Gold Earrings (Reposting)

A few days ago I browsed gold jewelry online and here are a few earrings that I found pretty. This gold earring is unusual because it has some kind of green work on it. It may be enamel. I think enamel work is some kind of opaque colored substance (not gemstones) placed on gold to give it color. I really like this shade of green.

I love these long earrings with two hearts dangling on them.

These earrings will look pretty with traditional Indian ethnic clothes.

These earrings are also very ornate and will look nice with traditional Indian ethnic clothes. I found these in the Malabar gold and diamond online store.

Sweater Dresses from Lulus

I love sweater dresses. Here are two sweater dresses from Lulus. They look so loosefitting and comfortable. Hope you have a lovely day!

Outfits from Lulus for Thanksgiving

Here are some outfits from Lulus in the fall color palette. The pink outfit is not strictly fallish but can still be ok. I think all of these dresses can be worn on Thanksgiving day. I don't have these dresses but just liked them and am sharing them. Hope you have a wonderful day!

Hairstyle

I like this hairstyle by Kendall Jenner a lot. Her hair is so glossy and shining. I hope I can try out this style soon. Hope you have a lovely day!

Hana Rawhiti Maipi Clarke

A video that was trending in my phone two days ago was about Hana Rawhiti Maipi Clarke.

Hana Rawhiti Maipi Clarke is a member of parliament in New Zealand.

She was in the news for performing a haka--a dance of the maori indigenous people in the parliament.

The news related to a 184 year old Treaty between the Maori people of New Zealand and the British crown.

The maori indigenous peoples of New Zealand had made a Treaty with the British crown because Australia and New Zealand were British colonies.

A lot of laws in New Zealand that affects the Maori people were enacted on the basis of this treaty.

But now there was going to be a new interpretation of the clauses of this treaty.

And this representative of the maori people in the new Zealand parliament was incensed because she felt that the new interpretation infringed on the rights of the Maori people and she tore the bill and to show her protest did a haka -- a dance? traditional to the maori people.

The Haka involves lots of gestures and postures and loud chanting.

This became viral news in various social media platforms.

I think there were other representatives of the Maori people in the parliament who also joined her in the haka.

The parliament was suspended temporarily.

I got this video the day before yesterday.

First I was amused at the haka being performed in the parliament.

Then I thought she was at least sincere towards the Maori people.

The maori people elected her and she was their representative.

When a bill that she felt would not protect the rights of the maori people was going to be passed she protested with all her strength.

How many politicians are sincere towards the people that elected them?

In such a world I truly commend her.

However I was not sure this was real news because it was not there in WSJ.

Then yesterday I realized it was really real because I read lots of interviews of her.

This happened five days ago.

Yesterday I thought about the indigenous people seriously.

There are indigenous peoples in Australia, US, etc.

In India there are tribals.

There are indigenous people and there are mainstream people.

Indigenous peoples feel like they are overlooked by the mainstream people.

They need to become educated and become part of the mainstream without losing their individual culture.

Earlier, I have come across stories and books like that and some how did not think much about them.

Then seeing the stark contrast of them doing a haka in parliament where they are supposed to articulately debate issues and the merits or demerits of a case with the mainstream regular people I thought about their plight.

The indigenous people do not have anyone to speak for them.

Not many people in their community may be educated to represent them in parliament and speak to other representatives about their perspective.

They may feel marginalized.

Yet democracy is the best way for them to become prosperous and to maintain their culture.

If they become strong themselves they can help their community.

The indigenous people should debate issues in parliament by studying the issues thoroughly and debating with the other parliamentarians.

Though my heart goes out to Hana for doing the Haka.

Inspite of the protest and the bill being torn the bill was passed.

In India there are reservations for tribals in government jobs and educational institutions.

I feel the mainstream community should not grudge the reservation policy or affirmative action policies of the government to protect the welfare of minority communities or indigenous communities.

Dresses 2

This picture of this dress has been in my phone for a year or more. I think I saw this summery dress in winter in dillards.com. This may be a good dress to wear on Thanksgiving day. If you think about it the colors of fall can be deep or subtle. Deep burgundy is definitely a fall color but so is this sublime sage green.

I like this dress a lot.

Dresses

If I see an outfit I like or jewelry I like in an online store catalogue I upload it into my phone so I can buy the outfit or just be inspired. Sometimes I blog about it as a way of sharing what I like. I upload so many photos that I don't get to blog about all of them right away. Here are two outfits that I uploaded several months ago because I liked them but did not buy. I think I found both these outfits in Dillards.com. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Socks with the picture of the Menorah

I saw these socks online in American Eagle. I think these socks are very nice. I like the religious symbolism in the socks. It has the star of David and the menorah on it. However I was not able to find this in-store. But the AE store in our town has lots of other nice socks.

