nomadic ant

Pop-Up Shop Comes to Life in Ravenswood

2011-11-22T07:39:00.004+07:00

This Pop-Up Shop thing seems to be more and more talked about as of late - and I can understand why. Lots of empty spaces in some parts of the city due to a more challenging economy means less people are committing to leasing retail stores long term. It also might be due to the fact that our generation is just a bit less interested in setting roots too deeply in anything we do in case one day we wake up and decide we'd prefer to do it all someplace else. The idea of having a space that can evolve, be redesigned or even move every few months is a really attractive idea. I guess it's that nomadic thing in me.

We took over this space from some friends who had been in it for over 8 years. Some Odd Pilot is still painted across the front wall as a reminder of the creative minds that once occupied the space within the exposed brick and wood beams of this historic Ravenswood building. We even scavenged some old pieces of wood found piled in a corner to display the jewelry for our opening party and it all seemed to work. The space lends itself nicely to what we hope to do there and we hope you will come check it out this Friday for our Black Firday Event from 2 - 6 pm. My good friends from anamika will have a textile trunk show that day - beautiful cozy hand loomed scarves.

We plan to be here until the end of the year, and will be hosting events and parties and will be open more hours around the holidays to make it an easy place to swing by for last-minute holiday gifts. After that, we are off to warmer climates in search of inspiration for a 2012 collection, new designs, meeting with artists, searching for rare stones and silver. New year, new inspiration, new locations, new visions. New Pop-Up Shop? We'll see.

Nomadic Ant's Pop-Up Shop is located at
3711 n ravenswood (CTA Addison or Irving)
buzz suite 147 (some odd pilot)

Pop Up Shop

2011-11-01T11:05:00.000+07:00

POP UP SHOP - LOCATION NEAR RAVENSWOOD AND IRVING - NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER ONLY - FOLLOW OUR BLOG TO LEARN MORE

Will trade wine for jewelry

2011-09-20T23:36:00.003+07:00

This Saturday we are going to offer our favorite customers a chance to get some of the newest designs in brass jewelry for a steal. It is a way to say thanks for coming out to all our summer shows - and this is the last of the outdoor events in Chicago. We figured it might help kickstart the holiday shopping season in a way that leaves some cash in the bank for the hot apple cider (or Cider beer) you will want to try at Apple Fest in Lincoln Square this Saturday. Anyone mentioning this Blog or Facebook or Email will get a special price on the brass jewelry - buy one piece and get a second for half off.

akita earrings in turquoise

We have a booth at Apple Fest and can't wait to explore all the cool little shops, German delis, European cafes and the many book shops and boutiques along Lincoln Avenue. This area always feels like a little piece of Europe in Chicago and if you have yet to visit you will love it.

Nomadic Ant's suggested itinerary for a visit to Lincoln Square this Saturday:

Fine Wine Brokers
Don't miss the Fine Wine Brokers Wine Tasting every Saturday from 1 - 4pm (free!) Amazing wine and beer selections and great prices with Scott and a very helpful staff always willing to make suggestions. Nomadic Ant will trade jewelry for a good bottle of red! ;) Seriously! Bring us a bottle of wine from FWB and get a pair of brass earrings for free. Wine drinkers are always rewarded!
http://www.fwbchicago.com/fwb/tastings

Sacred Art
Lots of our brass earrings can be found at this great Chicago shop featuring many local artists and designers. Stop in and say hello to Lisa. She is the sweetest!
http://www.sacredartstore.com/

Gene's Sausage Shop
Grab a bite from the deli at Gene's Sausage Shop and take it up to their sunny rooftop to enjoy the final warm days of Chicago al fresco.
http://www.genessausageshop.com/

Cafe Selmarie
Warm up with a coffee and a Mexican wedding cookie in the window seats at Cafe Selmarie
http://www.cafeselmarie.com/

Laurie's Planet of Sound
Stroll south on Lincoln stopping in to browse records at Laurie's Planet of Sound - I just love the smell of used vinyl!
http://lauriesplanetofsound.com/

Make sure you visit our booth this Saturday! It will be a great time! And I am totally serious about the wine!!! Cabernet. Malbecs. Riojas. ;)

steampunk awesome

2011-09-03T03:05:00.011+07:00

Steampunk is like cyberpunk's retro cousin. Its art, fashion and trinkets are lavishly anachronistic, like what you might find on the submarine in Jules Verne's "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea". (Perhaps inevitably, there's now talk of Sam Raimi directing a remake of the 1954 film.) Old clocks, gas lamps, dirigibles, submersibles, goggles, helmets, compasses and small machines are common items produced by its artists, usually made with brass, mahogany, leather and rivets. Steampunk inventions don't always work; aesthetic often trumps function.

Our pocketwatches come in brass or gunmetal and serve form as well as function. Check out all of our timepieces at Nomadic Ant.

see more timepieces at nomadic ant

The "punk" in steampunk is a reference to cyberpunk, because when steampunk first formed it was comprised essentially of cyberpunk (that is, dystopian high tech sci-fi) stories set during the Victorian period. The word punk is a very old English term that originally meant a prostitute, but which by the 20th century had evolved into a term meaning an outsider, a street person, or a ruffian (it's fairly clear why the punk rock subculture used this word to describe itself). There is clearly no link between the people of a steampunk setting and members of the punk subculture (simply because the environment that produced our modern "punks" did not exist during the steam age). For all practical purposes, the "punk" in steampunk is a cute turn of phrase used because it sounds interesting and exciting, without any deeper meaning than that.

Check out this video on all things steampunk

Meetings in markets

2011-07-21T05:20:00.003+07:00

I met the girls at an outdoor market in Chiang Mai, not unlike the markets I sell at here in Chicago every summer. Lots of artists setting up shop along the streets selling everything from waffles on sticks in animal shapes, handmade clothing and jewelry, noodles, fresh coconut, herbal tonics, goldfish in plastic bags...it is the typical Sunday market in one of my favorite places.

