11 months, 8 countries, thousands of kilometers and a lifetime of memories…

Years pass by and although we capture a lot of our memories in pictures, we often forget the stories around them…I like to jot down my experiences and thoughts that cross my mind as they are often like a morning dew- evaporate before you realise they were even there. I like to come back to my memories after months/years and say “Gee, I have forgotten about this funny/awkward/awesome/miserable/whatever kind of experience…” In my experience, this is very refreshing.

Here is the “Most….” of my year 2011….

Most Awe Inspiring- the Temples of Angkor Wat, Siem Riep, Cambodia…Nothing compares to that. Period.

Angkor Wat*

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Most Impressive- Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors) and Hawa Mahal (Palace of Wind ) in Jaipur, India and The Taj Lake Palace, located in the middle of Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India

Sheesh Mahal, Amber Fort, Jaipur

Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

Taj Lake Palace, Udaipur

Most Beautiful Sunrise- over the hills of Tuscany, Vecchio, Italy (keeping in mind I’m absolutely not an early bird, it was  a big deal I was able to capture this one)

Vecchio, Tuscany

Most Annoying- the taxi drivers in Mumbai, India who try to come with all possible kind of scams to rip you off…Sorry, no picture!

Most Beautiful Necklace- the Marine Drive in Mumbai, India also known as the Queen’s Necklace as it is shaped like a necklace and is a promenade along the Arabian Sea.

the Marine drive, Mumbai

Most Pleasantly Surprised- the Metro in New Delhi with proper signs. I really enjoyed the ride on the metro and felt in a civilized world (compared to the train rides in Mumbai where you get pushed and pulled from all sides)

Sign on the metro in Delhi

Most Intensive Learning Experience- the Temples of Angkor Wat, Siem Riep, Cambodia and the story of Ramayana kept in the bas-relief from the 11th-12th century. It is a bit of a challenge to keep up with all the kings and what they have accomplished throughout the centuries.

Angkor Thom

Bantey Srei, Siem Riep, Cambodia

Angkor Thom

Most surrealist street- a street in Valletta, Malta…almost like in the movie “Inception“

Valletta, Malta

Most horrific Experience- the War Museum in Saigon, Vietnam with very detailed description of the tortures that took place there during the Vietnam War.

Most “OMG! I cannot believe that” experience- the Tuol Sleng Museum, aka Security Prison 21 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia and the story of the dictator Pol Pot.

Most Pampered- In Udaipur, India where I had someone deliver my food and wait for me while I enjoy the delicious Rajasthani food and another one to arrange my pillows in the  day-bed/or by the pool. I felt I was watched by a pair of eyes just to turn around and then someone immediately comes to make you feel even more comfortable.

the lovely pool at Hotel Fateh Garh, Udaipur

Most Humble Experience- Gurudwara Bangla Sahib in New Delhi, India where I prepared chapattis and stretched my arms for food like hundreds of others independent of age, gender, social status, religion who set with me in a row on the floor to accept food.

Langar

Preparing chapattis in Balgla Sahib Gurudwara in New Delhi

Most Stuck in Traffic- the night when I arrived in New Delhi, India and it was the night when India won the Cricket Championship for the first time after 27 years….

Delhi, on my way from the airport

Most lost in time-at the beach of Hua Hin, Thailand. Didn’t know the time, had to watch the sun to sort of figure out what time it could be…

The beach of Hua Hin

Biggest rip-off- a Buddha head I purchased in Udaipur, India

Hottest dish I tried- gee, that was hot- the soup was spicy, there was a fire in front of my nose and it was 25 degrees Celsius out there….Hua Hin, Thailand

hot, hot, hot...

Most stupid thing I heard- german couple in Phnom Penh, Cambodia after desperately searching for a place to have pizza, aka safe food. Finally found a place- “We just had dinner- fried liver with boiled potatoes and we found it exorbitantly  expensive twice as expensive as in Germany”. So, what did you expect?

Most obtuse statement from a tourist @Angkor Wat, Cambodia: “We’re here already a third day and have seen enough stones….We’ll chill by the pool today” Me: “Stones??? Are you out of your freakin’ mind?”

