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Update | 3:50 PM: Obama Campaign Clarification: As predicted, the Obama campaign has clarified Michelle's remark. See text at foot.
I sense there's often more than a bit of theater in the arguments between Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski. Not to say Morning Joe's the WWF of political talk, but a little conflict never hurt the ratings.
But there was evidence that this morning's dust-up between the duo was for real. At one point, Scarborough disclosed that a producer had told him through his earpiece to put on a smile, but Joe wasn't buying.
The subject was Michelle Obama's statement that "for the first time in my adult lifetime, I am really proud of my country."
Scarborough opined that whereas the flap over Barack borrowing a line from friend Deval Patrick wouldn't hurt him, the attitude Michelle expressed could. Mika rose to Michelle's defense, and the fight was on.
View video here.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: That is the type of phrase, and I think we all around this table have said how much we like and respect Michelle Obama, but that is the type of phrase that makes so many Americans just jolt up. Think about it! For the first time in her adult life, she is proud to be an American. I can name you a hundred times that I had chills because I was American. I remember -- I wonder if she was proud to be an American in 19--
MIKA BRZEZINSKI: I have no problem with what she said, but OK, go ahead.
SCARBOROUGH: So Mika you have never been, in your adult lifetime, you have not been proud to be an American?
BRZEZINSKI: I'm saying that if am Michelle Obama I have the right to say that.
SCARBOROUGH: No, answer my question.
BRZEZINSKI: But she is an African-American woman living in this country, she may have a different viewpoint than you or me.
SCARBOROUGH: So African-Americans looking at the Berlin Wall going down in 1989 had no reason to be proud to an American?
BRZEZINSKI: I think you're injecting something in this statement that is not --
SCARBOROUGH: What am I injecting in this statement? You're the one that injected her race.
BRZEZINSKI: No! I think she is really proud of what's happening right now, and for the first time she can actually use those words.
SCARBOROUGH: Yes, but you don't say for the first time in my life -- since my husband is winning a presidential contest -- I'm proud to be an American.
BRZEZINSKI: Oh, I beg to differ. I think it's fine what she said.
That's when Joe pulled back the curtain on the cues he was receiving.
SCARBOROUGH: Mika, are you telling me that a woman in her 40s -- No, I'm not going to smile! Don't tell me to smile. Good God! I'm serious, can you really live -- that's somebody in my ear telling me to smile. [NB: Joe is seen in the screencap gesturing at the earpiece through which the message came.] Hey, how do you like my sweater? Can you really tell me, Mika Brzezinski, that you understand --
BRZEZINSKI: It's not about me.
SCARBOROUGH: Why somebody in their 40s could have no reason to be proud an American of the United States of America, the freest country in the world?
BRZEZINSKI: I can tell you that I sat down with her, and I realized there was a lot of different ways of viewing life in this country, and that you and I might not understand --
SCARBOROUGH: Well hey, I've worked with kids in Anacostia [a poor, black area of DC]. I understand there are different ways to view America. I mean, I understand.
BRZEZINSKI: Look, her words say --
SCARBOROUGH: But this woman, my God! Where did she go to law school?
BRZEZINSKI: "For the first time I'm really proud of my country."
SCARBOROUGH: Where did she go? Her resume --
BRZEZINSKI: It doesn't mean she wasn't proud in the past. This is the first time she's really proud of her country. I don't have a problem with this.
SCARBOROUGH: I have a real problem with somebody who has had the life that she has had, has been able to do the great things that she has done --
BRZEZINSKI: Ummm.
SCARBOROUGH: Has a husband who's on the cusp of doing wonderful things because --
BRZEZINSKI: She has been able to do great things amidst --
SCARBOROUGH: Are you just going to interrupt? If you're going to keep interrupting me, then I'm just going to let you talk. Go ahead.
BRZEZINSKI: She's been able to do great things amidst many "no's" in her life. Many people saying "no, no, no."
SCARBOROUGH: Yeah, but you know what? Because she's an American she can fight through those "no's" and do great things, which she has, whether it's going to Harvard Law School [NB: and Princeton undergrad] or whether --
Mika then turned to Willie Geist. The conflict-averse co-panelist had stayed entirely out of the fray.
BRZEZINSKI: Willie, we are now fighting.
SCARBOROUGH: Well we are. We are.
The camera panned to show a clearly uncomfortable Willie.
BRZEZINSKI: Just so you know.
SCARBOROUGH: It stuns me. Listen, if she made a mistake and said this off the top of her head, it happens, and you can take it back. But for you to sit here in the comfort of this studio and say you can understand why somebody can live as long as she has lived and not be proud of America until her husband takes a lead in a presidential race --
BRZEZINSKI: "Really" proud.
SCARBOROUGH: Is disturbing to me.
BRZEZINSKI: OK. We have to go to a break.
SCARBOROUGH: Can you do that with a smile? Sort of a chipper "we'll be right back"?
BRZEZINSKI: I can. Hey! Have a good morning, everybody.
SCARBOROUGH: Hey, good morning!
BRZEZINSKI: Weather's next!
SCARBOROUGH: Weather's next, with Jackie [Meretzky]. She's proud to be a Canadian.
My take: Michelle Obama's statement might play in certain sectors of the Dem primary electorate. But the overwhelming majority of all Americans love this country and find much to be proud of about it. The repetition of Michelle's remarks would be poison in a general election. Look for her to lose them, and likely "clarify" her statement at some point.
Update | 3:50 PM: Obama Campaign Clarification:
The Obama campaign has promulgated this clarification.
Obama campaign spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the candidate's wife wasn't trying to knock her country, only underscore the meaning behind her husband's campaign.
The point is that of course Michelle is proud of her country, which is why she and Barack talk constantly about how their story wouldn't be possible in any other nation on Earth," she said. "What she meant is that she's really proud at this moment because for the first time in a long time, thousands of Americans who've never participated in politics before are coming out in record numbers to build a grassroots movement for change.


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Hungary (Magyarország) is a country in Central Europe. Member of the European Union since 1 May 2004. The country offers many diverse destinations: relatively low mountains in the north-west, the Great Plain in the east, lakes and rivers of all sorts, and many beautiful small villages and hidden gems of cities. Top this all with Hungary's great accessibility in the middle of Europe, a vibrant culture and economy, and you get a destination absolutely not worth missing if you're in the region.
Other Destinations
The country is not very different from most of the european countries: you may expect safe food and water, good safety and generally political stability. Hungary doesn't attract terrorists and keeps drug and crime levels moderate.
Some people think that this country is "red" (communist), some other think it's the "country of gypsies". It isn't. Hungary had probably the softest socialist regime, and in its last 20-30 years there wasn't much "redness" in the country apart from the Russians, who left the country a bit late, but finally, around 1992. Since then the country has elected governments, and the economy is based on the laws of marketing (and miracles). In some areas there is a significant gypsy population (some census say around 5%), this surely doesn't count as "all of them".
Get in
Hungary is now a part of the European Union, meaning less formalities when entering from other member countries but a rather more thorough check if entering from elsewhere. Citizens of most countries are free to enter with passport for normal travel, usual length of stay is 30 days without any additional permit.
By plane
Hungary's sole international airport Ferihegy in Budapest. The Hungarian national carrier is Malév (Hungarian Airlines) [1]. There are also several low cost carriers operating to Budapest.