While exploring the countless stalls and temples along the road, I met these amazing young design students who were selling their handmade earrings and screen printed clothing. It caught my eye because of how much color they used. It was an explosion of color with each piece I picked up. They explained that many of the textiles and materials were the traditional styles from the hilltribes from the more far flung regions of the country. The girls themselves were very urban in their own approach to fashion with thick glasses, angular haircuts; trendy with a mix of bohemian and high fashion. Somehow the mixing of the traditional materials with a more modern design worked perfectly and their small selection of handmade items has become part of the Nomadic Ant collection.

Meeting people like this is one of the best parts of travel. Somehow these small connections end up creating lasting bonds with artists and creative minds around the world. It infuses a bit of color and new life into what each of us is doing independently.

Here are a few photos. Come by Wicker Park this weekend to experience their clothing line and the colorful jewelry collection.

Folk & Roots Festival

2011-07-06T10:42:00.003+07:00

Here are some details about this event in Lincoln Square, which happens to be a personal favorite!

1. organized by the Old Town School of Folk Music

2. amazing line-up of international bands & cool local music

3. set in beautiful Welles Park & perfect for picnic blankets with friends

4. located in Lincoln Square - one of Chicago's most historic neighborhoods & worth some exploration

5. surrounded by some great restaurants, cafes, boutiques & bars

6. close to the CTA brownline Western Avenue stop

7. great food, cool local shopping, kids tents, friendly neighborhood vibe

8. supporting a great non-for-profit in a great Chicago neighborhood

9. cool F&R T-shirts + delicious local beer at the Old Town School's booth

10. Nomadic Ant will be there!!!

The Main Stage in Welles Park is the sonic heartbeat of Folk & Roots with a boundless supply of rhythms, grooves and melodies from far and wide to last you all weekend long. This year we welcome the quintessential Texas blues rocker Delbert McClinton on Saturday night and Cuban salsa sensation Maraca on Sunday night. Check out the entire amazing Main Stage line up!

Watch for Puppet Bike, Babes with Blades & Midnight Circus in the park throughout the weekend. Old Town Samba School will perform on the Main Stage at 4:45 PM on Sunday, July 10th.

DJ Sound Culture will spin between Main Stage sets on Sunday starting at 3:45 PM.

Taste of Randolph in West Loop this weekend

2011-06-16T02:47:00.000+07:00

This Friday is the start of the three day Taste of Randolph - A more REAL Taste of Chicago than the one in Grant Park. I love this show for the food, the music, and the location. In an area of Chicago where the meat packing district meets with some of the cities best art galleries, restaurants, clubs and amazing cityscapes, the West Loop has so many things to discover. I used to skip class at UIC and grab beers with my friends in all the dive bars along Fulton where the meat packers would be sipping cans of Schlitz by 11 AM after a long morning at the factory.

I love the old manufacturing companies converted into lofts, the buzz of the el running over Lake Street, the proximity to the Loop and all the new restaurants and clubs that pop up along Randolph. With a bit of exploration you will stumble upon the graffiti of Banksy on an exposed brick wall where a building once stood, pop up restaurants in empty spaces along Fulton Market where butchers in bloodied white aprons rub shoulders with gallery owners and artists.

Besides the great eats on offer at this show, there is usually a pretty good line-up on the main stage. Here is what is going on this year. Hope to see you there!

Friday, June 18: Lovehammers (8:30 p.m.), Matthew Santos Band (7 p.m.), Waco Brothers (5:30 p.m.)

Saturday, June 19: Lucero (8:30 p.m.), One Eskimo (7 p.m.), Mucca Pazza (5:30 p.m.), Twin Tigers (4 p.m.), Spinach Prince (2 p.m.)

Sunday, June 20: Superchunk (8:30 p.m.), Califone (7 p.m.), Headlights (5:30 p.m.), The Love Language (4 p.m.), Environmental Encroachment - The Magic Marching Band (3 p.m.)

falling in love with jewelry

2011-06-09T12:36:00.000+07:00

It was about ten years ago that Nomadic Ant was born. I have always been intrigued by shiny things, unique designs, jewelry in all shapes and sizes and wearing all of it together like some kind of modern day gypsy. When I started to travel, I remember noticing the intricate & handmade jewelry of the various cultures around the world & started collecting pieces here & there to add to the piles already collecting dust on my bedroom shelves. I mixed old vintage necklaces found in antique shops with ethnic ankle bracelets from India, loud clanging tarnished coin necklaces found in markets of Jerusalem’s Jaffa district, cobalt blue evil eye charms form Turkey, Colombian earrings in emeralds & gold once belonging to my relatives, & simple leather braided friendship bracelets haggled over & bought from Gitanos selling their wares on the streets of Jaen in southern Spain. I loved it all in no particular order.

I also was lucky to have a very well traveled aunt & uncle who spent months at a time wandering in Kashmir, Bali, and remote places of South East Asia when the world was less of a global village, the internet did not exist, & travelers who ventured to these places were as exotic & eccentric as the villages into which they arrived. I remember being a teenager when my cousin Demian, the son of these intrepid hippies in the 1970’s, arrived after a long journey in the East with a small black velvet drawstring bag. We sat on the floor of my room with candles & incense burning & he told stories of the exotic places he had discovered on their travels. I was mesmerized. As he spoke, he carefully emptied the contents of the small pouch onto the floor before me & spread out a handful of the most unusual silver jewelry I had ever seen. These intricate designs became a tapestry for me of the places, people, & cultures from where they had been created as my cousin weaved stories together in his thick Boston accent. It all seemed like a distant & exotic world that I knew I had to someday explore myself.