Most annoying tourist guide- an elderly tour guide I booked in Bangkok, whose English was so bad and was so bored taking stupid foreigners around, that there was almost silent resentment towards the tourists coming out of his eyes/ears…

Most WOW-massage- a traditional khmer-massage done by a blind person on a side street in Phnom Penh, Cambodia- the place is called Colors of Life @ Sisowath Quay.

Most scary experience- in Phnom Penh, Cambodia when I told my tuk-tuk driver to take me to places where no white people go, I ended up in a gloomy, piss-smelling area, where I felt “OMG, where the hell am I?” Needless to say, shortly after I explored the area, I instructed him to drive me back…

Most tickling experience- in a fish spa in Bangkok, Thailand

Fish spa in Bangkok

Most weird piece of information- I was wondering why all men in Vietnam and often in Thailand had the fingernail on the their pinky finger grow to a distrubing length (at least in my eyes the length was insanely disturbing). One practical reason that explained that was… to clean the ears….ok, makes sense…Someone told me that if the pinky is taller (including the nail, of course) than the intermediate phalanges of the ring finger, this brings good luck. I liked this explaination…huh, much better than the ear-cleaning one;-)

Longest search for artifacts- in Bangkok, Thailand where I was searching for a wooden statue of Buddha in Sukhotai style- took me 2 days to find one! And I bet you it will be duly displayed in my new home and it will bring an array of memories and good blessings! After having seeing different Buddha statues styles in Musee Guimet in Paris, I’m convinced the Thai Buddha from the Sukhotai period is the most beautifully depicted one.

Most Ambitious thing I did-  submitted my concepts on OpenIDEO as I was travelling through India. I was occupying the hotel computer for hours, so that I could flash out my concepts for the Food Challenge. I didn’t win, but the efforts were worthwhile.

So long….Hope you enjoyed the read!

*picture courtesy to my friend Giovanna Enea, who also visited Angkor Wat in 2011

Anokha’s ultimate guide to culled gemstones

Every year comes the time when people ask “What is my horoscope for the next year? What are the stars saying? Which are the good days and the bad days I need to be aware of?“

I cannot answer these questions, but I can tell you which are the gemstones that are associated with your Zodiac star sign. So, here is ANOKHA‘s ultimate gemstone guide with suggestions from our latest collections:

• Aries (3/21-4/20)—Bloodstone

• Taurus (4/21-5/20)—Sapphire

  

  A bracelet with moonstone and finely culled sapphires.

This exquisite bracelet “Aishwarya” is available with a matching ring on Anokha’s webpage. Sapphire is the stone  my star sign  , which makes it very special to me.

Here is a list of most famous sapphire rings- from those in possession by Lady Diana and Liz Tyler to the finger candy belonging to Penelope Cruz.

• Gemini (5/21-6/20)—Agate

• Cancer (6/21-7/20)—Emerald

• Leo (7/12-8/22)—Onyx

Silver earrings with a chunk of onyx, cute Swarowski crystals and one freshwater pearl. Perfect for your New Year's outfit!

Earrings “Lavanya” available now on Anokha’s webpage.

Earrings with black onyx. Hammered silver. A good pair of earrings is all you need to make an otherwise ordinary outfit an object of envy. These earrings make a difference!

Earrings “Rupal” available now on Anokha’s webpage.

Silver hammered ring with onyx

• Virgo (8/23-9/22)—Carnelian

  

  Long silver necklace with carnelians. Prediction:

  Orange is going to be the smashing darling of colors this Summer and Fall! Carnelians here we come!!!

  

  Long silver necklace with multiple semi-stones- cornelian, chalcedony and citrine. This season, there’s no such thing as too much neck candy!!!

  

  Orange explosion necklace with chunky cornelian, lacy crystals and playful silver charms. What a beauty!

  Necklace “Ruchika” available now on Anokha’s webpage

  

  Orange explosion necklace with chunky cornalien, lacy crystals and playful silver charms. What a beauty worn by a beauty!

  
  

• Libra (9/23-10-22)—Peridot

  

  Silver ring with peridot and tourmalines. Such a festive color!

• Scorpio (10/23-11/22)–Aquamarine

Long necklace with two lines of silver in a combination with bright aquamarines and dancing in the light amethysts.

Necklace with aquamarines and amethysts.

• Sagittarius (11/23-12/21)–Topaz

The topaz is my favourite stone. The word topaz is believed to originate from ‘Tapas’ – Sanskrit for fire. Topaz represents friendship, love and intelligence……how wonderful- what a wonderful stone!