Book Gifts

If you like giving books as gifts I have a few suggestions. It is worthwhile to check the collectors editions classics in Barnes and Noble. You can give the comics series of Asterix and Obelisk which is so funny. You can also give the Adventures of TinTin which is a comics series and also so funny. You can give Valmikis Ramayana comics version. My entire knowledge of Indian mythology is from the Amar Chitra Katha Comics about stories of the Ramayana and Mahabharatha.

You can give classics by Russian authors such as Leo Tolstoy. I read War and Peace during the final years of high school. This book has more than 1400 pages but I am so proud of myself because I read it. Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India and Glimpses of World History are great books to read if you wish to know about the history of India. When I was in high school my father who wanted to inculcate the reading habit in me told me I would be rewarded with a hundred rupees if I read Glimpses of World History. It is a book of letters writtem by Jawaharlal Nehru to Indira Gandhi who was his daughter. Jawaharlal Nehru was the first prime minister of India. Indira Gandhi also became prime minister of India several times. Virginia Woolf wrote The Common Reader. It is a book of essays that I like a lot. You can also always pick books from the New York Times bestseller list to give contemperory books as gifts.

Salwar Kameez

An outfit that most women wear in India is the Salwar Kameez. This is originally a north Indian outfit that is embraced by every community in India. This outfit transcended socio economic differences. Women of all ages and status levels wore and still wear these loose fitting long tops and pants that can be made with cotton or silk or any other kind of fabric. They could be printed or plain, embroidered or embellished with beads or sequins. They are not only worn all over India in pretty much every state, they are worn in other neighboring countries of India in the Indian subcontinent. India is a neighbor to Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, China, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. This outfit is as common in Pakistan and Bangladesh as it is in India. I think, in Afghanistan men and women wear this. In Afghanistan it is known as the pathan suit. I am not sure if it is worn in Srilanka, Nepal, Bhutan and China. But in India it is a very common outfit. It is as common as a saree. Salwar Kameez can be bought fully stitched from stores or fabric can be bought and salwar kameez can be stitched with details of our choice. Usually it is accompanied by a chunni or dupatta in a matching or coordinating color in a lighter fabric such as chiffon or georgette.

Gold Bangles

An Indian way to adorn the hands is by wearing gold bangles. A dozen bangles on both hands is a common sight for celebrations and special occassions. Probably this practise was more of a norm earlier than it is now. Here is a picture of a collection of gold bangles. Some people wear a dozen with the same pattern on each bangle. Some people wear bangles with lots of different patterns on each bangle. This has different patterns in the set of twelve. I like both styles.

If there is no special occassion you can still wear bangles but fewer in number.

Long skirts for little girls

In the category of happy Indian things in my mind is these long silk skirts for little girls. I had several while growing up. In South India this is the traditional outfit worn by little girls for special occassions. My mother made these for me with silk sarees. You can also buy fabric for these outfits with which you can make them. They come in rich colors and with borders in contrasting colors or gold thread borders.

Halfsarees

Recently my most favorite Indian outfit is the halfsaree. A halfsaree is south Indian outfit for young women. A halfsaree is worn in almost all South Indian states and it is most popular in Tamilnadu. I have seen it worn by women in their mid to late teens in the state I grew up in but in states like Andhra Pradesh even girls may wear. A half saree is a long skirt worn with a saree blouse and a shawl draped like a saree.

So overall when you look it gives the impression that you are wearing a saree but it is a skirt and a shawl draped like a saree.

This is the picture of a south Indian actress Sara Arjun in a half saree. Now halfsarees are not draped to look like a saree. Lots of new ways of draping are there. Instead of pulling across tightly now they let it hang loose.

The first person I saw wearing a halfsaree was my first cousin who stayed in my parents home when I was seven to help my mother take care of my baby brother. She was very thin. So she looked very pretty in a halfsaree.

Then I grew up and joined college. In my college there was only one girl who wore a halfsaree. Everyone else wore midi skirts, long skirts, jeans etc. This girl who wore halfsaree had curly and puffy hair. She was very thin and was very tall. And she wore halfsarees with platforms. She was very active in extra curricular activities and was office bearer in various capacities so she was always found looking very busy and preoccupied and walking up and down.

Earlier half sarees were not very common. You could graduate to saree and skip the halfsaree stage. Now halfsarees are very common and popular. They are available in lots of beautiful fabrics and colors. I am planning to make my own halfsaree next year.

We can make a halfsaree by making a skirt with fabric. We can buy coordinating and or matching fabric and make a blouse and shawl.

