onsdag 16 december 2009

WORK IN PROGRESS 1

START OF A NEW IMAGE  This is a piece of an embroidery from Rajasthan. It was meant for a beautyful dress, but something happened and the dress was never sewn.Then the family needed money, I suppose. So the piece was sold to a textile collector, Mr. LN Kathri in Desert Handicraft Emporium in Jaisalmer, where I found it. And it was my startingpoint for an idea about a big embroidered  image.
This is a sketch, showing a khadeen, which is a sort of dam, that people create in Monsoon-time to keep water in one place, like a small lake.It should be in between hills of sand, which become so called catchment areas.Where this lake has collected water it is very humide after some days and in this wet soil it is possible to grow different crops.I imagine the flowery embroidery to become an image of this cultivated area. On both sides there are the hills collecting drops of water which are seeping into the ground and seeks to the villagers  dug wells.

Last week I made the printed background. The biggest piece of cloth  is now  to be converted to a meaningful story about how to cultivate and use water in the desert.That can be a sometimes painful process.

And this is the view from my studiowindow on the 16th of December 2009. The birds are happy for the seeds which are hanging in the tree. Mice are invading the house, I also find two of them in the refrigerator! It´s nice to stay indoors such a day. Elsa

söndag 15 november 2009

BLOGTRÄNING--- TRAFIKEN I DELHI

HUR FÅ IN BILDERNA?                           Ojojoj Jag lyckades! Efter ett par timmars knappande sitter bilden där i ett nytt och bättre program.
DEN OTROLIGA DELHI TRAFIKEN. När jag kom med tåget från det lugna Jaisalmer, fanns inga taxirikshor,vid Delhi Railwaystation, märkligt nog.Så det fick bli cykelriksha, med allt tungt bagage+ mig själv tyckte jag verkligen synd om killen , som trampade mig till Pahar Ganj. Det tog minst en timme i permanent trafikstockning.

Killen i grön tröja slet med mig och mitt bagage. Indiska tjejen som hjälpte mig akordera med honom sa att han skulle ha 50 rupies möjligen 60, men det fick åtminstone bli det dubbla.Är men turist så får man faktiskt betala, ändå är 100 rupies bara 20 kronor.Räcker säkert till några mål mat från nåt gatukök, eller 20 små muggar chai på tåget.150 rupies är en dagsinkomst för en "unskilled worker".
Dessa ekipage blandas med bussar, truckar handkärror och oxditos.
Och mitt i den mångförgrenade trafiken kan man se en liten dam i rullstol bara sträcka ut sin hand framför sig och tillitsfullt korsa gatan framför bilar och MC:s.
Sådär, nu har jag lite bättre koll på hur men lägger in bilder enligt att nytt system.
Förkylningen har släppt och jag skall  ta mig en promenad, den första efter hemkomsten.
Elsa
Ps, Jag kommer att skriva då och då under arbetets gång, nu när det verkar ganska lätt.
Ds

lördag 14 november 2009

LAST PICTURES

THE THAR DESERT HERITAGE MUSEUM
where the owner Mr Laxmi Kathri shows his big collection of items and gives an idea of traditional life in the villages in the Desert.This Museum is Kathri´s biggest and deepest interest.It´s done very carefully and Mr. Kathri shows around himself.In the Bazaar street he has also a shop with a big collection of preferably textiles for sale. To come into this red cave full of old and new textiles is for sure very tempting.
In the Museum The Mahila Aur Pani Embroidery Club can exhibit the embroideries and also give some information about their work. You see Dominique from France who is our new co-worker, she will keep the contact between Sweden and Jaisalmer.








To be able to decide the juste price and keep up good quality I have introduced a Scheme of Quality Criterias.A small group concisting of two women, one girl, Kulwinder, Parwat and me discuss about every piece of embroidery and according to how many points it gets its paid between 120 and 150 rupies. This was very effective, the women were much more eager to make their pieces as good as possible.

THE LAST VISIT IN THE VILLAGE
Now I leave the village for this time.It´s a very moving moment, and I feel that I must come back and I want to come back to meet all these trusting and warm women and girls to see what is possible to develope.


The time before came Maya,10 years old and she had made this charming little figure.I bought it for my own collection. What happened the last visit? Many attempts from other girls to show what they have done.Ay,ay,ay It´s easy to establish new rules and expectations. But I must resist, and give the new embroideries back, exept for one small little figure more.
So now I leave for this time. All are hoping that Britta-mam will come in January Especially the girls,so let´s hope that it can be possible!