By train
There are direct connections to Hungary from all the immediate neighbors: Austria, Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Ukraine.
There are also direct trains from countries slightly further afield: Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Poland and Russia.
By car
When driving into Hungary, ensure that the border crossing on the route you choose allows the passage of foreigners; a number of smaller crossings are only open to local residents. Also some smaller crossings close in the afternoon for the night.
By ship
It is possible to enter Hungary by international shipping lines on Danube (Duna) or Tisza rivers.
Get around
By plane
Hungary presently has no scheduled domestic flights. As Budapest lies in the center of the country and pretty much any point can be reached within three hours by train or bus, there isn't much need for them either.
By train
The Hungarian national train company is MÁV. The train network is star-shaped, fanning out from the centre at Budapest. This is caused by history because half of the once complete train system went to the neighbor countries after World War I. If none of the start or endpoint is Budapest, expect to travel for long time.
Intercity (IC) trains are the fastest, and they're well maintained and cleaned (so you pay more). Other trainlines usually are not that fast, and not always cleaned up to the high standards, and often vandalised. Prices are similar to bus lines.
MÁV has a useful online schedule and pricing site called Elvira.
By bus
Bus lines often are more complete than train lines, the prices and the speed is quite similar. Buses are often clean but they're not always in top quality: many lines don't have (working) air conditioning in the summer (sometimes the central information can help you knowing that beforehand).
By boat
These are not used very often (since Hungary has limited amount of waterways). There are some ferries on Danube and Tisza but you're advised to avoid them due to the undetermined working hours. You can trust the ferry on Lake Balaton, though, for a modest price.
By car
Roads of Hungary are in good shape, and usually you can travel by using a map and the road signs.
Highways are not free, but there are no other toll roads or tunnels.
Don't count with Western European travel times though: if you travel by normal roads the speed limit is 90 km/h between cities and 50 km/h inside, which slows you to the average around 60km/h. Roads have often high traffic (especially main roads like #8 to the west, #6 to the south and #4 to the east).
Take into account that there are only a few bridges crossing the Danube outside Budapest. There are some ferries available though.
There are 4 highways, each of them starts from Budapest:
The metro and tram system in Budapest are easy to negotiate, but the language is not. Hungarian (Magyar) is unrelated to any European language other than Finnish, Estonian, and the far north Sámi &mdash it belongs to the Finno-Ugric language group, so no cheating with high school Romance or Germanic languages here. On the plus side, Hungarian is written with the familiar Latin alphabet, with the addition of some accented characters (ŐőŰű, which are the same sound as ÖöÜü but longer, plus áéíóú, which are long vowels).
In the west of the country many people understand German, and English is usually handled with more or less success. Younger population usually speaks either English, German, French or some other major language.
The unit of Hungarian currency is known as the Forint (HUF), the Hungarian "cent" (fillér) is long since obsolete. Bills come in 20000, 10000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500 and 200 HUF denominations, coins are 200 (very rare, some actually have silver content), 100 (two colored, usually forged with (Italian) lire or other similar colored, often worthless coins), 50, 20, 10, 5, 2, 1 HUF. The exchange rate is approximately 250 HUF = €1.
A lunch in Budapest is from 1000 to 8000 HUF per person, and half or third of that outside Budapest (chinese fast food menu is around 500 HUF). You can use major credit cards (EuroCard, Visa) in major shops and larger restaurants, but never expect that without checking first. Small places cannot afford to handle cards. ATMs are available even in small cities, the coverage is good.
Hungarians are quite proud of their cuisine (Magyar konyha), and most of the time not without a reason. Food are usually spicy (but not hot by general standards), and it's rather tasty than healthy — many dishes are prepared with lard or deep-fried. The national spice is paprika, made from ground sweet bell peppers and which actually has some flavor when fresh. The national dish is, of course, goulash, but Hungarians call the thick paprika-laden stew known as goulash elsewhere by the term pörkölt and reserve the term gulyás for a lighter paprika-flavored soup.
Less well known in the rest of the world are csirke paprikás, chicken in paprika sauce, and halászlé, paprika fish soup often made from carp. Goose is also quite popular in Hungary. While tourists gorge on goose liver (libamáj), still cheap by Western standards, probably the most common dish is sült libacomb, roast goose leg. Stuffed (töltött) vegetables of all kinds are also popular, and Hungarian pancakes (palacsinta), both savoury and sweet, are a treat. Common snacks include kolbász, a Hungarianized version of the Polish kielbasa sausage, and lángos, deep-fried dough with a variety of toppings.
A Hungarian meal is almost always — even at breakfast — accompanied by Hungarian pickles called savanyúság, literally "sourness". These are often dubbed saláta on menus, so order a vitamin saláta if you want fresh veggies. Starch is most often served as potatoes, rice or dumplings (galuska), the primary Hungarian contribution in this field being an unusual type of small couscous-like pasta called tarhonya.
Vegetarian food
Vegetarians will have a tough time in Hungary and strict vegans will starve to death. Budapest is not a problem, as there is a wide variety of restaurants to choose from, but in an ordinary Hungarian restaurant the non-meat mains on the menu are pretty much limited to rántott sajt (fried cheese) and gombafejek rántva (fried mushrooms).
Hungary has several famous vine regions, most known are Villány, Eger, Badacsony, Tokaj, Szekszárd. Prices are reasonable.
In Hungarian, pálinka denotes any strong brandy-like liquor distilled from fruit, wine, corn or pretty much anything. Perhaps the best known is barackpálinka, made from apricots.
Hungarian Beer is superb, among the best in the world. The most common beers are Dreher and Borsodi which both produce beers in the styles vilagos (lager) and barna (brown).
Hungarians usually do not drink tea unless they're sick and don't expect they'll know how to make a decent tea.
Prices vary greatly. For the cheapest room in a youth hostel in Budapest expect to pay between 10 and 12 Euros.
Stay Safe
Watch your baggage and pockets, especially when you travel by public transports. In large cities (especially Budapest) avoid walking in the night outside main, well lit roads. There is the danger of pickpockets.
Stay Healthy
Food and water is almost always safe.
Private health care providers are good quality but relatively expensive and limited in scope. Public health care is free for qualifying (insured) people but cheap in quality, inefficient and often corrupt. The country joined the EU, so basic coverage is present for EU citizens, but check before entering the country how far are you insured and what you have to pay for. Do not expect that the local doctor knows the EU rules, prepare to provide info. The infamous E-111 forms are required from EU citizens applying for free treatment under this regulation. You'll need a single E-111 copy for each case, so bring more copies with you if you're cautious or expect to need medical help more than once.
Pharmacies are everywhere, you may expect high prices (compared to local incomes) but good pharmaceutical coverage. The only problem might be communicating with the pharmacist as most of them speak only Hungarian. Even some rusty Latin might come handy quite unexpectedly.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Race report from Andy Hunt. Briefly, the weather improved as the day went on. It started out a little cloudy and then cleared up and was nice and sunny. The wind was from the east for most of the day but started to die at around 3:00 PM and became a westerly late in the … Continue reading


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Chief Rabbi condemns Trump's Muslim ban as 'totally unacceptable'
Speaking at World Jewish Relief's annual dinner, Ephraim Mirvis criticised the president's clampdown on entry to the U.S. from seven predominantly Muslim countries
Justin Cohen is the News Editor at the Jewish News
The Chief Rabbi has condemned Donald Trump's clampdown on entry to America from seven Muslim countries as "totally unacceptable".