I stared at the assortment of Balinese silver, antique Kashmiri pendants with deep red & lapiz stone inlay. The details carved into the oxidized, dark silver seemed to explain the history of the people. I imagined small villages of metalsmiths, stone cutters, & generations of artists creating jewelry that was unique to their particular village, culture, & country. From this momentary escape to the world my cousin had described so eloquently I heard his voice say, “choose something”.

The ring that I choose was of a matte silver, not very shiny or polished. It looked perhaps as if it had been worn by someone in the past & had a few scratches in the soft pure silver of which it was made. The band was thick & fit on my thumb perfectly which I liked as it seemed an obvious place for a ring of this complexity. The details on the front of the ring also stood out from the others. It was decorated with tiny bits of silver that had been fashioned into more ornate designs & soldered onto the ring band. The design was delicate yet sturdy & bold. The slight oxidation of the silver gave it a more worn look that made it feel it was something I should treasure. I will never forget that silver ring & the journey it has inspired me to embark upon since that day.

In the years since that first encounter with the black satchel of jewels & rare stones, I have seized every chance I have to find interesting jewelry around the world on my travels. Some of the collections are from the various hilltribes in South East Asia, made using modest tools, but steeped in tradition in both process & design. Other collections are compiled by young artists from the cities who are doing more contemporary designs, often influenced by the cultures of their countries but with a wider reaching, more global aesthetic. The idea for Nomadic Ant is one of constant exploration, collaboration, & evolution in the designs that we carry & the collections we curate.

We love jewelery, travel, exploration, & making friends along the way.

Nomadic Ant launches a new website + Do-Divison Details

2011-06-03T09:02:00.001+07:00

Nomadic Ant prepares for the launch of a sister website this month. Stay Tuned... 

Our new company & website are almost ready to launch and we want all  of you to be the first to see it. We will add you to the VIP list so  you are sure to receive all the email news & updates about our newest project. Nomadic Ant will not change, & the new company will be like a sister website but with a totally  different product line, unique design, and lots of new items we have  never offered on our website. We think you will love it as much as you love  Nomadic Ant. (and if you don't, feel free to unsubscribe...we will  understand).

BRASS BEAUTIES make their debut at Do-Division Festival this weekend

We have a great new collection of brass jewelry that will be  available at the show this weekend for $5 off if you mention code: D.D.B.B.  (do-division brass beauties)

We have carried pieces from this artist before but this year we have a HUGE selection of long layering necklaces, funky cuffs, & amazing rings you are gonna love! They will be on the website soon but this weekend you get $5 off just for being so dialed in to what we are up to by checking out the blog. Thanks!

 We will be in booth #31 on the west end of Division - come see us!

more photos of the collection on our Facebook Page - LIKE IT HERE! >

statement rings

2011-05-06T09:49:00.011+07:00

unique. one-of-a-kind. lava stone. jewelry. amber. non-traditional designs. turquoise. statement pieces. imperfectly perfect. architectural. malachite. bespoke. nomadic ant. rings. silver. follow.

please contact us at our Facebook Page for order inqueries.

Nomadic Ant on Facebook

 PURCHASE HERE: 
http://www.etsy.com/your/listings?ref=si_acc 

Things to Know about Hill Tribe Silver

2011-04-21T03:35:00.000+07:00

DO know that pure silver from the hill tribes in South East Asia’s Golden Triangle area is between 98% - 99% pure silver. No other metals are added which is why the texture and composition looks so unusual and organic. The perfect alternative for people with a nickel allergy!

DO know that pure silver can be cleaned using toothpaste and water and is often considered more beautiful as it oxidizes naturally giving it a more antique patina.

DO feel good about supporting local artisans who still craft many of these designs in traditional fashion. Local methods like etching, hammering & hand-weaving are used instead of using machines & factories.

DO wear it with just about everything – on suede or leather cord, on a silver chain, as a choker or worn extra long these pendants are amazing however you choose to rock them!

Spring News & Updates

2011-04-14T17:00:00.011+07:00

The first three months of 2011 have been about travel & inspiration, meeting new designers and creating amazing new collections, plus finding ways to keep Nomadic Ant growing in ways that will keep our favorite people curious about just what might come next.

Travel & Inspiration

The year started with a bang in the busy streets of Bangkok where we met up with some local artists to design a new collection for 2011. We also found some much sought after pure silver from some of our favorite hilltribes. We also checked out the jewelry scene in the Philippines and did some underwater exploration around the islands which served as the inspiration for some of the year's collection. Think ethereal flowers and organic swaying fan coral interpreted with thin and delicate silver designs.

We also spent time in the jungles of Belize & the rustic Mayan coast of Mexico where the colors of tropical flowers, sunsets, and the bluest blue waters helped recharge the soul for the year ahead.

New Designers & New Collections
This year we plan to introduce a few new designers into the mix & will be featuring them on our blog each month as we introduce the collections they worked on for us. So many unique & fresh new designs on the horizon it is hard not to share it with you right now - I am way excited cuz i know you will love them ALL!

Nomadic Ant...just what might come next???

One of the things that keeps me going each day is knowing how many of you come back again & again to shop our collection of jewelry & recycled leather hip packs & accessories. We are so happy to have such a cool, hip, loyal bunch of friends & are always thinking of ways to surprise you with unexpected little gems. There are quite a few in the works this season so keep up with us so you won't miss a beat.

Here's three quick & easy ways to catch up with us...

1. take 30 seconds & create a FREE customer profile HERE
2. Subscribe to our mailing list because we really love keeping our favorite people in the loop!

Newsletter

3. follow us on Twitter, LIKE us on Facebook & subscribe to our Blog - this is where all the best deals and one-of-a-kind items will be announced every week so you won't want to miss out!

Show a little love this February

2011-02-02T14:42:00.003+07:00

Something about that spiral reminds me of eternal love...
and the modern design is nice any time of year with just about anything you wear. Pure silver, flat finish, very cool.

These very coveted spirals with etched leaf design are finally back in stock! Check out all of the new items on the website to see what else is back this February...