I write this in English especially for the friends in Jaisalmer. Kathri and others.

This blog is written after coming home with a heavy cold which is natural when you move from +35*C to +3*C with foggy and humide weather.This is Sweden in November.
Elsa

tisdag 10 november 2009

HEMAT IGEN

Sadarja,

I natt flyger jag parallell med solen. Start kl. 5 pa morgonen byta flyg en timme i Istanbul och hemma pa Landvetter. kl. 12.30. Efter 11 timmars flygning.

Jag har lite sista bilder, som jag tanker lagga in i bloggen nar jag kommer hem...
Vi hors och ses.
Elsa

torsdag 5 november 2009

JAISALMER- ALWAYS HOTEL ARTIST






MY HOME IN JAISALMER
is Artist Hotel in Kalakar Colony, which is a colony of musicians 10 minutes away from the towncenter.On the slopes of the hills surrounding the city, with an excellent view over the fort in the center, there are many homes for musician families belonging to a cast of musicians who traditionally were nomads. They wandered around widely in the desert and told stories in songs and music They told news and gossips and stories of big importance for exampel where to find water

ARTIST HOTEL IS IN THE CENTER OF THE KALAKAR COLONY.
It was built in companionship between Muscianfamilies and a man from Austria who fell in love with Jaisalmer about 20 years ago.Now he runs the hotel together with a gang of young guys.They begin to work when they are very young and at the same time time they get trained by "Helli" in hotel+restaurantbusiness. We call it hotel and restaurantschool.It's such a friendly and open atmosphere here.I feel very much at home in this house and in my small and cheap room with bathroom. In the evening there is often music in the rooftop-restaurant. The pictures above shows a group of very young talented musicians with Satario, an elder brother and his father.Just while the sun sets.
When you approach the building, you are enthusiastically met by a flock of children.Always with the same hope for a rupie, pen or chocklate or just a photo.

Just this day I have ordered most of the staff to show up for a photo.You may guess who is Halmuth, the Guru for the others, and with him stands ROJA, who is his nearest companion, and the one that may meet you at the trainstation, any time.SHARUCK the manager is out for some special mission. To the left there is the chef de cuisine, DILO, who can serve indian dishes as well as delicious Austrian food,- "but who thaught you this?"- "HELLI, of course".It may take time to get served,but you can be sure that it's always fresch done.aLA.
The main entrance takes you in to a homelike hall an you have just to climb the stairs to be "at home".
So, this how I like to live during my long stay in Jaisalmer.
Elsa

lördag 31 oktober 2009

TVA BILDER

Pa vag tillsammans med en elefant och en ko.Detta ar utanfor ett av de stora fina utsmyckade kopmanspalatsen. s.k. haveli
s
Annu ett forsok att fa till ett komcentrerat mote. Vi bad 10 kvinnor komma till kontoret, for att kunna overfora ngn kunskap och kunna samtala mad var och en. 16 kvinnor och tva smabarn trangde ihop sig i det lilla kontorsrummet.Tva ville forsoka fa vara med och en kvinna hade sant sin mamma. Var nya medarbetare Dominique var med, fransyska, halva aret i Jaisalmer.Hon kommer att hjalpa till med forsaljning, post, och kontakt med sverige, m.m. administrativt.


Vattenposten ar flyttad ut till vagen sa det forsta vi moter nar vi kommer till byn ar flickor och kvinnor som hamtar dagens vatten. Bilderna har blivit konstigt utdargna i formatet.!


Jag ar vid gott mod hittills, men det ar manga saker att tanka pa och det indiska kynnet dartill!

I kvall ar lordag nu gar jag hem och ater dagens mal.
Elsa

torsdag 29 oktober 2009

NYTT FORSOK ATT BERATTA OM BYBESOKET

Pa vagen till kontoret, tar rikshakillen upp sin lilla mungiga och framfor en konsert med ett oga pa trafiken. Han ar musiker och har minsann spelat i bade Paris och Hamburg.Och f.o. tar han helt juste betalt. Go snubbe!


Denna gang kommer minst 25 nya kvinnor, som hoppas fa bli uppskrivna i den magiska boken. Mycket stoj och argumenterande, men vi KAN helt enkelt arbeta med fler an de 25 som redan finns i Embroideryclub. Losningen blir en vantelista, sa far de komma med nar nagon av de "gamla" klarar sig sjalv och inte behover var guidning.Med detta later de sig noja.Under detta hogljudda tjafs gar jag en liten promenad i byn.