Days after the new US President issued an order temporarily suspending entry from seven countries and indefinitely barring refugees from Syria, Ephraim Mirvis made his uncompromising views known to a packed Guildhall audience at the World Jewish Relief annual dinner.
To huge applause, he said: "There are so many millions of refugees are receiving no hope from countries closing their borders to them – and not much hope from the United States of America of all countries. President Trump has signed an executive order that seeks to discriminate based totally on religion or nationality.
"We as Jews, perhaps more than any others, know what's it's like to be the victims of discrimination."
He added: "In the Jewish religion when it comes to acts of kindness and benevolence we recognise no borders. Wherever or she might be they are counted as what we call mishpacha – part of our global family."
He said members of the global should be there to offer "hope" as Britain did for children fleeing occupied Europe on the Kindertransport. He also invoked the international campaign in support of refusniks.
Also addressed the event was Prince Charles. In what was interpreted by some as a thinly-veiled attack aimed at Trump, he said the lessons of the Second World War were in "increasing danger" of being forgotten.


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All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children!
Isaiah 54:13
Church Services- What we offer our families
Family Focused Simple Service
We have a what we term a "Simple Service" every Sunday at 8:45 am. It is 30 minutes long, and includes less readings, simpler and shorter musical selections, and a chance for exposure to the elements of a full service. Our Parishioners found that this service is ideal both for young children with short attention spans and for families who have sports commitments on a Sunday, but still wish to attend a service.
10:15 am Festival Service With Music
What we term our Festival Service is officially known as Eucharistic Rite II in the Episcopal Church. It has all readings (Old Testament, Psalm, New Testament, Gospel) and a full Choir (during the school year). We offer two additional child-friendly options during this time: St. Mary's Nursery and Children's Chapel. (please see descriptions below)
Sunday School for all children (during the school year)
Our Sunday School time occurs from 9:15-10:05. This is in-between the Simple Family Service and our 10:15 Am service. Parents are welcome to participate in Adult Formation forums, Scripture discussion sessions, or Coffee Hour in Fellowship Hall while their children are in Sunday School. We also welcome new volunteers to teach our Sunday School. Please contact our Church office (610) 444-4624 for details.
We ask all families who wish their children to attend Sunday School register. This allows us to be aware of all needs children have and to ensure we plan enough materials for all children. Registration is online and will be available beginning in mid-August. We will post details on both this website and on Facebook. Thank you!
Angels- Pre K-2nd Grade
Angels includes children ages 3-8 years, preschool through second grade . We use the Godly Play Curriculum for this age group. The Godly Play approach helps them to explore their faith through story, and to gain religious language and to enhance their spiritual experience though wonder and play. Based on Montessori principles and developed using a spiral curriculum, the Godly Play method serves children through early, middle and late childhood and beyond. After they have completed the lesson, the children say grace before receiving their snack and being picked up by a parent.
3rd--5th Grades
The goal for the elementary levels is for the children to become familiar with the major Bible stories that teach them about God's works and Jesus' love for them. We use the Living the Good News Curriculum. Living the Good News is an online supported, lectionary-based, fully-graded Christian education curriculum with interactive and arts components. We also work to teach children the major prayers and practices of the Episcopal faith.
6th Grade and Above
Please view our Youth Formation page under the Education Link above to see our offerings for Youth in Middle and High School.
Show Your Thankfulness for Your Children - Add Their Names to a Bench
Our Children's Chapel has a new addition: 15 specially designed handcrafted benches are now competed. Show your love and thankfulness for your children and/or grandchildren by ordering a name plate with your family name and your children's names that will be attached to a bench.
Please click here to compete the form, and print out. The donation is $50.00 per name plate. Your family can be a part of this wonderful addition.
Make checks out to The Church of the Advent/CC Benches. Drop in Offering plate or drop off at the office.


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There's an election in Boston on November third, and Bostonians have a metropolis councilor race that's cause for concern. All entries on the Glossary of Education Reform are revealed underneath the above Creative Commons license, which lets others remix, tweak, and construct upon our work non-commercially, as long as they credit us and license their new creations under the an identical terms. I think that Jeb Bush is more appreciated and easier to relate to. Of course, the fact that he's a 'third Bush' doesn't help with the liberal/Democratic voters.
The Jesuits from England and Scotland, the Salzburg Lutherans, the Irish Protestants, the Quakers, the Puritans have been among the many many pilgrims who made America their house to train freedom of religion. Those jobs — resembling electrician and development employee — sometimes do require some combination of vocational and on-the-job expertise or an affiliate's diploma" (Olson, 2009). Reform will not benefit the world, for the Lord has reserved the world for the judgment of His wrath. Man-made doctrine and man-made reform appeal to the fallen state of man, however cannot produce the righteousness of God.
In each state, classroom academics are experts in schooling; they know what their students want and their collective voice ought to be a part of any public decision about faculty improvement. Major foundations handsomely fund the suppose tanks that promote the company reform ideology. Education methods want to think about what abilities at present's students will want in future and teach accordingly. The articles and pictures used under are all greater than a hundred years previous, and as such I even have been suggested by the nationwide Library Of Australia that they are now out of copyright, and may be reproduced.
That is, many reform efforts are inclined to assume that principals are overly beneficiant with their evaluations as a result of they lack both the motivation or the data to demand higher efficiency from their academics. Melissa Harris-Perry has typically additionally featured visitors that question the reform narrative, akin to Julian Vasquez-Heilig. OBE is a new method to schooling which replaces the standard trainer-centred, subject-primarily based curriculum with a technique which basically appears to be like at studying greater than teaching. Schneider gives us with a form of area information to company schooling reformers.
However, not like Mann and the widespread faculty motion, woman reformers themselves needed to battle for education as outsiders and as second-class residents. The psychological and monetary prices on households and the broader society because of college students needing special education could be markedly diminished by our demands for a healthier environment. It's possible substitute academics will probably be simpler than … academics who go away, leading to an improvement of instructing in these schools" said James H. Wyckoff, a co-author and training professor on the University of Virginia.


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The language this architecture speaks is certainly an adaptation of surrounding context. This two story, three bedroom house is situated in coastal area, and uses materials that can stand the coastal environmental conditions.
Local vegetation are also selected carefully to "blend in" with the surrounding context. But most importantly, it is designed for occupants to enjoy their new residence whether permanently or during the weekends, and to be a place worth arriving all season-long.


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As part of this post for today, I will be reviewing the necessary steps for using 3DVIA Composer files within Microsoft PowerPoint 2010. This process can use a number of formats directly however for the purposes of this post I'll focus on the most common .smg. Fundamentally by setting this up allows the presenter to interact with a 3D model in the midst of a presentation. Before I go through the steps to set this up I believe that it is important to mention a housekeeping measure for file management that could help in working with this setup. When linking the .pptx to the .smg file (or supported format), each program looks in a specific location to find the referencing file. To make it easier to find the referencing file and also when sending these kinds of presentations outside of your organization, it is my recommendation that the .smg file (or supported format) is saved in the same folder as the .pptx.