See the entire new collection for February here.

Even for someone claiming not to buy into the Valentine's Day holiday traditions, I have to say I am feeling a little nostalgic for heart designs this February.

Sometimes wearing just one is actually all you need to feel a little love in your day.

And for those of us that need a pair...want a pair...or have a pair already there are a few other options as well. Are two hearts better than one? You be the judge.

Check out the love and friendship bracelets by clicking here.

Another great design to wear as a pair or to share with someone dear to you...these hearts on hoops can be worn together or as singles. Try giving one to your best friend - and keep one for yourself.

All orders this February come with a free gift...so show some love and get some back in return. It can be that easy!

week one

2011-01-02T18:24:00.000+07:00

out front of one of my favorite guest houses in Bangkok

The lobby and the twin dogs that guard reception at the B&B

small track at the National Stadium where I go for morning runs

In Bangkok

2010-12-29T17:24:00.000+07:00

14 hours from Chicago to Shanghai. 4 hours from Shanghai to Bangkok. All I can say is that going business class is totally worth it (thank you air miles!)

Shanghai Airport, China

Fruit and other offerings at a Buddhist shrine

Day one in Bangkok

Without question, Thailand has some of the best food on offer and all you need to do to find it is walk down any street. Today I was shocked to see Krispy Kream donuts!

The attention to detail is also something I have come to appreciate about the culture here - be it the arrangement of the brightly colored fruits or the way the pigs heads are neatly placed in front of the Buddhist shrines, everything ends up looking like a work of art.

Krispy Kreams in Bangkok!

Thank you Sam! He was great.

Time for a foot massage. The price was 200 Baht ($7 US) and they start by soaking your feet in warm water and scrubbing them with the soapy water. The massage is done using mixture of fragrant oils which are rubbed into the feet and legs. Sometimes they also use a wooden tool to press the pressure points of the soles of the feet which is supposed to release the tension and detoxify the body. The final part of the massage is on the shoulders, arms and back despite this being a foot massage. Tomorrow I may need to investigate the full body oil massage for 400 Baht ($12) for an hour.

2010-12-27T09:44:00.000+07:00

Heading to Thailand tomorrow! Hope you will follow our travel blog and stay in touch while we are on the road. If there are any items you might want while we are away let us know - we are always looking for new designs and searching for all of the old favorites you love.

End of the year celebration is TONIGHT!!!

2010-12-15T14:35:00.001+07:00

We will be celebrating the end of another great year TONIGHT and hope you can join us!

I am planning lots of fun surprises (a few free jewelry give-aways, maybe even a hip pack!) so stop by and celebrate with nomadic ant and ardit dizdari at our jewelery and art exhibition at ñ on elston.

Thanks to everyone who visited at One of a Kind Show Chicago

2010-12-09T00:10:00.000+07:00

This was our first show at the Merchandise Mart and it was really a great time! Set-up was a breeze, the space was great and we loved meeting all of the talented artists in the Emerging Artist section of the show. But the best part of the show was having so many of our favorite people stopping by!

The new Tibetan Brass Bead Necklaces & cuff bracelets were a big hit. They are great for the holidays & make a fabulous gift.

Some of my favorite customers & friends stopped by to say hi!

Our booth in the Emerging Artist Section of the show

Betsy came in from Brooklyn, NY to help out and keep me calm... gracias Mami!

Special deals on hip packs caused some serious shopping frenzy...

Rachel came by to pick up the blue turquoise nest earrings she'd been coveting all year...

The gold and silver cuff bracelet got lots of attention...

...and the case of red wine kept the mood relaxed and friends happy.

more of my favorite people showed up making it a very social weekend

nomadic ant's booth at the Mart

fashion forward customer pairs our skull ring & silver chunky ring (background) with her own cool finger cuffs

my brother and I catching up at the show

miranda + leto = nomadic ant's dynamic duo

thanks to all our super customers...

and to all of our family & friends...


We really felt sooo much love at this show!

One of a Kind Show Chicago

2010-12-01T07:24:00.000+07:00

Getting ready for our first show at the Merchandise Mart and have not been able to sleep for days. Lots of new designs, some great new beaded necklaces that I am wearing all the time and loving, plus some of the back-by-popular-demand designs from summer.

The booth space is half of what I usually have at summer shows so getting all arranged in a 50 square foot space seems the biggest challenge (after sleep) but so far it looks pretty good. Needs a few more loving touches...some organic elements, perhaps. Having walls is a cool new reality...and I am using them to do some cool display stuff.

Come find our booth in the EMERGING ARTIST section on the 8th floor. It is on the west end of the floor, the outer north wall, booth #1021. Look for my name, Suzanne Miranda, or for the nomadic ant logo on the back wall.

even a nomadic ant knows what home is...

2010-11-19T11:29:00.001+07:00

today chicago was exactly as it should be, everyday.
breakfast with a friend,
a long walk in the crisp cool air along clark street,
a bit of NPR in the afternoon,
shopping at a mexican supermercado,
listening to nostalgic music and cooking,
home cooked dinner with family at my place.

family + friends + mixes from years ago

all as it should be.

thinking about display ideas for holiday shows...

2010-11-18T10:47:00.001+07:00

mind is clear after yoga tonight.

silver in many shades and sizes

2010-10-23T11:11:00.000+07:00

One of the most frequently asked questions I get at the Nomadic Ant booth is about silver. Is this sterling silver? What is that made from? Is it pure silver? Will it turn my finger green? How do I care for the jewelry? All really great questions that I want to answer here in a sort of FAQs page.

Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag (Latin: argentum, from the Indo-European root *arg- for "grey" or "shining"), and is one of the classical precious metals, along with gold and platinum.
Most fine silver is at least 99.9% silver, and extremely high-grade silver is upwards of 99.999% silver.
Sterling silver, on the other hand, is pure silver which has other metals added, usually around 7.5% copper.
While true fine silver is a beautiful metal, and makes an ideal material for jewelry and fine art, it is far too soft to be of much use for functional items.
Sterling silver takes the beauty and best qualities of fine silver, but adds the durability of a stronger metal.

