Exclusive Q&A with the author of "Women at Work," Shane Mitchell | Travel + Leisure

Exclusive Q&A with the author of "Women at Work," Shane Mitchell

Return to main article

Q: Can any traveler visit these collectives? What is your best advice for meeting the women who make these beautiful crafts?

A: Others can certainly visit some of these collectives (Sampirirpiri and Thorntree), although not the Qilasaaz ladies in Mahmudabad, who observe purdah, which is designed to protect their modesty and privacy. However, other collectives worth exploring include Lao Textiles in Vientiane and Aranya Dye Unit in Kanan Devan Hills, India. For appointments, reference the web list.

Q: Many of the women you met are clearly self-empowered; how, in your opinion, might they be able to take their financial freedom "to the next level"?

A: I hate the term "self-empowered." To be frank, it is a Western concept. These women are looking to feed their families and support their communities. This has nothing to do with financial or sexual freedom, and more to do with their increased ability to sustain an endangered way of life. In the Samburu world, if you make more money, it means you can help a wider circle of relations, not put your earnings away for a rainy day. Both in India and Kenya, these collectives are keeping alive two fragile cultures that are thousands of years old.

Q: Is there a handicraft you’ve always wanted to learn? If so, what?

A: I learned to sew and knit and crochet (all badly) as a child. Since my parents were artists, I also had every chance to dabble with paints, etching, pottery, and sculpture. Now I like to seek out and collect other new talent.

Q: Do you have a favorite item from your travels? If so, what?

A: That’s a tough one. Every time I come back from a trip, I try to find at least one extraordinary piece of art. Just acquired a patchwork quilt of old tribal dresses during a swing through Udaipur in Rajasthan. I also love an Art Deco lavender silk kimono from a vintage shop under the railway tracks in Tokyo. And a tiny, jointed mother-of-pearl Day of the Dead skeleton from a crafts dealer in Mexico City.

Q: How do you stay healthy traveling to far-flung places like Kenya and India? What are your secrets?

A: Usually, a week or two before departure, I step up a daily dose of sheep or goat yogurt to build up "friendly" bacteria in my digestive tract. Then, I pack the basics: natural papaya pills (for acid tummy), ibuprofen, Berocca vitamin B tablets, and for extreme circumstances, Cipro. I love the travel set of aromatherapy oils (respiratory, stress, migraine, muscle-joint) from Warren Botanicals in Hawaii. They’ve proved effective to help ward off sniffles and minor aches. Shu Uemura Depsea facial spray for perking up dry skin during long-haul flights. Several foil packs of #538 jasmine green tea from Ito En.

A clean-hand freak, I pack unscented wet wipes for times when fresh water (or toilet tissue) is scarce. And then, I’m cautious about food choices. Ironically, the only time I’ve had health issues in remote places has occurred not from eating local dishes at street stalls but from eating in actual restaurants where I can’t see the food being prepared.

For emergencies, a nice chocolate bar, dried fruit, and nuts keep up my energy. Finally, I try to maintain some sort of exercise routine, preferably by walking or swimming, rather than on machinery in an air-con.

Copyright © 2008, American Express Publishing. All rights reserved.