Before you can import a .smg file directly it is important to either have 3DVIA Composer installed or you will need to install the 3DVIA Composer Player. Installing either program should automatically initiate the RegisterAll.bat found in the following location; C:\Program Files\Dassault Systemes\3DVIAComposer\X.XX\Bin. This batch file registers the 3DVIA Composer Player ActiveX control within PowerPoint and allows users to import .smg files with relative ease. To begin importing content you will need to turn on the Developer tab within PowerPoint, this is done by selecting the "More Commands" pull-down from the Customize Quick Access Toolbar. After the PowerPoint Options dialog has opened select the "Customize Ribbon" option from the left-hand side of the dialog. Next by adding a checkmark to the Developer tab under the Customize Ribbon (Main Tabs) column will allow this tab to remain open by default. To wrap up this up simply select Ok and exit back into PowerPoint.
Next with the Developer Tab ready for use, simply select it and find the "More Controls" button found on the Controls pane. Right at the top of the More Controls dialog the 3DVIA Composer Player ActiveX option should be highlighted and available for use. After selecting OK the cursor will change, and the user will be allowed to select the size of the viewing window for this presentation. If it is important to play the inserted content at full screen, make sure the Presenter's View is enabled in PowerPoint to make it easier to exit out of the full screen view.
The last piece is to connect the ActiveX window with the .smg file, this can be accomplished by selecting the outer boundary of the window and right-clicking. The right-click menu will give the "3DVIA Composer Player ActiveX Object" option and provide two additional functions; Edit and Properties. For the purposes of this post, I will focus on the setup and configuration of the Properties function for the 3DVIA Composer Player ActiveX Object. After selecting Properties option from the right-click menu the 3DVIA Composer Player ActiveX Properties dialog will open, simply select the ellipses button in the upper right corner and browse to the .smg file (or supported format) that you want to import. Before selecting OK be sure to select any other options on the General tab that you want to include such as Ground, Ground Shadow, Anti-aliasing on idle, or any of the other available settings. Also take note of the "Pack 3DVIA Composer document" checkbox, this function takes the referencing .smg file (or supported file) and packs it into the .pptx file removing the referencing file altogether. I should add that this also increases the size of the .pptx accordingly. Finally, before selecting Ok to insert the .smg, take a moment and review the Layout tab as it includes a number of options that control whether the toolbars are displayed for use during the presentation. Personally, when I add 3DVIA Composer content to PowerPoint I generally turn off all the toolbars so that the focus can remain on the product. Once you have confirmed all of these settings simply select Ok and place the .pptx in Slide Show mode…..and Voila, you now can easily present your 3D models from 3DVIA Composer in a PowerPoint presentation.
Dominick D. Gallegos


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132 West 27th Street, New York
Square Feet: 147,200
Guest Rooms: 313
Completion Date: February 2016
PPA helped to translate the key signatures of this sleek European brand catered to the up-and-coming business travelers with spaces that translate from day to night, to the first ever Innside by Melia Hotel in the US, in the NoMad neighborhood of NYC. PPA played on the most valuable aspects of NYC real estate – light and open vista, for the interior design of this project.
The ground level lobby contained large open spaces for reception and restaurant/ bar, connected to the arcade and flow onto the street, through folding glass doors. The glistering column and large hanging lights beyond the bar signals the two story restaurant space, with a view to the landscaped terrace. The large window on the ground floor leads the guests eyes to through the elevator banks to the rear terrace, every floor has a large open window facing south, creating vignettes of a vertical journey, from a crammed typical midtown rear yard with office windows, to rooftop water tanks, to the open skies with uninterrupted vista to World Trade I. The guestrooms are simply and elegantly finished to create an airy feel, large frosted glass panel allow natural light to flow into the guest bathrooms.
50 Trinity Place, New York, NY
Square Feet: 79,000 sf
Guest Rooms: 173
Completion Date: June 2017
PPA designed a new Aloft Hotel steps away from Trinity Church in lower Manhattan, on very narrow footprint, which required radically re-interpreting the standard design components of the public spaces, as well as the deconstructed guest bathroom mode and furniture placement typical of the brand. The result is a compact, streamlined and efficient open space with an industrial loft look reminiscent of the area not long ago, but with a design edge catered to the technology savvy business travelers of today.
100-15 Ditmars Blvd. East Elmhurst, NY
Square Feet: 89,000 S.F.
Guest Rooms: 148 keys
Completion Date: February, 2017
PPA transformed an existing hotel opposite LaGuardia Airport into an industrial chic Aloft Hotel with open spaces for young business travelers with open minds and unlimited ideas. Lighted elements defines and signals the various public spaces, leading the guest from check-in to social spaces like the W XYZ bar, the signature pool table, in an atmosphere that can change from being a relaxed conductive work space, to an energetic social scene at night.
100-15 Ditmars Blvd East Elmhurst, NY
Square Feet: 89,000 S.F.
Guest Rooms: 93 keys
Completion Date: February, 2017
PPA transformed an existing cylindrical building opposite LaGuardia Airport into the first ever IBIS Styles Hotel with a "NYC subway" theme, with a cheerful, bright and colorful, interactive spaces with an independent spirit and a slight tongue-in-cheek humor, and guestroom with simple lines and open views. The open spaces encourage conviviality and social interaction.
151 Maiden Lane, New York, NY
Square Feet: 140,000 sf
Guest Rooms: 272
Completion Date: July 2017
For one of the first AC Hotels in NYC located at the nexus of the Financial District and the historic Seaport District in lower Manhattan, PPA designed the public and guestroom spaces with contrasting elements of the ephemeral and the solid, reflected in the materials chosen, the open flow and connection of spaces.
The ground floor lobby's focus is an open freestanding stair against a faux waterfall backdrop, with direct visual connection to the bar and activities on the 2nd floor lounge space. A large continuous shelf with undulating modules in black and gold greet the guest upon landing on the 2nd floor, while the lounge seats along the floor to ceiling clear glass façade lead to the bar and lounge space, where at the corner there is an open view of the bustling corner. The guest corridors have even and soothingly dim lighting, with a simple focus point at the elevator banks - bead blasted black stainless steel panels run up the elevator wall and becomes a canopy just below the ceiling, the reveals highlighted by hidden LED lights.
175 East 125th Street / 2306 Third Avenue, New York
Square Feet: 170,000 SF
Apartment Units: 233
Completion Date: June 2018
The Salvation Army conducted a thorough research for an architectural firm that could take over their first multi-use facility in almost 30 years. Peter Poon Architects was selected based on its combined experience on religious, office, residential and hospitality building types.
The client has worked closely with our office to design this exemplary building that will become a prototype for the organization's future projects. A senior living component will be conformed from the 4th floor to the 12th floor while two senior resident amenity spaceswill be located at the 3rd and 13th Floor. The Cellar, Ground and 2nd Floors will be designated to community outreach programs which include a basketball facility and a place of worship as well as after-school programs.
Based on the client's vision, the knowledge of the existing context and all future developments in the vicinity, the floor plan is configured around a U-shape layout, double loaded corridors consisting of the same shape. This configuration provides a rear courtyard that maximizes the light and air for the residential units in the back portion of the building.
In order to emphasize the presence of the new corner structure, Peter Poon Architects composed a facade with rhythmic spandrel glass inserts within the clear glass fenestration units which are set within a pre-cast brick panel; the windows are recessed to create an articulated plane to simulate some of the surrounding existing structures. The lower floors consists of double-height storefronts to maximize day-light. Similarly, the 13th floor Dining facility crowns the building with an articulation and light features that animate the corner of the building.
