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WALL STREET JOURNAL VISITS THE LACE LADIES In mid June, I was privileged to travel to the southernmost point of the continent of India with a wonderful lady, Ms. Ellen Byron. I've never known a professional Journalist, much less spent 10 days traveling such a long distance to such a remote region with someone I hardly knew. I've returned with an appreciation for writing, for the profession of Journalism and fond memories of a wonderful trip and delightful company. Ms. Byron's' professionalism and focus was impressive. We sat in homes in the most remote areas of tropical villages, dirt floors, thatched roofs, small rooms with no more than a ceiling fan in some cases, down long red clay roads deep in the recesses of rubber tree fields, all in search of the homes of some of the Lace Ladies. Ellen was relentless in her pursuit of that last bit of information…
Before leaving for India , we had the idea the monsoon season began in July. Actually, in this most southern region, it begins by mid June. We arrived June 15 th . Our Hostess and the person responsible for starting all of this, Aruna Seth, told us she was extremely worried the trip would be ruined and Ellen would never be able to access the homes of the Ladies for the interviews due to the monsoon rains and unbearable heat. Streets are inaccessible, winds blow violently and then there's the heat and humidity during the day – it's unimaginable. On the day we arrived, the rains had stopped completely. The temperature dropped from approximately 112 degrees to a balmy 95 or so. We had overcast and partly cloudy skies the entire trip, all 10 days, but no rain. No one could believe our good fortune! On the last day before our return to Chennai, then home, Ellen closed her last notebook late in the evening having finished her interview with Aruna's Manager, Mohand, and announced, “I'm finished!” As the words were leaving her lips, a torrential rain and whipping wind began blowing away everything that wasn't held down. We geared up for a good soaking that would be unavoidable heading from the house to the car. As we left the house, the rain mysteriously stopped and was not seen again before our departure the next day. Draw your own conclusions, but the “weather Gods” were smiling on us, that's for sure! I'm glad we experienced at least a few minutes of what “monsoon” really means. We realized at that moment how truly fortunate we were to have fully accomplished everything intended and then some, and to be heading home with notes intact and wonderful memories of a “mission accomplished”.
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