Rusty Tangle

 At the building site of our home in Coonoor I found this tangled bit of metal, already rusty and full of promise.

I brought the tangled metal home. I tried cutting it with whatever I had but nothing worked. So it sat in the guest room like a piece of sculpture until a day or two ago. 

My Blackwork and Patchwork garment requires more patches. So I decided to douse the fabric in vinegar and wrap it around the rusty metal. It's hot and dry so I've been soaking the fabric wrapped parts under the  kitchen tap periodically.

The knot of twisted and tangled metal is my favourite part of the entire tangle. I wonder what this tangled metal is a leftover of.  

Small portion unraveled shows promise. Will do a post of the unravelled bits of fabric and the fabric that's stuffed and steeped in jars for a month now. 

On a separate note. I've started another blog called Take Diversion and  the tag line says 'for unexpected adventures'. Unexpceted adventures in food, travel, art, culture, places and people which don't find a place on Million Little Stitches but I feel are stories and experiences I'd like to share. Do take a look when you find the time and let me know what you think.

Yellow - Roy G Biv 2014

Time for Yellow.

 Field of yellow samanthi flower, a type of chrysanthemum which is used to decorate temples and homes for festivals and pujas.  

Yellow Bells (Tecoma Stans) in full bloom.

Small pick up vehicles on their way from the factory to showroom. On the highway to Bangalore.

Flower sellers early in the morning. One forearm length - hand to elbow is the measure used for selling flowers. Behind the three women is parked a yellow and black autorickshaw. I use autos as they are called to get around. They get you from door to door, no road is too narrow, they zip around town effortlessly and they can accommodate three adults in the back. 

Flowers are tied with soft cotton thread and sold early in the morning. Women in South India buy lenghts of fresh flowers and wear it in their hair on a daily basis. Flowers are traditional adornment for women and the most popular flower to be worn is the white jasmine. In the picture above the orange flowers are worn in the hair, the rest of the flowers are bought to adorn temples, little altars in homes and offices, and even  buses and cars.  

Striking yellow wall in Hong Kong. Not sure what's written on the pieces of paper.

Bananas hung to ripen at Kamat Lokaruchi restaurant on the Bangalore Mysore highway. Gorgeous mural of people engaged in tilling and planting the fields done in a folk style. 

As you can see it isn't difficult to find yellow in India and I've gone over the five picture limit.

Julie and Jennifer will have a list of other yellow seekers.

To see what I found in 2013 click here.  

Malaysia - Escape to a truly Asian paradise

Tourism Malaysia and Blogadda have a contest that could win you a trip to Malaysia. All it takes is a  post about five experiences which would help you experience Malaysia as the truly Asian Paradise.

Here's my list.

In the state of Kedah I'd like to experience the Tree Top Walk at Sungai Sedim and get to view the unique flora and fauna of the rain forest walking fifty meters above the ground. 

            

Image : Tripadvisor

Onward to Pulau Redang in the state of  Terengganu. It will be a first for me to snorkel in the clear waters and view the coral, sea anemones and fish. Walk on the pristine white beaches, catch up on my reading and probably sample some sea food. What more could one ask for in paradise? Maybe I'll be inspired to pick up my paint brush and make a watercolour or two.  

Image: malaysiavisit.com 

         

Third on my list is the Sarawak Cultural Village also known as the Living Museum in the state of Sarawak. Of particular interest is the Pua Kumbu which is a resist dyed fabric woven on backstrap looms.It would be a pleasure to interact with the skilled craftspeople in residence at the cultural village.

                        

Image: sarawak-vacation-destinations

Melaka is fourth on my list. Jonker Walk and the Melaka River cruise promise to be informative and culturally enriching. I'd like to try the unique cuisine of the Straits Chinese.

Image: gogomelaka.com

Experiencing Malaysia would be incomplete without exploring Kuala Lumpur. I'd like to take in a show at the Istana Budaya which has a distinctive building inspired by sirih junjung a traditional arrangement of betel leaves used in Malay weddings and welcoming ceremonies.

The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre , BBKLCC and the 'pasar malam' at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman for some retail therapy and street food would round off the five experiences perfectly.               

                       

I'm participating in the Malaysia Jao Blogathon Contest.in association with Blogadda.

ALAW - Catching up

I joined ALAW 2014  in February and I had some catching up to do. Looks like I've gone ahead.  

 What have I added to the place alphabet.
J - Jersey City. Where I lived during our two year stint in the USA.
K - Kuala Lumpur. The city where we found ourselves ringing in the twenty frist century.
L - Leh.The place I did my first design project after graduating from design school. Its a place like no other I've been to, I thought I'd landed on the moon.
M - Macau
N -New York. What an amazing city.
P- Paris. Another amazing city I'd like to go back to and explore.
S - Silchar. Place of my childhood in eastern India amidst tea estates.
U - Udaipur, the city of lakes.
V - Varanasi. Ancient city on the banks of the river Ganges.

 My first letter mounted on purple paper a place I haven't been to yet and one that's on my wishlist. The purple colour is a bit off.
 X is for Xian in China where I would like to see the Terracotta Warriors.

Have a good weekend.