Other than promoting the client's mission with the local community, this building will provide the client with an identity and prominence among the other newly planned neighboring buildings as well as fitting within the existing context.
63 West 35th Street, New York
120,000 Square feet
289 Guest Rooms
Completion Date: February, 2009
PPA designed the selected service hotel using a simple range of materials and colors, resulting in open and serene feeling of space, in the public and guestrooms. PPA translated the standard spaces of the brand into a tight fitting site that allowed clearly defined functions and welcoming spaces conductive to the brand's ideal of "sleep deep" and "work smart", as well as a large dining space for "eating well" and well equipped fitness center for the busy traveler to "stay fit".
New York, NY
Square Feet: 1,800 sf
Completion Date: 1998
PPA was commissioned by Sunham Home Fashion to design a new space consisting of 1,800 sf, in an existing office building in midtown Manhattan.
The long and narrow shape of the existing space lends itself to a design focused on the flow of the corridor in bifurcated arrangement of offices. The curving ceiling adds a sense of depth and movement to the corridor and the simple black tile floor act as its counterpoint. Furthermore, the transparent movable partitions in shades yellow and blue break up the monotony of the corridor discreetly, while letting in light and air, and increase the flexibility in the use of space.


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» Appraisal and Market Value
» Escrow and Closing Costs
» Home Inspections
» Making an Offer
» Check your Credit Report
» Choosing the right Lender
» Choosing the right Real Estate Agent
» What every first time buyer should know
Your real estate agent is qualified to perform a comparative market analysis
to determine your home's value. This analysis looks at similar homes in your
neighborhood and considers homes that are currently for sale, homes that are
in escrow, and homes that sold recently.
An appraisal, which depending on the home size may cost $300 to $1,000 to perform,
is a certified appraiser's opinion of the value of a home at any given time.
Appraisers generally review numerous factors including recent comparable sales,
location, square footage, construction quality, views and other special features.
Escrow is a term that only applies to those who own property. Escrow is often
used in the buying or selling of property, or in the refinance of that property.
Most real estate transactions utilize the services of an escrow company.
Buyers and sellers often place their faith in the real estate broker or lender
to recommend an escrow company. The escrow company being chosen is entrusted
to safeguard funds and to execute all necessary instructions in the real estate
agreement. In order to protect the interest of both buyer and seller, it is
therefore very important to ensure that the escrow company is both reputable
and impartial. The escrow fees are usually split evenly between the buyers
and sellers.
Closing costs are the fees for services, taxes and other special interest charges
that are associated with the purchase of a home. They include such items as
loan points, title insurance, escrow or closing day charges, document fees,
prepaid interest and property taxes. These costs are usually prepared by the
lending institution and the escrow company. The buyer generally pays one half
the escrow fee; document preparation fee; notary fees; recording charges for
buyer documents; interest on new loan from date of funding; the lender's title
insurance premium (the seller pays the buyer's title insurance premium); inspection
fees; appraisal fees and fire insurance premium.
The purchase of a home is one of the biggest investments people will make in
their lifetimes. But it is also among the greatest sources of anxiety. A home
inspection helps ensure homebuyers of the quality of their investment by making
them aware of its condition and alerting them to any concerns. This can serve
to relieve stress, increase confidence and even reduce the threat of legal
action in the future.
Your real estate agent can provide you with a list of licensed home inspectors.
Depending on what the inspection report itemizes as defects, your Realtor would
prepare a "Request for Repairs" that is formally submitted to the seller's
Your real estate agent is best qualified as to how much to offer on a property.
This is primarily based on the comparative market analysis and market conditions.
The offer generally includes two standard contingencies: a financing contingency,
which makes the sale dependent on the buyers' ability to obtain a loan commitment
from a lender, and an inspection contingency, which allows buyers to have professionals
inspect the property to their satisfaction. The buyer has a due diligence period
to check that everything is in order with the property he is purchasing. These
contingencies have to be lifted when the standard due diligence period has
Before applying for a loan to purchase a home, you should make sure the information
in your credit report is accurate. Lenders review this information in making
credit decisions. It is good practice to review your credit score and report
from each of the three bureaus at least once per year. If you find an error,
the credit reporting agency must investigate and respond to you within 30 days.
It is important to select a reliable and professional lender either directly
or through a good broker. A lending professional will pre-qualify you or pre-approve
you for the loan. This is extremely important in making a strong offer that
would be considered seriously by the seller. Also with a good lender, you get
the best loan at the best terms. Once you are in escrow, the lender works to
make sure that the loan is approved and funded in a timely manner. A good lender
will provide you service as well as complete confidentiality.
In making such a big financial decision as purchasing a home, make sure you
have a professional, ethical and qualified agent. The entry point in real estate
is low and there are numerous agents who lack the professional knowhow, business
acumen, legal experience and knowledge of the market place. Get an exclusive
buyer's agent who will assist you in all aspects of planning your purchase,
locating and evaluating property that is right for your needs, negotiating
price and terms, financing, inspections and more.
Buying a home is one of the largest financial commitments a person can make
in his or her lifetime. It's especially critical for first-time buyers to make
informed decisions about the investment that they are about to make.
Define your wants versus your needs. Making a list of wants and needs before
beginning the search for a home can make the entire process less overwhelming.
Check your credit rating. Being pre-approved for a mortgage by a lender makes
your offer stronger than an offer without an approval letter from a lender.
Investigate the neighborhood. Where are the schools and places of worship?
How far is the nearest hospital or grocery store? Is commercial garbage collection
available or do homeowners dispose of their own trash? These are basic, yet
important, questions that some first timers may not think of until after closing
on a property.
Insist on a home inspection. Attend property inspections, be aware of environmental
concerns and ask questions. Make sure you ask the seller to pay for a home
warranty for the first year.
Get help with the details. Coordinating these and the many details of a move
can be overwhelming for even the most experienced homebuyer. A good Realtor
should be able to guide you with getting all the information you need.
RSF Team Realty
17473 Luna De Miel
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
All Rights Reserved. Photography © by Rathin Neogy.
Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067
Email: [email protected]


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Terri Roben - vocalist, singer-songwriter, children's music teacher
Terri Roben is a veteran singer-songwriter from the New York Capital District. She plays guitar, banjo, ukelele, and mountain dulcimer. She produced three recordings, "Terri and Maria", with Maria Caccavo; "Riverwalk & Other Songs" a cd of original children's music; and "The Path We Make", a cd of mostly original songs, featuring accompaniment by The Ramblin' Jug Stompers, Sten Isachsen and Gail Smallwood. She played in a trio, "Dangerous On Decaf", performing jug band, rockabilly, folk, blues, pop and Latin music. She has performed in restaurants, festivals, farmer's markets, cafes, rallies, picket lines, demonstrations, libraries, environmental fairs, schools, weddings, parties and select benefits.
Roben Kosek Jazz & Blues is her latest preoccupation and she is thrilled to make and perform music with talented jazz guitarist MaryAnn Kosek and bassist/singer Brenda Fisher.
Maryann Kosek - guitarist, arranger
MaryAnn Kosek began playing guitar and piano at an early age. Her father was an accomplished local jazz guitarist/bassist who influenced her desire to learn and play jazz. She grew up listening to the old standards from the 1930's and 40's.