Pure silver is an almost perfect metal from an aesthetic perspective. Because it is almost entirely non-reactive, it doesn’t tarnish or corrode over time, even in the worst of environments. This makes it ideal for jewelry. Those of you who have had your Hill Tribe Silver Earrings and Rings for years and years know...they just get better and brighter with age and wear.

As it becomes less pure, however, the problem of tarnishing becomes greater. So sterling silver, while more durable than fine silver, is also more prone to discoloration (tarnish) over time.

Keep in mind however that tarnish is no more than a dulled luster or finish caused by a thin deposit of a dirt which discolors the surface of metal and is easily removed. Keeping sterling in certain types of jewelry boxes (i just keep my favorites in a Ziplock bag)and sealed drawers prevents the oxidation process, which is the natural breakdown of a metal over time as a result of a reaction to sulphur and oxygen.

I have a nickel allergy...can I wear silver jewelry?
Nickel can occur as a trace element in silver and gold jewelry. Although sterling silver is usually made of silver and copper, some nickel may be present in small doses. If you think you have an allergy to nickel, try the more pure silver like Thai Silver, which often contains no nickel at all.

Thai silver, also known as Hill Tribe silver, originates in northern Thailand and jewelry is made using traditional tribal methods passed down from generation to generation. The silver content in Hill Tribes silver is typically 95-99%, even higher than sterling (92.5%). This higher silver content makes the metal softer and therefore easier to shape into all the unique and wonderful styles. No two pieces are exactly alike, attesting to the handmade nature of these beautiful components.

Interested in learning more about Nomadic Ant's silver jewelry? Check out our website at nomadicant.com and take a look at out Hill Tribe and Modern Silver Collections.

So what exactly is the shiva eye shell?

2010-10-07T01:44:00.000+07:00

The operculum, meaning little lid, is the anatomical structure which exists in many groups of sea snails and freshwater snails, and also in a few groups of land snails.
The operculum serves as a sort of "trapdoor" to close the opening of the shell when the soft parts of the animal are retracted. The shape of the operculum varies greatly from one family of gastropods to another. It is fairly often circular, or more or less oval in shape. In species where the operculum fits snugly, its outline corresponds exactly to the shape of the opening of the shell and it serves to seal the entrance of the shell.
The operculum of certain species of Turbinidae is sometimes used as an organic "gemstone" in jewelry. These opercula are commonly known as "cats eye" (or more recently "Shiva's eye").

Thus...the perfect spiral we all know and love in the jewelry. Nature makes amazing things. We search for them and bring them for you to enjoy.

Take a look at this link and it will show you more...

Shiva Eye Shell Jewelry by Nomadic Ant

weekend market

2010-03-27T22:36:00.000+07:00

On most weekends when I am in Bangkok I like to wander around the big Chatuchak Market, also called JJ Market. Maybe it is because there is some innate part of me that will always feel at home in public markets that I continue to return to this massive collection of stalls selling anything you can think of & it is what I do myself in the summer in Chicago and I feel a connection to these people who are there early setting up and who stay late until all the potential customers have tired and gone home.

The aisles between the stalls are wide enough for two, maybe three people to walk side by side and the shops themselves are no more than 4 - 5 feet wide in most cases. Tiny, narrow, hot (but for a few that have sliding glass doors and AC) and crowded with bodies shuffling along slowly, peering from side to side at the items for sale and often stopping to wait for a shop to empty of the half dozen people inside so that a new group may enter. All of this somehow seems to happen with a very harmonious flow. There are not just the shoppers walking through the narrow aisles, but also vendors carrying blocks of ice to the countless stalls serving drinks, there are blind singers guided by their partners carrying some sort of microphone system that plays music and projects their usually quite awful voices into the crowd hoping someone will toss a few coins into their cup; there are tiny, decaying old women still ambling along or sitting at the side of the stream of people trying to sell tissues or hard candies for a small donation; there are often mangy looking dogs asleep in the middle of the path who never seem to mind the crowds stepping carefully over them so as not to disturb their sleep.

The food being sold is wonderful and includes everything from mini hot dogs wrapped in bacon, coconut ice cream served in the coconut shell with a side of coconut juice, some strange brown jelly served over crushed ice with brown sugar on top, tiny waffles cut into the shape of teddy bears, all kinds of grilled meats, flattened squid akin to a beef jerky...only squid flavor, and vats of oil deep frying chicken, various kinds of salted insects, fruit sliced and served in a bag with a side of sugar and red chilies for dipping, plus the usual Thai food stalls serving beef noodle soups, fish ball soups, oxtail soups, rice, noodles, papaya salad, seafood. Anything you might be craving is being served someplace and thankfully it is all pretty inexpensive. It is really amazing how with the smallest space and a tiny portable grill or some butane people are able to prepare and serve such a variety of foods not to mention the fact that most of the refrigeration is simply done using ice.

There are young kids in their school uniforms playing traditional Thai instruments trying to collect coins for school, there are fortune tellers, artists drawing portraits of their sitting customers, farmers selling ginger root, garlic, and herbs, pushcarts everywhere selling cups of corn, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice, I even spotted some Turkish guys selling donor kebabs.

Today at one of my visits to the bathroom (the charge is 3 B (10 cents) for toilette service, 5 if you want tissue) only the men's side was open and women and men lined up together and shared the men's bathrooms. There is just this sort of cooperation on all levels here that is something to see. When you are trying to walk you will not be pushed, shoved, or given a look of anger from another person but instead will likely find people to bow and excuse themselves if they step on you and try to help each other in every situation. The chaos is somehow organized and harmonious and it even feels like you are part of a collective mass of people instead of an individual in a sea or strangers.

