who’d a thunk it - my writing with neices leads me back to mapping roots and routes …

“my nostalgia for the rural is so unexplained by my actual life experiences…or on second thoughts maybe not unexplainable at all… while some may locate my yearning/nostalgia in roots in kakaraparru - it may be that the smells of burning wood and mud huts is actually taking me back to rural Africa…? or the rural Thai and Indonesian habitats that were still tucked in the backyards of urbanity of Bangkok, Jakarta, Bandung and even in the touristiness of Bali back in the late 60s and 70s”

A says she sees some parellels between how Sudhir Alladi describes the Chicago “underground” economy and SL economies…

hmmm - I’m not sure I agree myself but can be made to see why she thinks so I am sure

well I am going today - so can discuss this f2f (or cellphone to cellphone locally) at length later this week.
Looking fwd to the “Dhaaram” (thread) shop opening on 10th!

{btw do check out all my shops on SL as well}

Since I will be there only two weeks (thanks to my grad coordinator duties for the summer….) I wont get to the rural areas this time - but the urban Dastkar Andhra work continues. Looking fwd to some more arguing matches with A, S, Sh - shopping for handloom (and SL textures!) with L and A…

Of course - also looking fwd to meeting the rest of the family!
(heh heh;-))

When I get back - I will revise the book proposal on the new SL related book and also finish up the final bits on the edited collection.

Oryx has started the rad Zabibha collection in her store - check it out at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Son/175/174/36

Understanding through doing…. the assignment emphasis was less on techical expertise of website building (most of the builders are beginners) and more on attempting to convey the concept that came from the client (as interpreted and understood by each of the groups based in their socio-cultural contextual locations). Is there a concept without an interface?

Feedback from readers is most welcome (you can email me or post to the blog’s comments)

Kang and Shuang’s DAMA site

[our client LT had this to say about the website - "I really like the website as the process and product are well represented. Visuals are overpowering the information. But the information given is very good in terms of stressing the point that handlooms are better than other power driven mill fabrics without an apologetic tone."]

Anca, Bridget and Erin

[our client's final overview comments on this one - "It is a well designed website. Home page gives a clear indication of the nature of the industry and also explains the characters of handloom fabrics at a glance. It is a wee bit patronizing and also it could have stressed on the fact that the fabric is as stylish and contemporary as the fabrics the consumers are using today."]

Andy, Jacob, Mark

[client's comments - DAMA and Products page although starts with a question but flows into a good description of handloom process and industry. But the products itself were very not communicative enough.

The page on the community is very innovative and would encourage a healthy dialogue.

I also like the narrative as it explains the process and its advantages in a good articulate way. Home page is well done and I like the understated feel although there are a few spelling mistakes.]

Dan and Dexin

[client feedback - The main page is very good as the products are featured and it communicates the product effectively.

The potential buyer’s page gives both the buyer and DAMA a very good platform to establish contact, interact and take the business further.]

Amy, Brett, Nikki

[The sub heading ‘Weaving made Natural’ is very good although it sounds as if we made the technology natural but it gets the point across.

Product representation is very good with details of the fabric quality and aesthetic.

Although there is a whole page dedicated to the Natural dyeing process, there is confusion in the product range as the product ranges shown in the web site are both chemical dyed and natural dyed.]

She created a salwar kameez from Dastkar Andhra fabric:)

వూరు

“Vooru” – I punch that into the Padma telugu transformer – remember that at the theory cluster meeting they asked me if that was a form of insult.

But of course I cant cut and paste it onto the word document - but it works here - so maybe I should continue the notes here and set it to protected….

anyway to get the vooru in my word document (because Ileap or baraha wont work on the mac) I grabbed and saved…

what can I say?

whose voices am I consuming as I say

why can I not say

when you can

but yet you want their authentic voices

what I tell you cannot be trusted

that’s what you say

as if you had heard the authentic

yourself

then why do you need me to reveal it to you

if you know what it should look like?

it goes…

మేము ఇక్కడనుంచి 9 మంది రాజవోలు వర్క్షాప్పుకు వెళ్ళాము…

so now I have to piece together based on all these notes since I cant seem to locate the tapes…

I found Guntur on google map and found tenali and kuchipudi on wikipedia..
What do I remember of the Rajavolu trip?