Thai pants, also called Shan baun-mi or fisherman pants, are originally Thai fishermen’s pants. Nowadays they are often worn by tourists visiting Thailand, who have spread those pants all over the world.
Pants with unparalleled comfort
Its convenience and its incredible comfort have made the Thai pants an essential item in the wellness and Buddhist world (massages, shiatsu, yoga …), indoor sports or martial arts, as well as for dance performances, batucada … etc
These pants allow a great freedom of movement. For this reason, it is highly appreciated by all those who want a garment that combines comfort and flexibility.
Majuli Island is located in the Bhramaputra River in the north of India. In the 1970s it was a large shoal threatened by winds and soil erosion with a population of 150,000 inhabitants.
Jadav Payeng is an incredible defender of nature. Since 1979, tree by tree, he planted, by himself an incredible forest, the Molai forest, with the aim of saving his island treatened by erosion.
Today, the Molai Forest makes up to more than 550 hectares. It has become dense and rich, and is home to many animal and plant, many of which are endangered: elephants, Bengal tigers, one-horned rhinoceros, vultures …
The Molai forest was planted by a single man, now dubbed “Forest Man”, he planted his forest without tools or without any help but simply with his two bare hands.
Jadav Payeng devoted his life to planting this forest, this man is a true nature lover, humble and passionate, who shows us that with will anything is possible.
His fight is far from over. As he himself says: “it will never be. The biggest threat I face is not from nature but from my people. Man has a vocation to destroy everything, when it should be the opposite. I will fight to the end to make it happen. “
What if we took this as an example and each of us take action on their own scale? The whole world would be transformed.
Arasia offers you the opportunity to plant trees by participating in the operation 1 euro = 1 tree, in partnership with the Indian NGO Mass-Education.
The hindu god Shiva is known under numerous names and forms.
Nataraja The Cosmic Dancer
One of its forms is Shiva Nataraja. It embodies the cosmic dancer who rhythms the entire universe, alternating phases of creation and destruction.
In Sanskrit, “nata” means “dance” and “raja” stands for “king”.
In India, dance is considered as a means to reach ecstasy and unite with the heavenly. Shiva Nataraja is the dance god and it is worshiped by Hindu’s musicians and dancers.
Nataraja Temple
The Nataraja temple is located in Chidambaram (60km south of Pondicherry) and is entirely dedicated to Shiva. On the stone of the temple is carved Bharata Natyam poses, south Indian sacred classical dance, directly inspired by Shiv sacred dance. The legend goes that this temple was built on the spot where Shiva performed the tandâva in front of the Dârukavana forest’s elders.
The Dance of Happiness
The tandâva is “the bliss dance” that endlessly creates and re-creates the universe. This cosmic dance symbolizes the world’s periodic renewal.
To Hindus, dance is older than the world itself because its Shiva’s dance that created the world. To dance is also the grandest way to please the gods. When dancing, one lets their inspiration and creativity and reconcile with the universe’s vibrations.
To Conclude
This facet of Shiva shows its tireless energy – which can be passive or active, static or dynamic with an internal or external focus because what is happening in the universe can also be experienced in the intimacy of one’s being and Nataraja is the cosmic dancer, it is also the god that dance in the hearts of men.
The wuxing are in China, the five (wu) elements (xing) : an extensive classification system which determines all the elements and phenomena both at a cosmic level than at a human level.
The Five elements (or phases or movements) – along with the fundamental concept of yin and yang and the active principle Qi –make up the core of the traditional Chinese philosophy.
To each of those elements is associated a color, a music note, an organ, a cardinal point, a season, an emotion, etc.
The conceptual scheme of the five elements attempts to give a deep spiritual meaning of the world’s mechanisms and the cycles of life and of the universe. Every existing thing is subjected to the cycles of life and the universe’s and cycles of life and destruction.
THE YANG CYCLE (Generating / Creation):
Wood feeds Fire, Fire feeds Earth, Earth generates Metal, Metal creates Water, Water creates Wood.
THE YIN CYCLE (domination / destruction) :
The Wood chokes the Earth, The Earth dries the Water, The Water extinguishes the Fire, The Fire melts the Metal, The Metal slices the Wood.
The Five elements have a certain order. First come the Metal (jin), then the Wood (mu), then the Water (shui), then the Fire (huo) then the Earth (tu).
Those 5 elements interact, complete each other and exist simultaneously together within the cycles of destruction and creation.