It is this feeling, and so many others, that keep me returning to this market and to Bangkok in general. It just feels good to me to be a part of this, whatever you want to call it. I call it "the slime" and it just means that you have to get a little closer to people and all of their habits, good and bad, and let them envelope you. There is something almost magical about this place but I think you only start to see it when you stop looking at the things and just start noticing and feeling the behaviors of the people. And...if all that is not enough, there is tons of stuff to buy as well.

East Bali

2010-03-17T21:45:00.000+07:00

I have been in East Bali for just over a week and yet it feels already like months have passed. The pace of life here is slow and the days begin and end early, with the sun. I had not realized that there would be no atm in East Bali except in the single city of any size, and that Internet would be difficult to find and even cell phone reception in low lying coastal fishing villages impossible unless I walked three kilometers up a steep hill where there was network from a tower.

I did buy a local SIM card for Indonesia in case I had any emergency but so far just a few deep cuts in the feet from some rocks leading to the garden of my bungalow. It is so dark at night and the stars are so amazing to look at that I usually lay out a rattan mat and relax in the evening looking at stars and listening to the geckos until I feel tired enough to try to sleep. I have been in bed by 10pm most nights here, and up to watch the sunrise every morning at 6AM. What a change from life in Chicago.

I can see the water and hear the waves from the daybed on the large wooden porch of my bamboo hut. Tons of birds singing, kids on the half moon shaped beach digging for crabs, the mantra music played every morning and evening by the owner as they do their daily offerings to the Hindu gods by placing incense, flowers and small baskets of rice and fruit neatly on banana leaves on the alters found outside every home.

I have been invited into countless village homes for whatever they can offer me that day: always served is the very sweet Bali coffee called kopi, some frut, and occasionally fish satay made from makeral or popcorn that is made from the small local corn that grows on the hills behind the coast. A local home is usually a collection of simple one rooms huts or cement rooms built around a central area where there are chickens roaming, a few cows under thatched huts, sometimes some goats and usually a few generations of family members all of whom seem busy at some daily task: repairing a fishing net, collecting the corn that had been laid to dry into baskets to store, transporting buckets of water on their heads from the well, carrying fish back from the boats, tending to the animals, washing the few pieces of clothing they have by hand or weaving the palm leaf baskets used for placing the offerings on the shrines.

During the hours between noon and 4pm people seem lazy from the heat and are always in the shade and often the older women wear only a sarong and a bra but often only a sarong. It is the first time I saw people bathing nearly naked (men usually were naked) in the canals of water that rush through the rice fields - men in one area and women in another but neither of them seeming to care when I had to pass them in the middle of their bath time. The Balinese believe they are "not seen" when they are bathing. The fishing boats arrive just before sunset and woven baskets line the main road and are filled by the women who carry the tubs of fish up from the beach. The fish smell pungently and are surrounded by flies but they will arrive fresh to the markets and restaurants up the coast to be sold.

There is always work to be done it seems but there is always time to spend with family. People talk while they work and are still without televisions and cell phones and computers in most of the village. Kids rarely are playing with a toy but are running around, barefoot, playing with sticks and chasing crabs on the beach and hoping a passing tourist will take a photo of them and then show them the result which sends them into a crazed laughter and often a shock for the younger kids at seeing their face appear magically on the back of the camera.

People seem to eat only that which they can grow or catch. There are no real restaurants or grocery stores. There are eggs from the chickens, fish from the sea, fruit growing everywhere in abundance, coconuts and rice and corn and cashew nuts (used to make one of the better quality "wines" called Arak). But I rarely see people eating. Unlike Thailand where food is within reach anywhere you go and where people are always putting something into their mouths, here it seems less obvious. But here there is alwasy something being created. Music, wooden boats, ornate baskets for ceremonial offerings, cutting bamboo for building, carving stone statues. People are almost always doing something. It is a very creative place and traditional crafts are still evident everywhere.

Tonight is the day before their New Year and everyone was dressed in their finest for the ceremonies that take place in every home. It is a day when families make offerings, pray, and visit relatives. It seems already like things have slowed even more than usual and tomorrow will be a day of silence for the entire island. Bali observes New Year as a "quiet day" when nobody can go out of their home, work, drive, even the airport is shutdown for that day. It is believed that the spirits, when they are unable to find anyone on the island, will go away and be scared off by the silence. I like the idea of this tradition and can't imagine what it must feel like to see a bustling city like Denpasar cease to do business for an entire day.

Balinese believe in Karma. They believe the cow is sacred. This is the only island of Indonesia that is Hindu (most Indonesians are Muslim) and they are very proud of their rituals and ceremonies. It has been a magical place to visit and totally still possible to avoid the busy beach scene in Kuta and the urban hustle of Denpasar. It is a place, especially east Bali, where it really still feels like it must have 30 years ago.

A few brief example of special things that just happen here which you can see in my pictures:
Two brothers, 16 & 15 and just learning English pass me on my bicycle and stop their motorbike to make conversation. They ask me if I can speak Bahasa and when I say not really they offer to give me a quick lesson which I accept.

After nearly 8 hours on a mountainous road I realize I have missed my turn for the village. I stop at a roadside stall for water and end up making friends with the woman inside who first insists I eat some fruit. She peels open a snakefruit and hands it to me, followed by another. When she was satisfied that I was rested she leads me back to the correct road on her motorbike, me peddaling behind as she rides ahead for 500 meters, and waits, rides ahead of me and waits.

The manager at the hotel was sorry that there was no avocado in the restaurant for me to try the avocado juice which seems common here as well as strange and delicious. The next day he brought me 8 avocados from his own garden and prepared the most delicious avocado juice ever, telling me to eat the others as they became ripe in the coming days.

