The Benefits of Fashion

Last night was the second annual Benefits of Fashion show that students at my school organize. Now, I've been to more fashion shows then I ever anticipated thanks to working at schools where students seem to have a desire (and the connections) to pull things like this off, but I have to admit that this one is a step above many that I've been to. Why? To start with the clothes are designed (but not sewn) by students working in groups of three to create three distinct collections. This year the first collection was focused on formal wear, the second collection on a cultural fusion of color and fabrics and the third was inspired by the Crusades. All of the clothing is modeled by other students, and this appeals to me for a couple of reasons...first it means that not everyone is stick thin and an unrealistic role model (although after seeing many of our girls dressed in form fitting clothes I realize how thin many of them are), it also means that there are just as many boys out there as girls. Second it provides an opportunity for many of our students to do something outside of their comfort zone and usual experience. Will they turn in to models, no, but there is a sense of confidence in oneself that can come from successful walking down a spotlit runway while photos are taken of you in front of over a hundred people. The real reason I enjoy this particular fashion show more than others though is that all of the money earned in this rather elegant endeavor goes to support a group that is working towards women's empowerment. This year the recipient is an organization call Work + Shelter which is trying to "create safe spaces in India where women can come to live and work." The following is from their website:

WORK+SHELTER focuses on women’s empowerment and poverty alleviation. Fundamentally, we provide women in India with fair-trade work and, should they need it, a safe place to live with their dependents. Each shelter has a physical location where activities are centralized. 

At our pilot, W+S New Delhi, women are entered into our paid training program where we teach them the skills to create high-quality products for the export market. The only entry prerequisite we have is demonstrated economic need. When the woman completes training and begins to produce for the export market, we increase her pay. The women are paid whether or not the products sell. 

Beyond work and shelter, we regularly confer with the women to ensure their other key needs are met. For example, at W+S New Delhi we are currently assisting one stakeholder to find medical support for her kidney problems. We also actively support the women to ensure children in their family are in school. We are aware of each woman’s unique challenges and actively work with them to overcome them together.

I know that they are working to be able to open up several more shelters for women in need and I have no doubt that our students have helped them out with that goal. When you think about that, it would be hard not to go watch a fashion show!

Chasing Tigers

Our second safari in Ranthambore took us to a different section of the park. The entrance that is presided over by the immense fort that sits on top of a mountain plateau. As we headed into section 3 it became clear that this was the "better" section - the road was a bit smoother and the guide spoke significantly better English then the morning one. And so we proceeded to drive around the lake, stopping to look at a variety of birds, multiple crocodiles and various deer/antelope. Then we parked in a central section and waited, taking in the nature sounds (and no other sounds) until "Hold on!" And off we went. Bumping down the tracks at high speed, halting at a cross section until another jeep passed by, deciding to go off into the other sector ( the one we weren't cleared for) only to see another jeep of people holding their arms in the air giving a thumbs up. Sadly the tiger had just crossed over the road and was now hidden among the thick bushes of the jungle. S back off to our section we scooted patrolling the road on the other side of that patch of greenery hoping he might exit on our side. 

After a while we gave up and went to sit back in a central location. As our guide and driver discussed if we needed to head out a couple of jeeps ahead of us suddenly started tearing off down the track and the command came again "Hold on!" We were off on a tiger chase. Although this time as we tore down the dirt paths dust was getting sprayed up by the jeeps ahead of us. I closed my eyes to protect them only to find that a horrible idea as we took corners at high speeds and hit bumps that sent both mom and I off our seat. Perhaps I needed to keep them open so that I could brace myself against the route. We were in a race against the clock as we were supposed to be out of the park at 6pm, 10 minutes later. As we slid to a halt and turned off the jeep I climbed up on the roll bar and balanced myself (with mom's help) to peer down into the creek bed where a large majestic male tiger was resting. It's a tiger! They are almost mesmerizing  in their regal bearing, capturing your attention and keeping it. We started to leave only to hear that it was beginning to move and so we backed up, watched it sit up then slink through the grass until it crossed the road directly in front of our jeep. Pausing to pose as if to say "Yes, I know I'm the most important thing in this part of the forest." We might have been late leaving the park, and needed someone to open the gates for us (for a bribe? Or a fine?) but I was so excited I was practically bouncing in my seat, the refrain of "We saw a tiger! We saw a tiger!" repeating in my head. 

Aishwarya's dance performance

Last weekend I escaped my apartment for a short time (perhaps 45 minutes total) to go watch Aishwarya's dance performance. She is a friend who works at school with me who has been practicing traditional Indian dance for the past 18 years. We walked in a bit late, and it took me a few minutes to actually accept that the woman on stage was actually the Aish that I normally see laughing and smiling. Immaculately made up, with a head dress of fake flowers and an extension added into her braid, she seemed like a different being. I was drawn in by her facial expressions - feeling that I understood part of the story despite not having any clue what she was actually dancing about. A later inquiry revealed she was dancing one section of the Ramayana - a great Indian epic, a section which the website Aish directed me to said the following:

Years pass and Rama, Sita and Lakshman are very happy in the forest. Rama and Lakshman destroy the rakshasas (evil creatures) who disturb the sages in their meditations. One day a rakshasa princess tries to seduce Rama, and Lakshmana wounds her and drives her away. She returns to her brother Ravana, the ten-headed ruler of Lanka (Sri Lanka, formerly Ceylon), and tells her brother (who has a weakness for beautiful women) about lovely Sita. Ravana devises a plan to abduct Sita. He sends a magical golden deer which Sita desires. Rama and Lakshman go off to hunt the deer, first drawing a protective circle around Sita and warning her she will be safe as long as she does not step outside the circle. As they go off, Ravana (who can change his shape) appears as a holy man begging alms. The moment Sita steps outside the circle to give him food, Ravana grabs her and carries her off the his kingdom in Lanka.                               from this Ramayana Summary if you want more detail

 Despite my great lack of knowledge I still felt like I understood a good part of the emotion of the story as Aish danced around in a circle, stomping her feet in time to the live music provided by a quartet and making the bells on her ankles ring, then holding precise poses. Emotions that included supplication, denial, sadness, surprise, and more. Aishwarya took me through several emotions as I watched, an escape from a rather mundane weekend.
    

Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage

Across from the bank of the Oya River, in a shaded area of 25 acres lies the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage. One location where you are sure to see elephants while traveling around Sri Lanka. Originally developed in 1972 it began as an organization to take care of orphaned elephants from the forest and after several moves and many years has continued to provide care from orphans but has also developed a captive breeding program and serves as a safe home for elephants that have been seriously injured (one of the elephants there is blind, another lost part of her front leg due from a land mine). 

As you can imagine a large group of Asian elephants makes for a popular tourist attraction. Twice a day the elephants are walked across the road - traffic coming to a halt as an airhorn blows a warning that the elephants are approaching - to bathe and play in the river. This is the place where the tourists flock. Restricted to the rocks behind a chain from there you can watch the elephants until you tire. Seeing the affection between certain pairs and catching a few frolicking together or blowing water in the air. 

The vendors are not quite as enamored with the elephants despite admitting they are their source of income. Every time the walk by the racks from outside have to be drug out of the way, and beware the elephant with a chain! It has a history of being aggressive. Luckily it is the first one by, and once past you can creep out of the stall to watch the others parade past. 

The rest of the day the elephants roam a small field, eating from the vegetation that is trucked in for their consumption. The smaller babies are restricted to a pen where you can touch their bristly hair as you pet their back or head. Pet an elephant! After all when else will you have that opportunity?