This ensemble of beautifully cut smoky topaz accented by whimsical zircons is what I call a treat for the senses! Where is the champagne?

Ring “Kanya” is one of the highlights in Anokha’s collection.

5 rows of smoky topaz and natural bright red colored corals on an elaborate handcrafted clasp.

Necklace “Shivani” available now on Anokha’s webpage

• Capricorn (12/22-1/20)–Ruby

Silver ring with a finely cut ruby and zircons.

For thousands of years, the ruby has been considered one of the most valuable gemstones on Earth. It has everything a precious stone should have: magnificent colour, excellent hardness and outstanding brilliance. In addition to that, it is an extremely rare gemstone, especially in its finer qualities.

• Aquarius (1/21-2/18)–Garnet

It is believed that the name of the stone originates from the latin word for pomegranate. Jewelry made with garnet has been found as early as the Bronze Age (3000 BC) in burial sites. It is thought that early communities valued garnet and believed that it offered protections in the afterlife.

Silver earrings with a garnet and a small pearl. It is believed garnet inspires devotion to one's self as well as to others. Sweet. Girly. Goodness.

Earrings “Namita” available now on Anokha’s webpage

• Pisces (2/19-3/20)–Amethyst

Necklace with amethyst and aquamarines.

Amethyst necklace with specially flat cut stones with extra 37 cut facets. These amethyst drops just dance in the light!

Love the twinkle of the lovely amethysts in the necklace “Ruma“, available now on Anokha.

Long earrings with amethyst, lapis lazuli, labradorite and faux turquoise beads which have been 'stitched' onto sterling silver.

Earrings “Mohini“…enjoy the splendor! Amethyst powers include: dreams, healing, peace, love, spiritual upliftment and courage.

How unique is actually unique?

A couple of days ago I read an article about how long Steve Jobs debated about the title of the Mac campaign: shall it be  “Think Different” or Think Differently“, the latter being the grammatically correct one. I was struck: these, seemingly similar sentences, are SO different and they send totally different emotionally charged messages.

Think Different is bold and goes with swagger….

Think Differently is just so-so…

Think Different sounds like a wake-up call, sounds like a call to do something…..otherwise you risk to swim in the ocean of sameness.

How many companies and people actually think and act different? My guess is a few, but some really good ones…

Do you actually have to think different? What will happen if you don’t do this?

I believe to think  different has to do a lot with PERSONALITY. And PERSONALITY means you STAND UP for something. What is this that you stand up for? Which are these companies or any other entities that have a personality?

Apple.

IDEO.

Nike.

Harley Davidson.

Stanford.

Kulula Airlines.

Take Kulula Airlines, a South African discount flight provider- one of my favorite examples…Part of their flight attendants’ arrival announcement: “We’d like to thank you folks for flying with us today. And, next time you get the insane urge to go blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you’ll think of Kulula Airways.

To Kulula this stuff is not just marketing hyperbole. It is who they are. It is their culture and personality.

Take Nike-  everyone at Nike is a a sportsperson. They stand up for it. This is who they are. The boundary between work and life outside the workplace si really blurred. The names of the conference rooms at Nike’s headquarters are dedicated to great sportsmen. The in-house mail is a name of a corridor and a cubicle for example, Diego  #40. How cool is that?

Take Harley Davidson- the marketing manager at Harley Davidson wears a leather jacket, leather boots and a braid. The parking places at Harley Davidson’s headquarter say ” No Cages. Only motorcycles.” This is what I call personality. This is who they are. By the way “no cages, means no cars”- check out the commercial-

So, say your brand/company/you have a PERSONALITY- that’s great but what about UNIQUENESS? What are these ingredients of the Personality of your brand that make it so unique?

Having run my own jewellery brand for a little more than two years, my answer to this is: the Uniqueness lies in how your brand/product is perceived. Is there an universal uniqueness? I don’t think so: if you try to appeal to everyone, you end up delighting no-one. So, stand up for something? My mantra is: one design is represented by one jewellery piece which makes my customers feel very special. I stick to my mantra all the time.

Let’s see how the perceived Unique is actually unique? OR How diluted in value is actually unique?