A young waiter in training at a restaurant on the Amed coast invites me to his home in the same village I happen to be staying near. I accept and am shocked at the modesty of the home yet his mother still offers popcorn (we are surrounded by corn at this simple home) and a Bali coffee and we just sit and try to communicate for an hour while the rest of the multi-generational family sort of watches out of the corner of their eye curiously as they tend to their daily routines.

I mention wanting to buy an Indonesian SIM card to the people at one of my guest houses and soon the youngest boy is on his motorbike in the rain to the next village where he buys it for me and with the help of his five friends who have yet to see a Smart Phone figures out how to register it for me.

I am staying at a place called Meditasi and the owner is a true beliver in good karma. He has taken a liking to me because he said he can tell by my eyes that i am good, and refuses to charge me for my dinners which are served to me on my private bungalow balcony. All he offered as explanation was, "Sometime I need money. Sometime someone else need their money."

I am always stopped on the road as I walk aimlessly and offered a ride to wherever I am going on the back of a motorbike which is how people get up and down this steep and winding 10 kilometer coastal road. All of these rides are unsolicited and never have I been asked for money.

A man with one leg that was shriveled and limp called for me to come sit with him. I joined him on the rattan mat he quickly laid out and accepted his offer of kopi. He hopped off on his good leg, prepared a glass of hot coffee on a tray with some bananas and trying not to spill hopped back to the mat and served me. Neither of us could say more than a few words in each others language but it did not seem to matter. I had accepted his invitation and that please him.

A walk in Bangkok

2010-02-19T22:11:00.000+07:00

Well, I made it to Bangkok and am at my favorite hotel, The Atlanta. I am in a $15 room on D floor and it is a very simple room but perfectly comfortable. A balcony overlooks the relative quiet of soi 2, a ceiling fan with low, medium and high settings hangs directly over the bed, a cold shower (do you need hot water in 96 degree heat?) and a little desk with a safe below it that you can lock your valuables in. Not sure that stealing is ever an issue at this place however as the security at the front door is pretty intense. Signs on the outside of the building warns SEX TOURISTS NOT WELCOME. There are staff & cameras everywhere and they know who belongs and who does not. They are not a hotel that is open to people who just wander in unannounced and the only way to get a reservation is by fax...best if you know someone, or have been told about this place by a regular, or have an invitation. And because of that, it is by far one of the best places to stay for an extended period on Bangkok and a place where the staff will remember you if you come once a year as most of the patrons seem to do. It attracts journalists, film makers, artist types (lots of Lonely Planet writers as well as the woman that wrote Eat, Pray, Love...whatever her name is).

The lobby is exquisitely decorated with art deco furniture and writing desks and a library and is like being thrown back into the 1950's...and they play jazz or classical music all the time (classical in the morning, jazz in the evenings). I have stayed here a number of times while visiting Thailand the past 4 or 5 years and little changes here. In fact I imagine the place is much as it was when it first opened its doors in 1952.

My favorite activity is coming back to the hotel at 3pm or 4pm after a day of working and reading by the pool in the pretty back garden for an hour. The Atlanta was the first hotel with a swimming pool in Bangkok! And then when the sun is a bit lower in the sky I take a walk on a nice path and over a pedestrian bridge to the huge public park about 15 minutes from the hotel called Lumphini.

I like this walk because it passes behind the street where the hotel is located yet few tourists go to that side. There is a small path between the railroad tracks (only train I ever hear comes late at night) and the highway and there is always lots of activity on this little strip especially in early evening. Lots of workers from the nearby hotels seem to go to this area for a cold drink and to relax at the end of the day. I love it because they all seem shocked to see me walking along this little path and they all smile and invite me to try the Thai pork cooking on a BBQ or the Thai rum they all drink over ice. With the obvious hand gestures I explain that I am on my way to run and they all nod and smile as I say "choke dee" which is the Thai drinking toast which means good luck. One of these evenings however, I plan to join them fr a glass of rum and skip the run.

I can see from here where many of the workers must live and the little rooms they share are small and very modest. But here at the end of long hours of work everyone is outside, relaxing, spending time with family, laughing. There is always something to smile about here and upon passing anyone at all - from the construction workers covered in wool ski masks and long gloves to protect themselves from toiling in the sun, to the men who live in make-shift houses built between the trees and old pick-up trucks beside the highway cooking over charcoal grills, to the young boys playing soccer on the wide walkway that is a bridge over a busy highway...no matter who it is, when I pass and look at them and nod, smile and say sawadee kah, always the smile is returned. I suppose there is little reason not to be in a good mood here. Most days, I see people consumed by things like deciding at which street vendor to buy their meal or busy buying yellow carnations which have been strung into wreathes to decorate one of countless Buddhist shrines around town. People laugh and tease every chance they get.

I usually arrive at Lumphini Park around 5:45 pm and join the Thai men stretching near the park entrance and can immediately smell the Thai boxing oil and Tiger Balm in the air. It is common for Thai people to apply some kind of camphor oil before they exercise or play sport and I too have taken to this tradition. It warms the muscles immediately and is supposed to keep you from hurting yourself. I start along the path which seems to be crowded with people of all ages at this time of day. I run for 15 minutes but at 6PM, everyday, we all stop. At 6PM the uniformed Thai guards blow a whistle and then the national song is played over load speakers throughout the park and everyone stops in their tracks to honor the King during the song. When it ends, everyone bows their head slightly and then continues on their way.

This little afternoon ritual of walking to the park to go for a run is by far one of my favorite things to do in this city. And every day, there is some little encounter that always makes me smile. There is something about this city....I can't understand how anyone could come here and miss the simple beauty of this place.

beauty and the knife

2009-11-04T01:05:00.000+07:00

When it is sunny and in the 50's in Chicago you can't help but to be in a good mood and somehow the feeling is contagious. I walk into Harvest Time to buy some produce and am struck by the song that is playing: it was a salsa version of the song El Cuarto de Tula which may be one of the best songs ever made. Harvest time gets points for having the best music on all the time. Sometimes it is the slow melodic mornas of Cape Verdean singer Cesaria Evora that pours over the speakers as you wander the bright open space in search of the perfect papaya but today it was salsa at 10 AM and it was loud.