This time around when I went to Kerala I found halfsaree sets available in stores in kancheepuram silk. The skirt would be like a long skirt made of silk or other fabric. The blouse would be matching. And the shawl would coordinate with the border or the main color.

Climate Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan

Today I read an editorial in WSJ about a global climate conference that opened this week in Baku, Azerbaijan.

Called COP29, the 29th annual edition of the conference of the parties to the United Nations climate agreement is supposed to be "an opportunity to take stock of current efforts to curtail climate change and agree to new measures."

Previous editions brought the Paris agreement at COP21 in 2015 and an attempt to mobilize trillions of dollars of capital for energy transition at COP26 in Scotland in 2021. 

This year delegates to this conference hope to create a new global emissions trading system. 

Ilhal Aliyev, president of Azerbaijan told delegates that "fossil fuels are a gift of God."

The editorial believes that global carbon emissions will not reduce until developing countries like India and China agree to sacrifice economic growth to meet these regulations. 

An emissions agreement is expected to be signed by the delegates to this conference. 

The editorial talked about net zero. 

With the new government in place in Washington DC the idea of net zero will not get lots of support since the new administration is going to be reversing regulations against fossil fuels, the editorial said. 

Germany and other European nations cannot, according to the WSJ editorial, afford a transition to net zero. 

Two questions I had after I finished reading this editorial was if developing countries like China and India adhere to global carbon emissions guidelines will it necessarily sacrifice growth? 

The editorial seemed to suggest that for economic growth there should be emissions. 

The other question was about the cost of transferring to net zero.

 What are the costs of transferring to net zero? 

Gold Necklaces and Rings

This old style necklace can look nice with a kanjivaram saree or some other kind of silk saree for a special occassion like a wedding.

These are the pictures of jewelry I uploaded into my phone from various jewelry stores a few months earlier.

Gold Jewelry

A few days ago I decided I wanted to share about happy Indian things in this blog. I had earlier uploaded pictures of Indian gold jewelry into my phone. These pictures are from various jewelry stores. The necklace you see above can be considered a traditional style necklace which can be worn with traditional Indian clothes.

I have collected more such pictures. Shall share another day.

Bangles with Umbrellas and Sharara

I like bangles a lot. If you notice, these bangles have umbrellas hanging from them. I like glass, metal, plastic, thread, gold, silver and gemstone encrusted bangles. These bangles have gemstones and pearls on them. They can only be worn on special occassions.

This is an Indian outfit that I like. It is a Sharara. A sharara is often heavily embroidered or in ornate fabrics but not necessarily so. It is an old world outfit worn orinially in north india and represents the mughal or Islamic influence in Indian clothing, I think. A sharara can have top and bottom in the same color or different. These images are from the internet. I am not sure where exactly they are from.

Spoils System

Long ago someone in my family explained to me the concept of the spoils system-- a system by which after an election the winning political party gets to appoint people of their choice for important political positions.

According to Wikipedia "In politics and government, a spoils system (also known as a patronage system) is a practice in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the winning party. The United States follows the spoils system with regard to high level political appointments. As such president elect Trump's aides are currently busy preparing names of possible political appointees for various high profile posts such as National Security Advisor or Defense Secretary. In addition a large number of business leaders who shied away from Trump led Republican party earlier are now more positively inclined to be considered for such posts. In India which follows a parliamentary democracy to the best of my knowledge they do not follow a spoils system. After an election high level positions such as finance minister or home land security minister are elected representatives. Recently I read an article in the wsj titled All the President's Rich Men which described how Joseph Kennedy, a rich stock speculator was the inaugural chairman of the securities and exchange commission. The same article said sometimes rich industrialists or executives from Wall Street worked for a dollar a year for the government at the beginning of this century. I guess for them the influence or perhaps challenge that comes from such jobs is more important than a huge salary. I am not sure if these appointments were also a part of the spoils system. (Reposting)

UNRWA 2

These laws are to be implemented at the end of a 90 day transition period. When these laws are implemented logistical support to other un agencies and international groups providing humanitarian aid in Gaza would also stop. Aid groups say UNRWA's wide ranging responsibilities make it irreplaceable.

UNRWA

Today in reading the WSJ I thought this story reflected the complexity of the world we live in. The United Nations Relief and Works agency looks after Palestinian refugees provides food to 2000 families, health care, runs schools and provides other municipal services. There are hundreds of Palestinian refugees in Gaza, occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israel last week passed laws aimed at halting those operations without any plan B. The laws are the culmination of a battle that has been brewing since October 7, of 2023 when the latest round of hostilities started between Israel and Hamas. Israel has accused UNRWA employees of taking part in the attack. The most important concern of Israel is the presence of militants in the UNRWA ranks. UNRWA is made up mostly of Palestinians. The United nations addressed this concern by firing several employees and investigating others but these efforts were not satisfactory to Israel. According to the UN the legislation by Israel stopping the work of UNRWA violates international law. The legislation bars UNRWA from working in East Jerusalem and Israel and forbids Israeli officials from having contact with UNRWA.