MaryAnn began playing guitar at nursing homes and eventually joined a few local bands, playing country, 1950s and 1960s music; Beatles, blues and popular songs. She plays and writes music for the Albany Pine Bush Discovery Center children's programs, and also collaborates with other professional local musicians at various venues.
Her underlying love of early jazz brought her to co-create Roben Kosek Jazz & Blues with her musical partners, Terri Roben and Brenda Fisher, who have both performed in the Capital District of NY for many years. Together they team up to play mostly early jazz, blues and some contemporary music. MaryAnn also plays piano, banjo, ukulele and mandolin but focuses mainly on guitar.
Brenda Fisher - upright bass, vocals, guitar
Brenda Fisher, a resident of Albany NY, has been a performing musician her entire adult life. She plays guitar, electric bass and upright bass, harmonica, and ukelele. She was part of the well-known area band Begonia, in the 1980's. She has been a singer and instrumentalist as a solo and with a number of groups, and joined Roben Kosek Jazz & Blues after their first two years together as a duo. She is an experienced blues and country vocalist, and provides some solos and harmonies in the band's repertoire, as well as great electric and upright bass playing!
Brenda's latest new trio, Kitty Rodeo, features blues, country, rockabilly and R&B, and had a well-attended area premiere performance at the Hangar in Troy this winter. Keep a watch out for upcoming dates on their website!


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|Teaching Resources for Postdoctoral Scholars
Share |
Courtesy of Jason Feser, Ph.D., to whom the NPA expresses its apprecation for compiling this information.
Background Information on Learning, Instruction, and Evaluation
(all PDF downloads are free from the National Academies)
How People Learn
This popular trade book, originally released in hardcover in the Spring of 1999, has been newly expanded to show how the theories and insights from the original book can translate into actions and practice, now making a real connection between classroom activities and learning behavior. This paperback edition includes far-reaching suggestions for research that could increase the impact that classroom teaching has on actual learning.
Like the original hardcover edition, this book offers exciting new research about the mind and the brain that provides answers to a number of compelling questions. When do infants begin to learn? How do experts learn and how is this different from non-experts? What can teachers and schools do-with curricula, classroom settings, and teaching methods--to help children learn most effectively? New evidence from many branches of science has significantly added to our understanding of what it means to know, from the neural processes that occur during learning to the influence of culture on what people see and absorb.
How People Learn examines these findings and their implications for what we teach, how we teach it, and how we assess what our children learn. The book uses exemplary teaching to illustrate how approaches based on what we now know result in in-depth learning. This new knowledge calls into question concepts and practices firmly entrenched in our current education system.
Topics include:
Evaluating and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
Economic, academic, and social forces are causing undergraduate schools to start a fresh examination of teaching effectiveness. Administrators face the complex task of developing equitable, predictable ways to evaluate, encourage, and reward good teaching in science, math, engineering, and technology.
Evaluating, and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics offers a vision for systematic evaluation of teaching practices and academic programs, with recommendations to the various stakeholders in higher education about how to achieve change.
What is good undergraduate teaching? This book discusses how to evaluate undergraduate teaching of science, mathematics, engineering, and technology and what characterizes effective teaching in these fields.
Why has it been difficult for colleges and universities to address the question of teaching effectiveness? The committee explores the implications of differences between the research and teaching cultures-and how practices in rewarding researchers could be transferred to the teaching enterprise.
How should administrators approach the evaluation of individual faculty members? And how should evaluation results be used? The committee discusses methodologies, offers practical guidelines, and points out pitfalls.
Evaluating, and Improving Undergraduate Teaching in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics provides a blueprint for institutions ready to build effective evaluation programs for teaching in science fields.
Knowing What Students Know: The Science and Design of Educational Assessment
Education is a hot topic. From the stage of presidential debates to tonight's dinner table, it is an issue that most Americans are deeply concerned about. While there are many strategies for improving the educational process, we need a way to find out what works and what doesn't work as well. Educational assessment seeks to determine just how well students are learning and is an integral part of our quest for improved education.
The nation is pinning greater expectations on educational assessment than ever before. We look to these assessment tools when documenting whether students and institutions are truly meeting education goals. But we must stop and ask a crucial question: What kind of assessment is most effective?
At a time when traditional testing is subject to increasing criticism, research suggests that new, exciting approaches to assessment may be on the horizon. Advances in the sciences of how people learn and how to measure such learning offer the hope of developing new kinds of assessments-assessments that help students succeed in school by making as clear as possible the nature of their accomplishments and the progress of their learning.
Knowing What Students Know essentially explains how expanding knowledge in the scientific fields of human learning and educational measurement can form the foundations of an improved approach to assessment. These advances suggest ways that the targets of assessment-what students know and how well they know it-as well as the methods used to make inferences about student learning can be made more valid and instructionally useful. Principles for designing and using these new kinds of assessments are presented, and examples are used to illustrate the principles. Implications for policy, practice, and research are also explored.
With the promise of a productive research-based approach to assessment of student learning, Knowing What Students Know will be important to education administrators, assessment designers, teachers and teacher educators, and education advocates.
Problem Based Learning (PBL)
In the PBL process, student learning is motivated using a problem, puzzle, or complex scenario presented in the same context, as it would be encountered in real life. Information needed to investigate the problem is not initially provided. Instead, when first presented with the problem, students organize their ideas and previous knowledge related to it, and attempt to define its broad nature. As they brainstorm initial hypotheses, the students find that they need to consult additional resources to fill in conceptual holes. They identify this needed information by posing questions that help to define why the information is needed – how it relates to the problem resolution.
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Well, a well-turned man/ woman today is a person who wears fashionable clothes, good shoes and teams them up with right accessories or jewellery.
Well, a well-turned man/ woman today is a person who wears fashionable clothes, good shoes and teams them up with right accessories or jewellery. Appropriately so, as part of the trilogy on Fashion (as Career and Education), Jewellery or Accessory designing logically makes for the conclusive article.
Your grandmother's old jewellery should definitely be treasured and pricey heirlooms, but they simply cannot match the existing styles being worn. Jewellery today is exclusive and contemporary and as said earlier people are very image conscious. They want to wear jewellery to make a fashion statement and as something that suits different occasions. That it is also a financial asset and security is a no-brainer.
So what has changed wrt jewellery, both in India and across the world are:
Branded & Designer
Gold jewellery only
Silver, Gold, Pt jewellery
Investment and Fashion
Traditional designs and goldsmiths
Innovative designs by qualified/trained designers
Conservative approach in buying
Demand of occasion specific jewellery
Purchase only from shops/showrooms
Online purchase of trendy jewellery
The Indian gems and jewellery sector is expected to grow at a CAGR of around 13 per cent during 2016 – 2016, on the back of increasing government efforts and incentives coupled with private sector initiatives.
Gold jewellery forms around 80 per cent of the Indian jewellery market, with the balance comprising fabricated studded jewellery that includes diamond studded as well as gemstone studded jewellery. Preference for gold dominates the domestic jewellery demand.
India As Jewellery Hub?
- Gems and Jewellery hub
- Craftsmanship with high levels of skills
- Low Production costs
- Huge variety because India is a multi-cultural country
- Diamond Polishing capital of the world
- Manufacturing excellence
- Effective worldwide distribution network
- According to Ebay's census guide there are around 2,471 e-commerce hubs in India that are active in online trading.