Antligen nastan lugnt.Alla sitter ner. Manga av askadarna har gett upp och man kan gora sig hord. I dag borjade vi en viktig process: vi skall ha val till ny gruppledare for kvinnorna i byn. Efter Agri, som hastigt gick bort i somras.Alla drabbades av stor sorg och forvirring samt hagloshet . Kvinnorna forlorade lusten att lara lasa och skriva, ingenting var riktigt viktigt. Nu har vi bett var och en tanka pa nagot forslag till nu gruppledare, och har kommer tre namn upp.Jatani, Mima, Agris Syster, Radiya. Vi ber dem resonera sinsemellan och sa skall vi ha val nasta gang vi kommer till byn.
----Denna kvall ar det stromavbrott nu for andra gangen HELT KOLSVART.Men Vicky har reservkraft, detracker dock inte for att satta in fler bilder.Nu kom strommen, det borjar ater snurra brumma och blasa.----
Vi har en ny medarbetare, Parwat, som hade las och skrivkurs med 12-15 kvinnor under maj-juni.P. skall vara var tolk nar Kulwinder ar upptagen av sin huvudsyssla nu: att arbeta med ett projekt"Save the girlchildren". Fortfarande vill foraldrar inte ha sina flickbebisar!!

Kolla pa denna vackra mormors dress!

Har ar Shanti, 19 ar som fatt en liten flicka sen sist.Minst 4 till av broderikvinnorna har fatt nya sma varldsmedborgare.

onsdag 28 oktober 2009

UPPGIVEN


HAR HAR JAG SUTTIT OCH KAMPAT MED TEKNIKEN I 2 1/2 TIMME. DET HAR BLIVIT NAT KONSTIGT MED MITT BLOGGPROGRAM, SA JAG KAN INTE SE BILDER,utan bara en lang kod for varje bild. Har forsokt att manovrera men till slut misslyckats MED ETT LANGT BILDRIKT INLAGG i alla fall, fa se om jag gor ett nytt forsok.

Det gick ju!
Pa bilden valjer Kavitha en av flickorna ur Brittas flickgrupp garn. Vi har bjudit in tre av de aldre flickorna att vara med i kvinnornas EmbroiderycluB. Alldeles sNart ar de ju vuxna och da ar detta en viktig erfarenhet. Dessutom kan flickorna redan lasa och skriva, sa DE KAN REDAN BLI VALDIGT VIKTIGA FOR DET FORTSATTA ARBETET. nU MASTE JAG SOVA gONATT
eLSA

fredag 23 oktober 2009

BACK TO INDIA AGAIN

Hello outthere,

A new blogperiod starts.I will try at least in the beginning to write in English.
Yesterday I arrived in Delhi, after a trip with no sensations,except for a rush between the two flights in Istanbul.I had a seat between two textile directors!One indian textile salesman who produce cloth for H&M and one director for a big Swedish textile weaving company, that finally was broke by the last finance chrises.And between them a little textile artist still with the scilly hope that textile can make difference in the world!
The Swedish Weaving Company now make "agrotextiles" for groving crops in tunnels made by this material, in these tunnels it's possible to keep the plants wet with much less water.In the south, like Egypt there are now big aeras with this cultivating system. I didn't manage to understand if the cultivating is also Ecofriendly. Maybe somebody can explain this to me.

No pics in this blog. I can't get help with this today.Otherwise I would show the crowded narrow street from above with it's mingel of ox wagons, bicycle-rikshas, cars and mc-s In lunchtime there are many rikshas full of schoolchildren, as much as 9 girls like a bouquette of white and blue flowers, on a vehicle usually for two grown-ups.
Na, nu ar jag hungrig, dags att ga och ata.I morgon tar jag taget till Jaisalmer 18 timmar och ar framme vid 11-tiden pa sondag.Men forst skall jag forirra mig i Old Delhis grander och hitta Den dar gatan med parlbutiker, som jag fann forra aret.
hEJ SVEJS FRAN
eLSA

fredag 30 januari 2009

DELIVERY OF 8 MAHILAS TO NACHANA HAVELI



A VICTORYWALK THROUGH JAISALMER
The last day before I left Jaisalmer our 8 framed Mahilas,that would be placed in the Nachana Haveli Hotel, were ready for delivery.It was a great feeling for Kulwinder and me, to walk through the city with the small committegroup of women from the village.They were Agri and Jatani, the womengroupleaders. And our latest coworkers Radiya and Mima who will assist Kulwinder in the work with the Desert-festival-exhibition, where Mahila Aur Pani will take part.Radiya and Mima carries the boxes with framed embroideries.Proudly!