“Researchers examined a database of every newspaper article in each of the top fifty newspapers in the US over a 20 year period. During this time the % of the articles in which something was described as “unique” increased by 73%”. the quote is from the great book “Made to Stick”.

So, what’s the message? Has the world produced more unique stuff or the “uniqueness bar” has been lowered and people started calling every second thing “…oh, this is really truly unique”? I don’t know what the answer to that is, but I know that unique is relative as relative can get.

But hey, I will stick to my brand and my mantra, because this WHO I AM.

Mother of Pearl- how is it used?

During my recent trip to Thailand, I realized that Mother of Pearl is not only extensively used in jewellery making, which was actually my original assumption, but has some very auspsicious uses….

Some of the most intricate carvings have been made on Mother of Pearl. Check out the famous statue of the Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Reclining Buddha

The eyes of the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho are made out of Mother of Pearl

The soles of the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho are decorated with Mother of Pearl

The statue’s eyes and feet are decorated with engraved mother of pearl, the soles of the feet displaying the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha. This is truly stunning work! Not only in terms of size, but also in terms of intricacy and detail!

The soles of the reclining Buddha at Wat Pho are decorated with Mother of Pearl

Wat Pho is one of the largest temples in Bangkok and also one of the oldest, constructed nearly 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand’s capital. Wat Pho holds the distinction of having both Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha image and the largest number of Buddha images in Thailand. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and commemorates the passing of the Buddha into Nirvana.

A long row of Buddhas in Wat Pho- the temple in Thailand that holds the most Buddhas

Standing Buddha @ the Marble Temple in Bangkok

The Golden Buddha @ Wat Traimit, the world's largest solid gold statue

Look at the eyes of this Golden Buddha - decorated with onyx and mother of pearl. Isn’t this just beautiful?!

Now, after I have experienced this special “date” with the Mother of Pearl, I look with different eyes to the Mother of Pearl jewellery piece:

They ooze a very special and beautiful aura!

Cambodia: welcome to the conundrum!

” Good luck for you, Madaaaaaaaaaaam” accompanied with a broad smile- this is how I will remember the Cambodians I met in Phnom Penh and Siem Reap. At first glance Cambodia appears to be a nation of shiny, happy people, but the truth is that it is a country full of contradictions-insanely rich and desperately poor, love and hate, life and death. Look at these lovely people who give you those broad smiles, look back in the recent history  and you’re asking yourself-who has infliced that malice upon these people? What is this that you have to do to deserve this?- Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, Killing Fields, child trafficking, child prostitution are synonymous to misery and representation of the ugliest of what a human being is capable of….

…..And then comes ANGKOR WAT, and you’re puzzled, because in the face of the misery and the death, comes the Mother Of All Temples, the largest religious building on Earth, majestic and beautiful representation of the true genius of the Khmer people.

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

Angkor Wat

The temples of Angkor are the heart and soul of Cambodia- Angkor Wat is everywhere-on the national flag, the beer, the banknotes (although the dollar is almost the official currency in Cambodia). The researchers were puzzled by Angkor Wat, as the main entrance gate of the temple faced West, a direction usually associated with Death…but here comes the Indian mythology to help explain the puzzle- the Hindu  God Vishnu was associated with the West, and it is how now it is commonly accepted that Angkor Wat served both as a temple and mausoleum.

Angkor Wat

the lower terrace of Angkor Wat

A 3,5m statue of Vishnu at the entrance of Angkor Wat, made of a single block of sandstone

Some people leave locks of hair by the statue of Vishnu for good fortune. I didn’t see any…..

Inspired by the lovely apsaras (the heavenly nymphs), I took two wall decorations hand-carved wooden apsaras…I love to look at them- this so much reminds of my Angkor experience.

Apsaras, bas-relief at Angkor Wat

On my way to Heaven- reaching the Mt.Meru of Angkor Wat

The middle temple of Angkor Wat

When I first saw  the majestic temples, cuddled in the jungle, I was mesmerized by the power of the unique religious complexes as well as by the power of the jungle. So, who had the final word?- The jungle or the Khmer genius? Find for yourself!

Ta Prohm, aka Tomb Raider temple

Built from 1186 and originally known as Rajavihara (Monastery of the King), Ta Prohm was a Buddhist temple.

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm

Note the red color of the walls- it is not paint that has faded away, it is caused by a bacteria that lives in the stone itself.