India is the largest gems and jewellery market in the world (the domestic market is Rs 63,000 crore), but largely in the unorganised sector with a significant focus on gold. With the entry of big players like Tanishq, Swarovski, DeBeers, D'- damas, the shifting thrust on gems and stones rather than pure gold is giving a big push to the organised gems and jewellery industry. The following data will only corroborate these points:
During April‐December 2016‐11, the country's exports increased by 41% to USD 27.5 billion compared to the same period last fiscal.
The popularity of the jewellery design has captivated today's fashion world. Work opportunities in jewellery design have even led to the Jewellery Designing is that branch of Fashion studies which deals with the study of creating new designs and styles of various jewellery. Fresh designs are created, keeping in mind the occasion, customer needs, market trends and fashion trends.
Jewellery Designing as a Profession
Jewellery designing requires great aesthetic sense, illustration skill, technical skill, familiarity with chemistry, and understanding of cost and marketing strategies. These things are taught at design schools as part of their course. A designer with a major retailer can get Rs 10,000 to Rs 25,000 a month in the beginning and then the pay can go above Rs 1 lakh a month, depending on seniority and calibre
Career Options: A jewellery designer can work independently, designing alone or with a small staff and retailing out of some stores. A designer can also work with one of the big brands or a smaller private player as an employee.
- Jewellery Designer
- Gemmologist
- Jewellery Entrepreneur
- Diamond Grader
- Sales & Marketing Professional
- Consultant/ Product Development Professional
- CAD Designer
- Bench Jeweller
Skills Required
- Affinity for fine arts and designing.
- Knowledge of precious and semi-precious stones, equipment.
- An eye for detailing and illustration.
- The high cost retail dealings require integrity and honesty in customer dealings
- Comfort levels with numbers
Jewellery Designing Education
In addition to the two Cs (Creativity and Craftsmanship) of Jewellery designing, a designer today needs to know much more. The students need to learn software, sketching, use of wood and metals, and also marketing strategies. A jewellery designer these days has to be tech-savvy, working with 3D and graphic software, and needs to know about the hands-on technique, mix of metals, stones etc to convert designs into saleable jewellery.
A student who aspires to be a professional Jewellery Designer needs to go for professional courses offered by various institutions, after finishing his Senior Secondary. Various certificate and diploma courses are offered for which you need to apply individually. Various courses available are Jewellery Designing, Jewel CAD, Gemology, Diamond Grading, Jewellery Manufacturing and Computer Aided Jewellery Designing. A jewellery designer will also be having training in architectural and functional knowledge of jewellery making and the business where it functions the most.
Various Colleges and Institutions in India that offer a course in Jewellery Designing are:
1. Jewellery Design & Technology Institute, Noida:
is a premier institute to provide the much needed skilled professionals to the ever-growing jewellery industry. JDTI aims to impart a high level of education and training to its students, thereby enhancing the product quality of Indian Jewellery and expanding its reach in the domestic as well as international markets. The Institute has a strong infrastructure, offering rich knowledge about Jewellery designing that maximizes students' awareness and skill sets and is also known for providing extensive exposure in Jewellery manufacturing in well-equipped workshops with the availability of advance tools and technologies.
JDTI offers following courses on various aspects of jewellery design & technology:
- Long Term Programmes
- 2 Years Diploma Programme in Jewellery designing & Technology
- 1 Year Certificate Programme in Jewellery designing & Technology
- Programmes in Jewellery Designing
- Programmes in Jewellery Manufacturing
- Programmes in Gemstones & Diamonds
- Other Specialised Courses
- Distance Learning Programme
- Integrated Certificate Courses
- Customised Programmes
2. Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery, Mumbai:
The Indian Institute of Gems & Jewellery (IIGJ) is a project of the Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Government of India. It is a non-profit organization committed to excellence in education.
The Institute has been set-up to encourage the youth of today to consider a significant career in the gems and jewellery industry. The objective of this Institute is to provide advance knowledge and professionalism in the field of jewellery.
The Institute conducts courses in basic as well as advanced jewellery design, jewellery manufacture, refining, casting, setting, model making, rubber mould making, CAD / CAM, gemmology and diamond grading.
From the plethora of courses offered by the Institute, there are some really new and niche courses that are otherwise unheard of in India like: Jewellery Photography, Retail Sales of Jewellery and luxury goods, Conformation to Hallmarking Standards, to name a few.
3. Indian Institute of Jewellery, Mumbai
4. Gemological Institute of India, Mumbai
5. Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, Rajasthan
6. NIFT and NID also offer courses in Jewellery/Accessory Designing


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Ruby Mines of Mogok 3
The Ruby Mines of Mogok – Chapter Three
This is Burma, and it will be quite
unlike any land you know about…
— Rudyard Kipling, Letters from the East
See also Chapter One, Chapter Two, Chapter Four, Chapter Five Part One, Chapter Five Part Two, and Chapter Six.
Chapter Three: The Gems of the Maharajas
and the Sapphires of Mogok
|, in a pre-1956 portrait by Bushnell Photo Studio, Los Angeles. (Note: We have attempted to locate the owner of this portrait, but according to Secretary of State records, Bushnell Photo Studio no longer does business in the State of California.)
After having sold most of the gems from my last very successful buying expedition back to Burma I [made] a stopover in Bombay. I had with me new travel money, the assurance of my backers, and the knowledge of their complete confidence in my purchasing ability.
I had cabled Hemchand Monanhal, my agent, to make arrangements with the Maharaja for the following day as my stay in India was to be a very short one. Mr. Hemchand met me at the airport with his private car and driver, a bearded turbaned sheik. First we drove to the Taj Mahal Hotel where I just checked in.
It was late afternoon when we drove to the offices of Hemchand Monanhal. They were located on the fourth floor of a walkup building. It was quite an adventure to walk the four flights. The wooden dilapidated stairway had a landing on each floor with corridors leading in all directions. There were about three hundred people on each floor. The odors were obnoxious and of all varieties including that of cooking. Naked children were running about everywhere. Sari-clad women in the corridors were busily engaged in cooking and selling food items, such as rice, all kinds of spices and nuts. Hemp and cotton were visible in open sacks, bins and a variety of other containers. Each floor seemed like a marketplace. When we reached the fourth floor of the building, its character suddenly changed. The corridors themselves were the same but empty. Several entrances to offices became visible with name plates and type of business printed on the entrance doors. We entered the door marked Hemchand Monanhal, Diamond Merchants. Mr. Monanhal greeted me with a welcome smile and said, "We were waiting for you, Mr. Ehrmann." I answered, "Glad to be back in Bombay."
The collection I was about to see was one of the finest gem collections in India belonging to one of the most powerful maharajas, who had decided to leave India to live in Europe for political reasons. Arrangements were made for me to see his collection the following day.
I had never seen such an array of large gemstones—emeralds up to 60 carats of the finest quality and numerous rubies and sapphires in large sizes. There were many old pieces of antique jewelry set with diamonds and the finest Indian antique emerald jewelry. The jewelry consisted of necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings, all of which were over 200 years old and had been produced by the very famous Indian goldsmiths of the 18th century. I was also shown a magnificent pear shaped diamond weighing about 73 carats, of the finest quality and surely one of the old riverstones from India. Also a very fine 52-carat star sapphire cabochon which had a very beautiful sky blue color, and a magnificent star interested me very much.
|Harris Gemstone Collection, a 173-stone collection assembled over nearly twelve years. This sapphire is available, Inventory #18527. (Photo: Mia Dixon)This blue star sapphire from Mogok weighs 17.66 carats, and measures 15 x 11.85 x 9.92 mm. From the
I told Hemchand that to purchase such beautiful and expensive material was beyond my authority. I suggested that he get in touch with my backers to either come by themselves if interested or send someone more familiar with the prices and of such fine gems.
