patwa-ki-haveli

the havelis of Jaisalmer are most magnicificent. this one in particular caught my eye and I could not turn my gaze away. this sculpted sandstone building is detailed with such delicate stone lacework. clearly built by brocade and jewelery merchants who had a taste for detail.

the golden city

traveling in India can be rather arduous. we hired a driver to journey with us for the continuation of our expedition through Rajisthan, our next stop being Jaisalmer. It is strange to have a driver who is essentially a stranger joining us on this adventure, but there is an element of safety I feel in his presence. during the 10 long hours on roads that have no end, I thought much about what his life must be like, what he thinks and dreams about. I often muse about the private lives of these people I encounter, whose lives are so disparate to my own...we arrived to the Golden City in the late evening. the illuminated Jaisalmer Fort greeted us at this small city which feels like a mirage in the middle of a barren desertscape. about 25% of the city's inhabitants reside within the walls of the Jaisalmer Fort, which harbours a palace, temples and hundreds of sandstone havelis. this feels much like walking within a living museum. beyond the walls of the fort lies a connecting complex of seven beautiful yellow sandstone Jain temples, dating from the 12th to 16th centuries, stunning! a very spiritual day was spent in this Golden City.

happy birthday sooji!

on march 28th Sooji and I celebrated her birthday. I tried to make it an eventful day, not easy as each day seems to be filled with surprises. we had a most memorable meal at a 'special village' called Choki Dhani. it's a neo-Rajasthani village filled with delicious Rajisthani thali, a plate of multiple dishes combining vegetables and sauces I could not even begin to describe. we indulged in all that was presented to us. to complete the night, as in any proper Indian celebration, we rode on a camel and adorned our bodies with henna.

the feeling of india

"the simple and astonishing truth about India and Indian people is that when you go there, your heart always guides you more wisely than your head. there's nowhere else in the world where that's quite so true". these are the words of Gregory David Roberts whose book 'Shantaram' I inhale with eager anticipation. this is perhaps why I love the feeling of India so much, because it is a place where the heart reigns. my heart feels full here as I stroll the many bazaars in search of a sari in which to brave the summer heat, as a sacred cow takes refuge in the middle of the road. a small child approaches me with those soft pleading eyes which you simply can't turn away from. the streets are crowded with human traffic, there is an unsettling feeling in the air. unmistakably you feel alive!

shopping...

it is easy to lose yourself in the local fineries of Jaipur. shopping is quite an experience! all the shopkeepers immediately become your best friends, offering a hot cup of chai as you haggle for a silver pendant that looks like it was worn by an Empress in the late 19th century. and if you are the merchants first customer of the day, good luck walking away without a purchase! day one is entertaining. day two is overwhelming. day three is when you wrap yourself in a shawl as not to appear visible to any of the shopkeepers that all seem to know your name and exactly what you are looking for. like much of India, the experience of shopping is equally exhausting and fulfilling. and very addictive.

amidst all the chaos I experienced a moment of profundity. it was there in Jaipur that I met with the most penetrating eyes, a blue so deep you could feel the calm of the sea. these eyes belonged to two mute artists, identical in appearance and manner. though they could not utter a word, their eyes spoke most resoundly. they sat on the floor at an art emporium, astutely painting on 80 year old paper with the single hair from a brush. their eyes spoke of a kindness that is impossible to express in words. my eyes smiled back.

the pink city

Jaipur is a city surrounded by walls painted pink, the color of hospitality, as instructed by Maharaja Ram Singh to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. the Hawa Mahal is Jaipur's most distinctive landmark, an amazing display of Rajput artisty, built to enable ladies of the royal household, or shall we say harem, to watch the life of the streets below without being seen. the City Palace is an architectural marvel as well, combining both Rajasthani and Mughal elements of design. Azfar joined us on this royal tour. he was most fascinated with the palace floorplan which provided 12 suites for 12 wives. the 365 mistresses were housed outside the palace gate, eagerly awaiting their summoning from the Emperor. seems a little excessive in my opinion...

the telling of time

Jantar Mantar is one of 5 observatories built nearly 300 years ago by the warrior and astronomer Jal Singh. these complex instruments were once used to measure time by the shadows cast by the sun onto sundials, and to chart the progress of the moon through the zodiac. it was fascinating to see how accurate these structures are. no need for a watch while in Jaipur!