The first 10 minutes I could not help but wander the store and just listen and observe the people and how they went about choosing their produce, each person with his or her own special method that was at once peculiar and particular.

There was a younger Indian guy who had placed the clear plastic bag over his hand and was picking out the perfect quinces with the gentle precision of a surgeon; there was a Mexican man with dark sunglasses and his blue tooth in his ear caressing the avocados as if they were newborns; an older Asian woman taking each and every apple in her two hands and examining the fruit for any blemish or impurity and setting those back down lovingly that did not pass her test; and an older man leaning down with his ear to the pomegranates as if he were listening to them for answers and then wrapping each in a plastic bag and placing it to the side before choosing the next, and the next.

I paid for the few items I purchased and went to enjoy the sun for a moment outside on a bench before walking home. The man who had been listening to the pomegranates happened to walk by and I could not resist asking him about how one goes about choosing the perfect pomegranate.

I had recently spent time in north africa and noticed how popular the pommegranate was there. Men would sit at tea shops and snack on the tiny seeds while drinking tea, chatting, smoking hookahs and watching the day pass unhurried before them. I could not imagine this fruit being eaten with such ease anywhere in the US. It seemed that in order to enjoy it you must have time to dedicate to its preparation as well as the act of eating it. It is unlike other fruits in that way: an apple can be eaten as you walk, a banana peeled and consumed in a few bites, grapes plucked off the vine and tossed into the mouth with just two fingers. But alas, the pommegranate demands that you sit with it and become engaged in the art of eating in a way that few other fruits require.

The man saw me there on the bench and we nodded at each other and I asked the question that had been burning inside me,

"how do you know which one will be best?"

and like any pomegranate aficionado would respond he stopped, looked at me with a slight surprise for a moment and then realized he had no choice but to come and explain to me the secret of the mysterious fruit.

He wore a wool cap on his head and was perhaps in his 60's and had a face that looked like it had seen and experienced many things in his life. Deep brown eyes and a gap in the bottom row of teeth and as he spoke I could see tiny particles of spit escape from his lips and fall toward where I was sitting on the bench. He set down the bag which contained nothing but the 6 pomegranates he had selected, each individually wrapped in its own plastic bag. He inspected them for a moment, looking for the best one to serve as an example for the lesson he was about to provide in pomegranate selection.

It was one that was a lighter yellowish pink in color and he showed me how you must look for that color because it meant that it had been in the shade. He leaned toward me and like a magician holding a crystal ball he turned the fruit slowly to reveal the small bright red spot on the other side which he explained meant it has been exposed to sun. In my ignorance, I'd have assumed the bright red color to be the more desirable but he corrected me.

"In my country, before, I was farmer..." he said, nodding his head at the fruit. If the skin is lighter in color it means it is thinner and that inside the fruit will taste better.

I asked next about how to eat it. I recall buying pomegranate in Morocco and making a mess trying to cut the fruit into sections, the red juice staining my hands and causing quite a mess.

"Just cut it up with a knife?" I asked.

Again he looked at me with surprise and then raised his hand to his head and placed all five fingers in a claw as if he were trying to remove my ignorance for me and impart his own knowledge somehow.

"Knife is make bleeding, make mind feel confused...when mind confused feeling not fine."

One is never to make a pomegranate bleed. Got it. You pull at it, crack it slowly, rip at it gently, creating sections from which you can begin to enjoy the small seeds one by one.

He explained the benefits of the fruit and how you can make juice from them and that it is expensive but well worth the price. He was from Iraq and an Assyrian and upon my asking he shared the name of the fruit with me in both Arabic and his native language: rummân and dadimba if I recall correctly.

Somehow the image of the bleeding pomegranate will remain with me for a long, long time and I will think of this old farmer from Iraq with every small seed I eat and be thankful for the lesson he shared with me. Again, it confirmed my theory that those who eat pomegranate are themselves like the fruit: determined to have you engage with them on a deeper level, seeing past the obvious colors and finding out what lies just beneath the surface, and hoping more than anything that you will please not try to find the beauty within too quickly by using a knife.

july

2009-07-07T02:36:00.000+07:00

there are perfect days like today when all i need to do is set out for a walk to appreciate the city. i love not working during the week. i enjoy the quiet streets and the fact that the city seems empty of people. after a long walk i find a footpath and go for a run, listening to the same music i always listen to which really should be changed. a few mothers with baby strollers, joggers, a woman walking enjoying a cigarette.

i think about how nice it would be to have some sort of record of the thoughts i have as i run.

from up above no signs of spring

2009-04-28T12:53:00.000+07:00

Part of the reason that i like running in the park along the river is that it is directly below the landing path of the planes arriving at Chicago's O'Hare airport. It can be distracting for someone who is fascinated by the mere sight of an airplane overhead especially at certain times of the day when the jets are lined up for landing in some sort of synchronized approach for the runway. From where i stand on the river path they seem to be in perfect harmony, one plane flying alongside another in a silent slowing approach although the reality is that they are miles apart. I run along the river and notice two things consistently: the airplanes up above and the small green buds emerging from the tree branches. They are equally distracting and beautiful.

These trees are there, rooted in the ground the same as they have been for ages and yet they are always offering a little variance in their detail to those who are willing to notice. They change color. The buds emerge slowly. And depending on the time of day and the exact angle and moment at which you happen to lower your gaze from the plane overhead to the tree there below...it will look different.

but from up above, there are no signs of spring.

connecting

2008-10-31T11:27:00.000+07:00

just looking for a way to connect with people from the road.

i guess my idea is to write a bit more when i travel and to keep all these stories in one place.