Ta Prohm

A shrine at Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm

The true power of the jungle @ Ta Prohm

The day I visited Ta Prohm was drizzling. There were not many people around the temple, so I stood there listening to the sounds of the jungle and slight sound of small raindrops. You could hear and smell the jungle. It was a beautiful feeling!

Ta Prohm

Ta Prohm

somewhere in Angkor

Imagine you were a peasant in the 13th century approaching the main gates of Angkor Thom- what you see are the magnimonious faces of the Bodhisattva Alokiteshvara staring in 4 directions over the kingdom- truly an awe-inspiring experience! The enormous faces are flanked by he monumental representation of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, 54 demons and 54 Gods holding nagas (the story comes from the Hindu mythology). You can see a replica of the Churining of the Ocean of Milk story in Guimet Museum in Paris, which I visited shortly after my trip to Cambodia. This Museum is devoted to the arts of South East Asia. Some sections are particularly rich in material from Cambodia and Indianized Vietnam (Champa). It also features a selection of works which provide a panoramic display of the arts of Thailand, Indonesia, Sinicized Vietnam, as well as Burma and Laos. Worth the visit if you happen nto be around the Arc de Triumph in Paris- it is just a walking distance from there….

Demons, as part of the Churning of the Ocean of Milk, which represents 54 demons and 54 gods holding nagas

The 4 Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara guard the entrance of Angkor Thom-- the South gate

Angkor Thom is in the Bayon style. This manifests itself in the large scale of the construction, in the widespread use of laterite, in the face-towers at each of the entrances to the city and in the naga-carrying giant figures which accompany each of the towers.

Majestic Angkor Thom

Awe-inspiring Angkor Thom

The Khmer faces seen everywhere- these huge heads glare down from every angle, exuding power and c only with a slight hint of humanity

Angkor Thom looks like a pile of glorified rubble stones, but behind this rubble is the genius of the Khmer architects. The bas-reliefs depict scenes from the daily life of the Khmer people.

Bas-reliefs, Angkor Thom

Bas-reliefs, Angkor Thom

Bas-reliefs, Angkor Thom

The third level of the Bayon, with the towers and the faces, Angkor Thom

The third level of the Bayon, with the towers and the faces, Angkor Thom

the majestic faces of Bayon

I took a wooden replica of the 4 magnimonious heads to decorate my home….I find the facial expressions majestic…love to look at them….

Beautiful bas-reliefs on the Terrace of the Leper King; It is believed that the Terrace of the Leper King hosted a royal crematorium

Beautiful apsara bas-reliefs on the Terrace of the Leper King

Bakong, is a temple lof the Rolous Group that has an active Buddhist monastery

To finish off, here is one vistior to Angkor with quirky shoes- loved the contrast of this funny, modern looking crocs to the old weather-beaten blackened Ankorian stones, which make the world come, bow and admire…..

So long…..

Bangkok- the City of Angels

“Sawasdee Ka!”  is the first word I heard when walked across the border between Cambodia and Thailand. The greeting is accompanied by a gesture of pressing the hands together in prayer and bowing.

When I first arrived in Bangkok on a late September afternoon, it didn’t look to me anything like the City of Angels- congested with traffic, covered with massive concrete roads and building, polluted…. Then I went on to search for Bangkok’s hidden gems. Although it is increasingly globalised and has adopted Western, Chinese and Japanese influences, the city remains steeped into its own rich culture and beliefs, hiding many gems of different kind- cultural, religious and culinary….

Cosmopolitan Bangkok welcomes with numerous street markets with glitzy modern malls, Buddhist philosophy with animism, and traditional reserve with lashings of sanuk (fun). A blend that I truly enjoyed! Here are the ten things that impressed me about Bangkok, which, by the way, holds the world record of the longest name of a place by the Guinness World’s record:

1. The spirit houses- a talk with the ghosts.

A spirit house

Spirit house- the elephant, the horse, and... the CAT...in order of importance for the spirits, I guess...

Land and trees are believed to have spirits. These spirits must be placated, by offerings- food and drink, otherwise they surely will show their displeasure. When Thai people build homes/offices/hotels, they install a spirit house  to keep the occupants comfortable. Very peculiar!