The wuxing are defined as raw natural material, each with their own intrinsic dynamic playing a part in the grand scheme of things.
Thus, it is in the Water’s intrinsic nature to flow (downwards) and to wet. It the Fire’s intrinsic nature to rise (upwards) and to burn, the Wood can lie flat or stand tall, the Metal is docile and takes any form its given, the Earth’s primary essence is to be suitable for cultivation and harvesting.
The Chinese theory of the five elements thus succeeded to unify a multitude of different phenomena, to establish inter-relations between them and give them a deep and meaningful meaning within the universe. The constants flows between the elements are to be equilibrated and their energies balanced to prevent any disruption.
If one element is in excess, its energy will weaken or increase excessively its opposite element. For instance, the excess of energy of the Metal will exhaustthe Wood’s energy and disproportionately raise the Water’s energy.
The right proportion of each elements is primordial to the balance of the universe and the nature’s harmony.
In the ancient art of feng shui, we optimize the wuxing to enhance the flow of chi in living spaces.
Historical facts:
It appears that the Chinese dynasties have succeeded one another following the succession of the 5 elements or phases. And, each time a new emperor acceded to the throne, heaven sends a good omen to the men.
Therefore, during the Yellow emperor ascension giant earthworms and ants appeared in the sky so the Han dynasty was associated whit the element Earth. Afterwards, the Xia dynasty was associated with the Wood, the Zhou dynasty with the Fire and so on and so forth.
The Elephant is mainly known as a gigantic animal, but it is actually a pacifistic animal with a keen intellect.
Unfortunately counted nowadays as an endangered species because of poaching, deforestation and industrialization.
A distinction is to be made between the African elephant and the Asian elephant.
The Asian elephant’s height reach, in average, below 3 meters and weigh less than 3 tons. Its ears are small and its tusks are often short or even nonexistent and its trunkpossess a sole finger. The African elephant however, can be up to 3,5 meters and weigh up to 4 or 5 tons! It ears are so big that they can cool him off or frighten its opponent. Its tusk is long and hefty and its trunk possess two fingers.
The Asian elephant has been domesticated for more than 4,500 years firstly to travel or animal traction. Nowadays, the elephant is mainly seen in the tourism industry. It is the biggest land-based animal on earth.
What is the symbolism behind the elephant?
The Elephant is mainly known as agigantic animal, but it is actually a pacifistic animal with a keen intellect.
Unfortunately counted nowadays as an endangered species because of poaching, deforestation and industrialization.
A distinction is to be made between the African elephant and the Asian elephant. The Asian elephant’s height reach, in average, below 3 meters and weigh less than 3 tons. Its ears are small and its tusks are often short or even nonexistent and its trunkpossess a sole finger. The African elephant however, can be up to 3,5 meters and weigh up to 4 or 5 tons! It ears are so big that they can cool him off or frighten its opponent. Its tusk is long and hefty and its trunk possess two fingers.
The Asian elephant has been domesticated for more than 4,500 years firstly to travel or animal traction. Nowadays, the elephant is mainly seen in the tourism industry. It is the biggest land-based animal on earth.
The symbolism behind the elephant always has been “superior wisdom”. The animal is also associated with the idea of having a good memory, longevity (can reach 86 years of age !!), wealth, strength and goodwill.
In India, the elephant impersonates the world’s four pillars which it carries on its back.
In Hindu philosophy, Ganesh, god of wisdom and students’ patron. The son of Shiva one of the main deity worshiped in India and the god of Cosmos.
The elephant is also often found in religious ceremonies where it occupies a special place.
You will find on Arasia’s blog numerous articles about elephants, drapery, statues, ornamentation etc., right here !
The death of King of Thailand plunged the country into uncertainty.
The king of Thailand RAMA IX aka Bhumibol Adulyadej, was born on December 5, 1927 and died on Thursday, October 13, 2016. He ruled over Thailand for 70 years. His dynasty, the Rama dynasty, succeeded the dynasty of the kings of Ayutthaya and Bangkok was established as the capital of the kingdom in 1782.
Bhumibol is revered like a demigod and his portrait is omnipresent in all homes. 90% of the population had only him as a ruler, he held a central role in the unification of the country.
The designated successor is his only son Maha Vajiralongkorn. He is not very popular because of his erratic personality and lack of commitment. Most Thai people would prefer to see his sister,Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, on the throne
The troubled political context of the country:
After a strong economic growth in the 85’s -95’s, Thailand was among the four dragons of South East Asia, nowadays the country is experiencing a troubled politicalclimate.