This legislation could prevent UNRWA from obtaining visas, use Israeli held crossing points and ensure diplomatic protection for its staff. Some 380 schools, and 65 health care institutions will stop functioning if these laws are effective. Humanitarian aid and municipal services would cease if these laws become effective. To be continued....

Business News

I have been reading the business section in the newspaper for the past few weeks and find business news very interesting. We can find out about new products,  profits and  losses of business organizations, mergers, and acquisitions, CEOs and basically info about the national and global economy. Here is some info from the business pages of WSJ today. Seven of America's most valuable publicly traded companies are Tesla, Amazon.com, Oracle, Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Microsoft and Berkshire Hathaway. I read this in an article about how rich business people may take up political office. 

I noticed that the business pages usually has at least one news story about a pharmaceutical company. Today it was about the two dominant players in the obesity drugs market--  Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. I wondered why instead of consuming obesity drugs people would just exercise. I have heard of monopolies.Today I learned about Duopoly. Duopoly is a situation where two suppliers dominate a market. Ozempic by Novo Nordisk is an obesity drug. Zep bound by Eli Lilly is also an obesity drug. The Chinese government may disburse 10 trillion yuan as a stimulus for the Chinese economy. Experts say it may cause stability but is unlikely to spur growth. Longi, a Chinese company  is one of the biggest makers of solar power equipment in the world. Longi and a few other companies dominate the solar business globally. In an story about oil production and it's regulation I read about OPEC+. While OPEC or the organization of petroleum exporting countries has 13 members OPEC + has these 13 members and 10 other countries in the world that export oil as its members. 

Jimikki

Jhumkas as they are known in North India and Jimikki as they are known in South India are an ethnic traditional Indian style of earrings. I always liked jimikkis. They are worn by celebrities such as bollywood actresses or actresses in the south indian film industry or models and they are worn by ordinary women of India. They are available in jewelry stores in gold or silver, encrusted with diamonds, gemstones, pearls or gold beads. Very small jimikkis can be worn every day but the larger ones can be worn only on special occassions. Jhumka or jimikki is so popular that it forms the subject matter of songs from hindi and malayalam movies. Most recently two songs featuring the notion of jhumka or jimikki became viral. Earlier, while growing up in India because these kind of earrings were very common I did not think much about what they symbolise. I thought these were traditional old-fashioned earrings. But from the songs I felt as though these earrings are symbolic of tradition, and elegance. Here are a few images of jimikkis I gathered from the internet. At the time of my wedding my mother gave me her jimikki which was made of gold. I like them very much.

Shipping companies

The famed biblical red sea--that   great sea parted by God to rescue the Israelis from captivity is in the news again. This time it is because Houthi rebels have been disrupting the commercial ships traversing the red sea. Two shipping companies operating container ships along the red sea were disrupted causing a higher demand for ships and an increase in freight rates. Thus A.P Miller Maersk,  a Danish shipping company whose ships are traversing Red Sea shipping lanes said their profits jumped after continued disruptions in the Red Sea shipping lanes. There is a robust demand for its container ships. Freight rates are high. In its report on Thursday the company said net profit rose to $3.05 billion from $521 million in the same period the prior year. At the end of last year Houthi rebels began attacking commercial vessels that sailed the red sea and therefore these commercial vessels were forced to find longer routes to avoid the red sea. The disruption created a shortage of vessels and port bottlenecks pushed freight rates up. Overall revenue in its ocean business rose to 11.11 billion from 7.9 billion as freight rates rose 54% on the year. Maersk said profitability in the main shipping business was substantially higher in the third quarter compared with the second because the higher container demand from prevailing supply chain disruptions in the Red sea and Gulf of Aden. German peer Hapag Lloyd followed Maersk by also raising its full year guidance last week as it continued to also see strong demand and higher freight rates. This story is connected to the US dockworkers strike because, as the WSJ story says, "container lines have also benefited from the early peak shipping season this year as retailers moved early to stock up for the holiday season ahead of the US dockworkers strike in October."

28 days to Thanksgiving and 55 days to Christmas-2

Another year I thought of the word woodlands for a Christmas decoration theme. I gathered branches of trees, twigs etc to give our home a wooded look.

Star made out of twigs for our nativity.

I brought this tall branch of a tree and painted it white and hung handmade pompoms on it.

Lots of trees--paper trees, feather trees and trees from stores contributed to the woodland look.

I made Christmas themed pillows by hand. These may also have contributed to the Woodlands look.