2. I found it very peculiar that every day of the week has a different color and every day of the week has a different Buddha associated with it:

• Monday- yellow
• Tuesday- pink
• Wednesday- green
• Thursday- orange
• Friday- blue
• Saturday- purple
• Sunday- red

Surprisingly, people stick to these colors….

3. The city of thousands of Buddha temples/shrines and ….a dozen other kinds of  temples- malls- the temples of consumption

Wat Benchamabophit- the Marble Temple

The Golden Buddha @ Wat Traimit, the LARGEST SOLID GOLD STATUE IN THE WORLD!!!

This status is made in the Sukhothai Dynasty style, and is thought to have been made during the Sukhothai period in the 13th century, though it could have been made after that time.

The Buddha is represented in the traditional pose of Bhumisparshamudra (touching the earth with the right hand to witness Shakyamuni Buddha’s enlightenment at Bodh Gaya). The original statues of Sukhothai sit on a common pedestal form. The flame that crowns the ushnisha is an innovation of Sukhothai that symbolises the splendour of spiritual energy.

Buddha statue at Ayutthaya

Respect for karmic consequences runs deep in this country especially where a statue of Buddha is concenrned.

A long row of Buddha statues at Wat Pho

@ Golden Mount

Many of the Buddha statues are covered with yellow piece of cloth, as it was believed it was Buddha’s skin color.

Inspired by these numerous Buddha statues in serene meditation pose, I decided to buy one as a souvenir, which resulted in luggage size explosion. YEAH!

4. The Erawan Shrine in Pathumwan, one of my favorite hang around places in Bangkok, is Bangkok’s most visited shrine.

It is dedicated to Brahma, the four headed Hidhu God. There is sky walk just above it, so I spend some time observing the passers-by. Throughout the day people walking by or travelling by car, press their hands together to wai the shrine as they pass. The clouds of insence, the smell of joss sticks create a one- of- a- kind atmosphere. And interestingly, there is some kind of order and routine people follow, something that I have rarely experienced in India while visiting a revered place of worship.

Erawan Shrine

Erawan Shrine

People usually queue up, pay a fee  and get  a small piece of paper. They pass the small piece of paper to one of the girls when their turn comes and she gives a sign as to what song/dance to perform. The person for whom the song and dance are performed  prays and once finished proceeds to light the candles and the incense sticks.

Erawan Shrine

From the sky walk- my observation spot

5. Thailand’s city of Ayutthaya is the location of one of the world’s most unusual Buddhist statues.

Among the ruins of Wat Mahathat (The Temple of the Great Relic) is the remains of a sandstone statue of the Buddha whose body has been lost to the ages but whose head rests appropriately in the climbing roots and vines of a tree. Around this famous figure are many other stature of the Ayutthaya period which have survived the ravages of time. Around this area you could see many beheaded Buddha statues as a result of the war with the Burmese.

6. The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho.

This is one of the largest temples in Bangkok and also one of the oldest, constructed nearly 200 years before Bangkok became Thailand’s capital. Wat Pho holds the distinction of having both Thailand’s largest reclining Buddha image and the largest number of Buddha images in Thailand. The gold-plated Reclining Buddha statue is 46 meters long and 15 meters high, and commemorates the passing of the Buddha into Nirvana. The statue’s eyes and feet are decorated with engraved mother of pearl, the soles of the feet displaying the 108 auspicious characteristics of the true Buddha.

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

The Reclining Buddha at Wat Pho

People come to the Wat Pho temple to learn meditation and traditional medicine. A classic Thai massage is offered here-needless to say, I tried it:-) I tried the Thai herbal massage which consisted of a Thai massage, that was quite painful followed by a kind of herbal concoction been padded on my back, arms and legs. There was a bucket with herbs boiling on slow fire next to me. The smell of the herbs was very strong and intensive and  like-nothing-I-have-smelled-so-far. The bucket was covered with a towel that was turning yellow. The towel was used to pad the body parts towards the end of the massage. I totally recommend this experience. And by the way, no privacy during the massage; all beds a close to each to each other, so you can touch to fingers or the toes of someone next to you….

7. The food and street markets- vibrant and fun to be around…

Thai soup with Kaffir leaves- yummy!

Some kind of dessert based on rice, of course

The Chinese influence...this is not a shark-fin soup!!!!

My usual street lunch- for about 1 euro....yummy stuff!

my lunch being cooked...

