SRI LANKA. When people ask me how my tour of the country was, I simply smile- I cannot begin to explain the emotions I went through- I actually mean it now- words are not enough. Saying that it was ‘awesome’ categorizes it into an excitement filled excursion, -which it was not- but it indeed was AWESOME. Most of all, I think I’m in love with the people- they remind me of what we were a decade back. Earlier when someone returned from a trip and pronounced that they love the people of the place, I used to think it impossible to understand the people of an entire community- all in a couple of week’s time. But now, I know. I cannot explain. Beautiful.

People keep using the word ‘inspired’ very often. Personally, I think it’s a really, really strong word, and should be used only at exceptional emotional highs- “I’m inspired.” I remember not wanting to use it for the past 21 years of my life- but now, I must. There is nothing else. But I’m sure people wont understand the gravity of it’s use- very much like the tooth relic temple in kandy- not all can understand how important that structure is to the lankans. Paradigm shift.

A mad friend of mine has been quite irritated with the colour of my wardrobe. She thinks its all rather too dull. She hates the brownes and beiges- the greens and the blacks. She says that if I lie down on the earth and someone saw from high above, I couldn’t be pointed out.. Now, I seriously doubt if that was a compliment, but the statement hit me. “we are all created out of mud, and one day all of us will end up as mud”. If she so much as smells this positive reaction, she will slit my throat. Seriously.

I love putting mehendi. But it’s a very, very tedious task. It takes hours, and hours, and hours of hardwork. And all for a temporary tattoo. Never mind that, I think it’s worth it. Recently I was ‘hired’ to apply mehendi for an engagement, and I applied my studio concepts to the design. It worked, and beautifully. I was right; design is design- be it fashion, textile, jewellery, or product. They are one, and we shouldn’t be distinguishing them. The different degrees in education may help in focusing on one, but they are essentially one- design- and one passionate mind can take them all.