a love story

the Taj Mahal is the most extravagant monument ever built for love. Emperor Shah Jahan was so deeply enamored with his second wife Mumtaz Mahal, that upon her death while giving birth to their fourteenth child, he had a mausoleum constructed in her memory. in a culture where an emperor can have a dozen wives and countless concubines, this is quite impressive! this monument took 22 years of construction, with 20,000 people enlisted and 70 million dollars spent. it is indeed awe-inspiring, constructed of marble from Europe and detailed with thousands of semi-precious stones. the royal purity of this imposing structure is unmistakable. and the story is unlike any other. Emperor Shah was a dedicated man and lived his remaining years at the Agra Fort with a direct view to the resting place of the woman he loved.

nikka in delhi

one of my favorite designers happens to be a dear friend. I met Kanika in NYC four years ago, as her passion for design led her to create her first of many Indian inspired collections, gaining her a reputation as one of New York's hottest young designers, www.nikkanewyork.com. in addition to my role as a fit model, in which I very eagerly tried on pieces that I hope to add to my collection, I gained much insight as to the workings of a factory in India, and how skillfully each piece is created. I even joined Kanika in her pursuit of trim and assisted in designing the new collection. or so I like to think!

delhi

in Delhi I found a home, in the company of my dear friends Kanika and Azfar. Kanika is a local and welcomed me most whole-heartedly into a life of home-cooked feasts and neighborhood jaunts. my adopted Indian grandmother felt much like my own. a warm heart has no cultural boundaries, be it Indian or Polish. in little time I understood the extreme duality which exists in the interior and exterior worlds of India. in an instant I was transported in a rusty rickshaw to a place of great splendor, the Imperial, one of the majestic hotels of Delhi. I momentarily forgot the mesmerizing eyes of poverty in the surrounding streets. yet this is what India is all about, the people. I am fortunate enough to know them from the inside.

mumbai

this is my first taste of India, flavours I am certain will remain in my palate for a lifetime. the sights are intense amidst a cacophony of honking horns, in a city that is over-populated and under-nourished. today I spent a feverishly hot afternoon at the Prince of Wales Museum gaining a bit of insight as to the beginnings of this enchantingly intricate culture. tomorrow Delhi awaits, where I will meet with my dear friends Kanika and Azfar...

sydney

'I could live here'. these are the words that most often exit my lips, as I journey to so many vibrant and culturally rich cities of the world. Sydney is quite the ideal place to live, there is something inspiring about being so close to the sea. an enticing city bordered by tranquil beaches, my favorites being Manly and Bondi. there I experienced a perfect day: the morning began with a yoga class. upon finding inner balance I retreated to the sea for a surf lesson. with a little practice and resolve I stood on the board, what a high! I am still a bit weary of those commanding waves but I have found a new sensation. the day of fortuitous pleasures continues...the afternoon was spent indulging in Shiraz at Darling Harbor (any place with the name darling must have a certain charm to it!). In the evening I enjoyed my first Eastern European opera in the most stunning opera house, 'Rusalka' by Dvorak. and this was only one day of many.

great ocean road

a great road overlooking the ocean. what more to say?

an aboriginal soul

'to understand your highest self you must live in that rhythm', as did William Ricketts, an eccentric artist who lived and worked at Mt Dandenong until 1993, at the age of ninety-four. he felt a deep connection to the desert people of the Pitjantjara and Arrernte, as though he were one himself, perhaps in a past life. walking through his sanctuary amidst this visual poetry of over 90 ceramic sculptures in which the human and natural spirit become one, I could feel his love and devotion to these people and the environment. an inner peace filled me in this space created by a single man who believed in something with a rare soulful passion.

melbourne

my introduction to Melbourne began with a 20k bike tour of a city which has become one of my favorites (the list is growing!). amidst all the culture and refinement there is a relaxed attitute in this city which is considered one of the most livable in the world. South Yarra became our home, a great neighborhood for dining and shopping. near this vicinity lives my friend Jeremy with whom we wined and dined as often as possible. I was grew very fond of Fitzroy, filled with a modern bohemian vibe. Melbourne possesses much international art, as well as an immigration museum that proved most insightful as to the history of this country so detached from the rest of the world. most of all I fell in love with the koalas, simply adorable!!

milford sound

a scenic 5 hour drive through the most beautiful natural landscapes of New Zealand to a hidden land of mist covered mountains and waterfalls...