Living in Germany, I really miss the option of having super tasty food cooked in a jiffy, just around the corner- no waiting, no restaurants, no waiters….sigh!!!!!

As was having food mostly on the street, I rarely new what I was eating….as the people spoke less to no English. So, I had to use some gestures, or search for young people, who could speak some English to help me get my food.

Rotee with condensed milk....I loved to have and egg on top...really yummy snack

Thai soup fondu style- you get the veggies and the seafood and you boil them at your own speed...The sauce was hot, to very hot, but very yummy...

I was not sure if I was sweating because 1) it was hot, 2) there was a fire in front of my nose or 3) the sauce was damn good spicy….As I was not sure how to eat all this stuff, a lovely Taiwanese couple showed me what to do…

CLASSIC- Mango with sticky rice and coconut cream

more noodle soup....with my new friend Aon

somewhere in the market alley

Well, well....on the side street...an usual view in the markets...

8. The architecture- I have secret fascination for the Khmer and Thai architecture- especially when it comes to palaces, pagodas, temples, chedis and the like…

Grand Palace

Grand Palace

Came across a picture of Maria Sharapova (one of my favorite tennis stars), who shares her fascination of the architecture of the Grand Palace in Bangkok- – check it out!

Typical Thai roof decoration- Garudas

Lovely statues @ Grand Palace

A demon....@Grand Palace

A soaring tower of a pagoda...I laso like the mousse cloudy sky

Yaksha protector at Wat Arun

Broken china beautiful decoration at Wat Arun. Wat Arun is the most elegant pagoda, landmark of Thailand, located on the west bank of the river Chao Phraya

Bang Pa-In - the King's Summer Palace

Three types of pagoda styles- Khmer, Thai and Sri Lankan

9. The fish spa- I enjoyed the tickling 150 baht experience at a street fish spa! It is definitely worth the try….

Fish spa

10. Thailand’s famous ladyboys- one of my guides in Bangkok called himself a kathoey- born male, he feels and acts as female.

Numerous Thai boys, typically with gentle features and fair skin go through various stages of sex change to reach their ultimate goal- become women. The last and final change is called “surgical women”, which many want to achieve to reach the full body transformation. I visited the famous ladyboys show in Calypso and was amazed by the transformation of many who were on stage. After the show, I had a chance to talk to some of them and I noticed that many still had male voices….and poor English….

The opening ladyboy performer @ Calypso

The ladies @ Calypso

with a ladyboy @ Calypso

It is interesting to hear people alking about Thailand’s third gender….and rightfully, I would say…

Well, so long…..

Once upon a time in Lemuria…

There is a legend about Lemuria, a continent that existed between the Indian and the Pacific Ocean, where people used to acquire knowledge in halls carved out of different natural crystal stones. How fascinating is that!

Today, no one believes in this legend,  but what many believe in, is that  beautiful crystal druzies can be used in mandalas to clean and clear spaces for meditation, work or…just for being….

I want to believe that crystals can be charged for cleansing our own energy. And why not actually? We, as human beings, are a flow of energy- positive and negative that needs to be balanced out. Our bodies have a vibrational level just like everything else in the universe and the various stresses and situations we encounter can cause our vibrational level to lower.

The beautiful rose quartz druzy, like the one in this necklace, when charged with positive energy, can be placed in the bedroom to guarantee sound sleep.

Also, the rose quartz meaning of love is so strong and so special it can help you work through and clear up any emotions that may be holding you back from all life has to give. Ha!!! Isn’t it just what you need?

What are your experiences with stones that carry some meaning? Or at least people believe this to be the case?

Unpacking the layers of meaning beneath a piece

I love to have a story around my jewellery pieces- where the stones come from, what they mean. On the crossroad between art and gemology, these pieces carry a meaning and become symbols of conscious rather than a random consumption.

Here is an example of a necklace I love- not sure if I love more the story or the necklace….Actually both!

Necklace "Nisha"

This is a long silver necklace with super finely polished lapis, chunks of turquoise and natural sun-kissed coral. Lapis lazuli is a relatively rare semi-precious stone that has been prized since antiquity for its intense blue color. Lapis was used by the Egyptians. The Egyptian cultures made a practice of burying a lapis lazuli scarab with their dead, and believed it to offer protection. I remember staring in awe at the golden Mask of Tutankhamun’s mummy  in the Egyptian museum in Cairo lavishly adorned with turquoise, lapis and carnelians.

