Asia Travels- Spring/Summer 2007
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Hello All,
Well if it’s spring time that means it’s time for a trip to Asia. Check on our factories; clarify issues that e-mail just can’t quite accomplish, and be inspired by new materials and places that I haven’t seen before.
My first stop on this blast is Saigon, Vietnam. Technically known as Ho Chi Minh City, I still prefer the old term. It has more romance and resonance for me.
Even at 11:30 p.m. on arrival, the heat and humidity of the day still hangs heavy in the air. And, since its early morning L.A. time, I go for a walk around the old French Colonial streets, breath in that peculiar tropical night air and watch the kids zip by on their scooters, dressed for Saturday night.
Finally I go for a cold beer at the roof top bar of the famous Rex Hotel. I always think about guys like Dan Rather and Peter Jennings who used to hang out here during the war, decompress and watch the nightly fireworks show of red and green tracers while listening to the not so far off artillery rounds.
Well it’s certainly a different world now, as the next morning it’s evident how quickly Vietnam is racing to embrace global trade and industry with new buildings going up left and right. On the way outside of town we pass by the future home of Microsoft’s Asian Campus. It’s a great visit and I hit 9 new small village factories specializing in hand made products in 2 days and have started new developments in a choice few. It’s always great to start a trip off with a bang, because after all that flying, you have to hope to hit pay dirt.
Next stop is Cebu, the Philippines. I’ve never visited these islands, but I think that the names Mindanao, Leyte, Luzon, Bataan, Manila and Cebu conjure up a host of memories for Americans and our long association with them. Well, I can say that the people here are incredibly friendly and hospitable and it feels more like Polynesia to me than the South East Asia that I’m more familiar with. White sand beaches and swaying palms aren’t a bad backdrop for working hard!
I thought we saw a lot in Saigon, but here its 12 different facilities in 2 ½ days. I saw incredible natural materials and I spent many hours just designing new products. Let’s say you should be seeing the results back home soon. Finished the visit off with a stop at the site where Magellan met his end on his world tour. Its always one of my traveling dictums “Don’t piss off the Natives!”. Guess he didn’t know that one.
Now I’m back in the Land of Smiles, that’s Thailand and Bangkok in particular. I believe it’s my 10th time in Thailand and it’s always a joy to see my good friend Suradech who handles all our operations here. We check in with our crafts people and fine tune product for coming collections, special projects and all too soon it’s time to jump on a plane again, but not before some great seafood in an obscure fishing village. I’ll never get enough of that, even though half the time I don’t know what I’m eating and don’t really care it’s so good.
Another plane sure, but this time I’m making my first trip to Katmandu. Just say that with me “Katmandu”. If that doesn’t reek of adventure I don’t know what does. Bob Seger song notwithstanding, it lives up to its fame by my idea; twisting streets through ancient wood carved buildings, coming upon Hindu and Buddhist temples with the full commerce of early morning spice and vegetable sellers, wandering cows, clouds of incense, ringing bells and the deep vibration of Tibetan chants. This is a great town for wandering with the mash up of cultures it is fascinating to observe. People from all over the Himalayas and Indian Sub Continent have found their way here to trade and live for centuries, not to mention the dreadlocked young Hippies who still find their way here as if time had stopped still.
I’m here to develop some ideas Jamie and I have for Hand Knotted Tibetan rugs. After the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1959, large numbers of Tibetans settled here and this is the hub for their rug making skills. It’s funny to note that one of the factories that I meet with tells me that they made a huge rug of pure silk with the motif of a giant skull for Jay - Z last year. Yep, it’s a Global Village for sure.
Well I can say that I can’t wait to get back to Katmandu and explore some more, and I’d say that wraps up another exhausting, rewarding and eye opening trip.
David
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