The relations between the army, the royalist “yellow shirts” and the pro-democratic “red shirts” are often violent. The country is plagued by coups, internet censorship and the imprisonment of journalists and opponents.
Any unfavorable opinion towards the king or his family is punished as a crime of lese majesty according to the Thai constitution. Its authority and legitimacy are truly immutable. The King is the symbolic father of all Thai people.
By tradition, Father’s Day is set on the king’s birthday (therefore on December 5 since 1946) and it is the same for Mother’s Day.
Following the death of the king, the entire country was grieving. A mourning period of one year was declared after which the new sovereign will be crowned.
I convey my condolences to the Thai people for this difficult moment in their history, which I am sure they will be able to face with the wisdom that characterizes them.
Born of the contraction between Bombay (now Mumbai) and Hollywood, Bollywood refers to an Indian cinematographic genre born in the begging of the twentieth century.
History
Indian cinema began in 1899.
In 1913, D.G. Phalke directed the first feature film in Indian cinema, a silent film recounting the legend of King Harishchandra.
The advent of sound in 1931 would lead to the blossoming of the quintessential Indian genre: the musical comedy.
Bollywood films
As its name suggests, the capital of Indian cinema is Mumbai and Bollywood is the largest film industry in the world.
The Bollywood films are characterized by their duration of about 2 to 3 hours (with an intermission), outdoor shoots which is one of the trademarks of the genre, and colorful choreographies, sometimes soliciting hundreds of dancers with impeccable technique (see our article on mudras here). Choreographies are allied to atypical songs that were traditionally, in Hindi and started to be mixed with English with more Western rhythms thereafter.
In India, cinema is family-oriented (hence the absence of explicit scenes), dedicated to entertainment, and combines drama, romance, comedy, action, music and dance.
A distinct artistic genre
It is much more than an art or an industry, it is a culture, an important part in the life of many Indians, who identify with the characters, their adventures and the values they carry.
Bollywood actors are very versatile and their talent is sometimes underestimated by the Western cinema because the intrigues are considered kitsch.
Hindi movies have managed to spread to the rest of the world not only through the diaspora and “neighboring countries” such as Southeast Asia, North Africa and the Middle East but alsotrough Westerners, that areand more are interested in this cinematic genre. Some Bollywood actors succeed in exporting to Hollywood: Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, DeepikaPadukone, Priyanka Chopra…
To Conclude
At Arasia, we have a slight preference for the films: Ram-Leela, Devdas, As Long as I Live, Fanaa and UmraoJaan.
ArasiaShop sells many articles with a Bollywood theme such as bindies, statues of Indian deities (here), Indian scarves (here).
Glances, expressions, gestures … The behavior of the last great ape in Asia could not be more disturbing … In Malay , orangutan means “man of the forest” the beast shares 96.4% of its DNA with humans.
Yet, massive deforestation is currently taking place in these paradise islands of Borneo and Sumatra, mainly to plant oil palm tree – palm oil is produced at very low prices and is increasingly used in the food, cosmetics and chemical industries, and for the manufacture of biofuels.
Highly dependent on forests, not only orangutans are endangered: the forests’extraordinary biodiversity as well. Indonesia knows the world’s fastest deforestation (the equivalent of a football field every 10 seconds).
Forest destruction threatens the balance of our planet.
Arasia, in partnership with Sumatran Orangoutan Society, attempts to raise awareness on this issue, and sells a range of T-shirts and tank tops directly supporting this cause.
We invite you to take a moment to relax and travel with us…
It’s probably because I was born under the sun of Martinique, a beautyful french island of the Carribbean sea … but I have always felt an irresistible urge to venture elsewhere: the distant horizons are at the heart of my dreams … and my life ! Travel wise, I’ve immerged myself into foreign cultures, admiring particularly the Asian culture: my favorite countries are Thailand, Indonesia, India or Nepal. I like to share my findings, and I often talk on facebook, twitter, or on my blog!
Arasia-Shop, the story of a small human and fair trade!
In France, I worked in markets with street vendors and I gradually started to sell my findings … Over time and meetings, I have established relationships with small craftsmen and willingness to work fairly imposed itself on me as obvious: Respect people and the value of their work, contribute (even on a small scale!) The development of the local economy, offer prices that are both accessible and fair and encourage environmentally responsible solutions … So many objectives, many steps, gradually defined in Arasia’s Code of Ethics .
Today, I still think about the best ways to take action:
