajay Shekhawat.  

Cake number three, a glorious fruit and whipped cream concoction

Vishu helped me blow out candles.

Nani Madhulika and Arjun 

Ajay, in non Umaid Mahal clothes, for a change!

My beautiful Indian purse from the Rathores

A wonderful birthday dinner

Beautiful Geetanjali Rathore and Vishu

Madhulika and her grandsons, Arjun and Vishu

Bindi ( okra ) - a favorite of mine

Wonderful spicy red beans...as good as New Orleans, but minus ham or andouille

A delicious meat ( not beef, of course ) dish

Well, that was my 68th birthday - the first one I've celebrated in India.  I felt so

pampered and indulged, with birthday phone calls from "family" all over India

and so much special treatment by my Jaipur "relatives."  I can't even begin to

thank everyone enough.