women - people - China - India - Tibetan - trek - Siliguri - trekking - Annapurna Circuit - Nepal - West Bengal - mountains - Himalaya - microcredit - Central Asia - Gansu - Xiahe - SHG - Annapurna - Gairkata - Tajikistan - nightlife - humor - Xian - Paraw Bibi - development - microfinance - Deep Colony - Turkmenistan - Dushanbe - food -
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All of these are precious, but we wonder what the last word of the last sentence is trying to say.Taken in Xi'an, China at the Friend-Making Clubhouse at Half Past Eight.www.uncorneredmarket.com/2007/11/ten-secrets-of-women-call/
Audrey bonds with the women pilgrims visiting the site of Paraw Bibi between Balkanabat and Ashgabat. This site is considered to be a holy place for women to pray for health and fertility. Read more about our visit to Turkmenistan.
Women from Deep Colony village (outside Siliguri, India) work in the women's self-help group's nursery. They grow the seedlings for several months and then sell them to a larger nursery for profit. Thirteen women work together on this nursery project, earning about $350 profit for the group in the year and getting paid for their labor. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
An experienced tea picker takes a break. They earn $1.25 per day for picking 10 kilos of fresh tea leaves. Most of the workers are uneducated and don't have other options for employment in the area. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
A young member of the Deep Colony village (outside Siliguri, India) women's self-help group helps in the group's nursery. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Some more Tibetan girls strut their stuff down Xiahe's main street. Read more about our visit to Xiahe, China.
A group of Tibetan women approach the market in Xiahe, China. Read more about our visit to Xiahe, China.
Women in Alleppey (Kerala, India) examine some bright leaves before purchasing. Read more about our visit to India.
This Tibetan woman from Letdar was incredibly shy when we first entered the village. She became embarrassed when we admired her amulets; she tucked them into her clothes for safe-keeping. Eventually, she warmed up to us and gave us a smile and hearty wave as we left for Thorung Phedi base camp.Taken on the ninth day of the trek around the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
We came across these women taking a rest break on the outside the village of Ghyaru. Their loads - brush and juniper branches packed tightly into wicker backpacks - were bigger than they were. We offered some of our HobNobs (British oatmeal biscuits from McVities) for an energy boost. They seemed to enjoy them.Taken on day 6 of our trek around the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
One of the leaders of a self-help group in the village of Gairkata shows us her snack and telephone shop. She built and set up the shops with around $350 in loans. With the income she earns, she's been able to send her son to school and contribute to the family. Now she's planning to send her son for higher education - he wants to be a doctor. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Audrey joins a group of local women on their way home from Dhukur Pokhari to Upper Pisang. They offered up some mystery meat from the center of the circle, but Audrey politely declined.Taken on the fifth day of the Annapurna Circuit trek near the village of Upper Pisang in Nepal. Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
These brightly dressed Nepali women were waiting at the the jeep stand in Tatopani. They were fortunate enough not to end up in our jeep - we were 17 people shoe-horned into 14 already tiny spaces.Taken on day 15, the final day of our trek around the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal. Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
After crossing the Thorong La pass, we had a steep 1,600 meter descent through dry terrain to the village of Muktinath. The way down turned out even more difficult than the way up!The village is a pilgrimage site for both Hindus and Buddhists. Here, some women pass the time by singing and dancing. Taken on day 10 of the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal. Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
The treasurers of several women's self-help groups in the village of Gairkata (outside Siliguri, India) show Audrey their accounting and roll-call books. Each group has a meeting once a month; members have to pay a meeting fee of 20-25 Rs ($0.50) that gets put into an emergency fund (to bail out or help a member in need). The books also keep track of all the loans dispersed in the group and repayment. Some of these women learned to read and count through the self-help groups and training provided with them. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
Two young, matching Tibetan women strut their stuff down main street in Xiahe, China. Read more about our visit to Xiahe, China.
These women make a pilgrimage to the hot springs at Bibi Fatima. Named after the Prophet Mohammed's sister, the hot springs are supposed to promote fertility and women's health..© www.uncorneredmarket.com
Contrasting generations at the Varzob Bazaar in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.© www.uncorneredmarket.com
These older Tibetan women on a return trip to their village from Dharapani, on the eastern side of the Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal. The trails are shared by trekking tourists and locals alike - there are no vehicles. Notice the Buddhist prayer beads in the woman's hand (left). Read more about our Annapurna Circuit trek. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
These two women share a plate of kurtob (layered bread, yogurt, tomatoes, onions and herbs) in the Shah Mansur Bazaar in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Kurtob is traditionally served in a big platter and eaten by hand. We were tempted to join them.© www.uncorneredmarket.com
Taken on the streets of Xiahe, China. Read more about our visit to Xiahe, China.
Turkmen women wear vibrant dresses with beautifully embroidered necklines. These women had just descended from the sacred Paraw Bibi pilgrimage site. Read more about Turkmenistan.
Part of the Ten Secrets of Women Call. Taken in Xi'an, China at the Friend-Making Clubhouse at Half Past Eight.Read more sage dating advice from the streets of China.
We met a group of students on the streets of Kashgar who were studying to be English teachers.© www.uncorneredmarket.com
One of the leaders of a women's self-help group came to meet us in the village of Gairkata (outside Siliguri, India). This woman was just one of many confident, proud and entrepreneurial women in the village - the support of the groups and the micro-credit loans have made a real difference in the lives of these women. © www.uncorneredmarket.com