The lapis used in this necklace comes of Afghanistan, where the highest quality lapis is mined.

The natural corals used in this necklace are known for their intense red to pink colors. These natural corals come from Thailand.

And look at these chunks of turquoise. Turquoise is “believed to be a protective talisman, a color of deep compassion and healing, and a color of faith and truth” – say experts.

Turquoise, associated with the goddess Hathor, was so liked by the Ancient Egyptians that it became (arguably) the first gemstone to be imitated.

Prepare to be stopped and have your necklace snatched up! Whether you’re out running errands or wearing your little black dress to a special occasion, this necklace will compliment your outfit like no other.

Embrace your story! Tell it to others!

More such stories you can find on ANOKHA!

My favorite TED talks

I know that these days TED talks are really popular. No wonder!- TED talks have given me more insight, more knowledge and inspiration, more “wow” moments than my education and my job put together.

Here is a list of my 5 favorite talks:

1. Elisabeth Gilbert: a different way to think about the creative genius.

A brilliant way to discuss the success and failure, a great story of the origin of the famous Spanish “Olé!” and all you need to know about the creative genius.

Gilbert is the author of Eat, Prey and Love: One Woman’s Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia.

2. Janine Benyus: Biomimicry in Action

I strongly believe that the future belongs to the intersection of art, science and design and biomimicry is THE intersection. We’re surrounded by a true genius- the Nature.

3. Aimee Mullins: How my legs give me super powers

Aimee Mullins is an American athlete, actress, and fashion model best known for her athletic accomplishments, despite a medical condition that resulted in the amputation of both of her legs. This talk is about her journey of redefining disability to become super-ability. Worth the watch!

4. Dan Ariely: Are we in control of our own decisions?

I love to come back to this video. Do we really make decisons? Or we have just the illusion that we make decisons? Love the example with the weekend in Rome…check it out! Behavioral economist Dan Ariely, the author of Predictably Irrational, uses counterintuitive (and sometimes shocking) research findings to show how we’re not as rational as we think when we make decisions.

5.  Neil Pasricha “The 3 A’s of Awesome”

There are more than 1000 AWESOME things to be thankful about! Neil Pasricha, has won a Webby award for best blog. The 3 A’s of awesome, as he summarizes, are Attitude, Awareness and Athenticity. I’m for all three of them! Big time!

Enjoy! Which are your favorite TED talks?

Yoga vacation in Tuscany- get energized and let go

The yoga vacation in May 2011 with Teddy and  Yogamandala was an energizing one-week-trip-to-yourself, I like to return to, virtually, once in a while. …The right dose of yoga practice, great pasta, and plenty of wine.

Cuddled in the Tuscan hills, the villa we stayed at, offered generous opportunities for those who wanted to chill by the pool, dedicate time to yoga practice, read and/or explore the surroundings. And although we stayed in a village, Vicchio, 40km away from Florence, there were opportunities for one day trips to splendid places like Siena and San Gimignano, Pisa, Lucca, Bologna (a bit of a longer drive) and of course Firenze (as the locals call Florence).

David by Michelangelo ( a copy of the original)

This shot of the leaning tower of Pisa is inspired by Teddy, who dances with shadows and inspires others to do so...

Siena- the main square

But if you don’t feel like dipping in all this cultural and touristic mumbo-jumbo, that’s also cool- just have ice-cream, sip coffee or beer, swing in the hammock and let it go….

Three things will stay with me that could recreate vacation-like feelings- the sun-kissed hills in the mornings before the yoga practice, the altar that Teddy was preparing every morning at the terrace with endless love and imagination and the cypress trees, the quintessential symbol of the Tuscan scenery.

I made new lovely friends and, needless to say, gathered new experiences from what is it like to cook a dinner with 3-4 other people and not exchange a SINGLE word (we had silence practice for 30 mins.) to cool your beer in the pool, “dance- with-your-shadow-practice”, learn to do the  “crane position” and improve the position of  the “downward facing dog” (ok, you can say I’m a beginner, but you know what? I improved….)….Ohhhh, and not to forget the yumeiho massage (we loved to be kindly twisted by Moksha)

Energizing. Letting Go Experience. Period.