And so we got to meet the "Prince and princesse" (I call them so, with all respect,because they are members of the maharadiafamily.)In their hotel the images will be displayd and hopefully sold.Here is a picture in the Haveli taken by a nervous photografer.This was for me a grand final and happy moment!

And in the evening I was invited together with friends from Artist Hotel to a grand family celebration in the Haveli!But this is another story. There I couldn't take any photos, so I will make an embroidery of theese experiences.

Tomorrow the plane leaves for Sweden,and it will be fine to come home!

Goodbye India, for this time!Thank you all friends who have followed my blog!
Elsa

TREES PLANTED WITH CARE AND JOY

LAST SUNDAY EXCURSION
I write this also for my friends in Jaisalmer therefore in English.
After two months it's high time to come out to desertvillages to experience some modern Rainwater-harvesting-structures.So in the socialworker's jeep we went out in the wild
A house quite newly built, or changed from mud to stonehouse, Notice the flat roof and the waterpipe coming out from it.When Moonsoonrain comes this pipe will be connected with a plastic tunnel which ends in the reservoir on top of the platform.
This water can last for one season if it has been a good moonsoon. When it is finished the sweetwaterwell is about 2 km. away.So the women have to go this way to fetch drinkingwater..But - "No, they don't," a man tells us in perfect English, "Here they are more modern. They don't want to go so far so we buy water from a tanktruck"He says prodly
When I see the camels standing there- waiting, I understand that in this village there is some welth, because of camelsafaris for tourists. That's also why this man speaks so good English
THE SETTLEMENT GULOO KHAN KI DHANI
Finally I will see the treeplantation which has been done in last August.This is a result of the money I could collect from Swedish individuals and groups.Half of the money I gave last year to another project, and for different reasons it was very badly done.I was very unhappy and kept the rest of the money to give them to the SKSS, The socialworkers, whose work I find very reliable. Now this was happy moments when the treeplantation would be "inspected"What a surprise!There was a womengroup waiting for us.I got this orange dot on my forehead, with thre riceseeds in it, symbolising happiness and wealth. Then the women started to sing a song with great intensity. I could listen moved and happy!
There was the small school with 29 children in the youngest classes. Around the school a stonewall was made, a perfect protection from winds and sandstorms.Inside this wall the trees were planted. Different sorts of trees which are useful in many ways. I know the Neem-tree from which we get fodder for animals,it is also natural biocide against insects.It's useful for antibacterial purposes. Once I saw a man running from the nighttrain, grab a small stick of a neemtree,jumping up the train, starting to brush his teeth with the broken piece of wood.Neem is from the beanfamily, it gives also nutrition to the soil.It's important to dig rather deep and wide holes to protect the plants
Here are ND from SKSS the Socialworkers, the teacher in the school and the villagechief.Proudly they show how the plants are growing and how well they are treated.I'm sure they can imagine how there will be a ring of trees around the schoolyard. In five years, ND says, but He is an optimist.
On our way up to the village I found this beautyful "Still Life"So important for life in desert.
In this village there are only 15 families and about 256 inhabitants totally.We could visit some of the families.And here I got so happy! I realised that they, that is Kulwinder had introduced my idea from last year! To let every family plant a tree to give care and love to.This tree could grow more quick if it could be planted where the water from the household was rinning.And yes, Here this little idea was implemented!also together with a kitchengarden
Here is the mother of the teacher with her treeplanting in the wastewater!


"Is she a gardener?" the teacher said when I started to take away the too many carrotplants- "You may use it with the rice," I said about the small plants.


And now came the very joyful end of the visit.We got to meet the women and children all dressed in their best clothes.We were served sweets, water and tee and the women sung a song. And I answered by singing Lovely is the Eart, wonderful is God's Heaven...the old Swedish psalm,which I love and remember from my childhood.
Which was the first song that appeared in my mind.
I felt happy and rich when we returned to Jaisalmer in the afternoonsunshine.
There will be a short next blog...
Elsa