My only interest was in the 52-carat star sapphire. I asked Hemchand to bid for it and we were finally successful in buying this piece I wanted so badly. I enjoyed looking at fine gems and was excited when I could find something that would fit into one of my favorite museums. I was always eager to acquire such gems even without any sort of profit. As for myself, the making of money on gemstones was never an important factor but since I was always under obligation to others, the people who paid my expenses and financed me, profit was necessarily an important factor. It was for that reason that I passed the buck on to my financiers regarding this fabulous collection.
I returned to the offices where I was to look at merchandise for the rest of the day. Brokers had been notified that a buyer would be there. Upon arriving, we found that there had been an unannounced raid by the fiscal authorities of Bombay. Such raids were frequent, very secret, and without benefit of search warrants. Usually in such raids all merchandise found and all books were taken to the fiscal office.
These raids were due to the unstable money conditions in the Orient and the wide difference between the official rate and the rate of exchange that could be obtained in the ubiquitous black market. Gems were sold only for stable currency such as dollars, English pounds or Swiss francs. Gem merchants were required to keep accurate records of all exports and of all monies received from sales of gems so that the law requiring exchange by the official bank of India only could be enforced.
Although a particular raid would be against only 10 to 15 dealers, all gem business in Bombay would come to a standstill for at least a week while the dealers took a "vacation" until things got back to normal.
I was actually glad of the turn of events which would give me more time in Burma for my third trip there in one and a half years. I cabled U Khin Maung to meet me in Momeik via next Friday's plane, bade farewell to my Bombay agents, collected the 32-carat egg-shaped star sapphire and left on the next morning's plane for Rangoon.
As the plane soared over the Indian landscapes, I was thinking about Mogok, especially about Prince, the little mongrel dog I had picked up on one of Mogok's streets during my last trip. Because the Buddhist religion forbids taking of life, as many dogs as people inhabit the town of Mogok. Nobody cares for these dogs and they scrounge for food wherever they can. I named my mongrel after Princess, the sister of my agent. In exchange for a bicycle I bought her, she took care of him, fed him, bathed him and kept him in good health. She kept him in an enclosure built by her father under her house and he learned to sleep in a basket within the cage.
To my surprise when I arrived in Rangoon U Khin Maung was there smiling most attractively showing his large white teeth. "Welcome back to Burma, Mr. Ehrmann," he said. "I thought you would meet me in Momeik tomorrow? Why are you here?" I asked. "Do you remember the story about the fabulous 220-carat sapphire I told you about before you left?" he asked. How could I ever forget! "Is it in Rangoon? When can I see it?" I questioned him. He told me that it was now owned by the most famous surgeon in Rangoon, an Indian who was born in Rangoon. His sister was a gem dealer and we had an appointment to see the gem early that afternoon and that was why he was in Rangoon instead of on his way to Momeik.
We had just time enough for a nice Chinese luncheon before our appointment. During our meal he told me that three of the leading European gem merchants were arriving soon to look at this gem, but that we would be the first to see it. Finally we took a taxi to a very luxurious villa on Prome Road.
The doctor and his sister were waiting for us. We had a few Scotch and sodas and talked amiably about world affairs. From time to time the Doctor asked me about my business affairs. I told him candidly that I worked for several wealthy gem merchants and could spend unlimited amounts for the right merchandise. He nodded to his sister and she left the room. Her movements were very graceful and it was pleasant to watch her.
The Doctor got up and asked us to follow him. We found ourselves in an enclosed patio with dozens of exotic plants, flowers, and a very strong scent of jasmine. We sat around a wrought iron, glass-topped table with four chairs to match. As soon as we were seated the sister came in with four leather covered jewel boxes of even size which she placed on the table. From out of her pocket she took a small box which contained the sapphire and handed it to her brother.
The sapphire was disappointing. The color was fair but the cutting was typically oriental, that is, cut for weight and not for beauty. I quickly estimated that after a complete recutting, we could expect a stone of about 150 carats—not a gem, but of good commercial quality. During my examination I was being watched very closely for signs of approval or disapproval. Casually, I replaced the sapphire in its box and said, "I'll look at it again when I return from Mogok." "There is no hurry," said the Doctor. But his smile was gone. Graciously he told me that he had to leave for the hospital. He invited me to come back anytime. Before he left, he motioned to his sister to take over. The other boxes contained cut peridots, spinels of various color and sizes, small sapphires and rubies, garnets, amethysts and various other rather ordinary semi-precious stones.
I purchased the spinels and peridots quickly as we had no difficulty agreeing on price. The others were of no interest to me. As if by afterthought, I asked the price of the sapphire, but her evasive answer was, "Why don't we discuss it again when you return to Rangoon."
|Mogok in 1910, above. Mogok today, below. Click images to enlarge. (From the library of Pala International)
The next day U Khin Maung and I took the plane to Mogok and he took me to his house. As we were about to go to our quarters, he said, "I want you to go in the back and have a look." Out back I found a complete outhouse building in the place where formerly there was only a sort of bamboo shield over the slit trench. I opened the door of the outhouse and there, right over the slit trench, a crudely built throne had been erected. U Khin Maung was standing right behind me grinning and beaming. I turned around and said to him, "Not as comfortable as the Strand Hotel, but a great improvement. Thank you very much. Let me try it out." So I sat on it and to my chargrin my feet didn't reach the ground but were dangling in the middle of this high throne. It was built so high that it was actually more uncomfortable to use than it had been without it. However, I didn't say anything and we walked out. The big surprise was still to come. When we got into my living room, which also served as my bedroom, I noticed at the side where the concrete wall was, there was a structure built with wooden planks of teakwood about six feet high and about eight feet long, the length of the wall. The depth was exactly 12 inches and I couldn't figure out what it was except that through the window on the side, a new water pipe with a very primitive showerhead had been installed. I asked him what this damn thing was and he said, "This is your bathtub." And I said, "How am I going to take a bath?" He said, "Well, we'll heat the water and we will put it in there and you can go in there and bathe and then after you're through bathing you can shower." Of oourse what he meant by bathing is that I would wash myself standing up. What he had failed to realize was to fill this contraption to any height would take about 50 to 75, maybe 100 gallons of water which would have been impossible to heat on the little charcoal stoves they used for heating. However, that evening I wanted to take a bath anyway and I asked him to have some water heated. They heated about 5 or 6 pails of water and by the time we poured it into the tub the water was only about up to my shins. I thought it would take the whole night to fill it up any further so I said, "No, that's all right, U Khin Maung. I will go in and take a bath the way it is." In order to enter this "bathtub" I had to step on my chair and climb in. The water was warm and nice and slowly I started soaping and finally decided., oh, what the heck, I might as well sit down. I sat down which was all right at first; I just fitted in although it was very tight.
However, ten minutes later, the teakwood began to expand. By the time I was ready to get up it was impossible. It seemed that the harder I tried, the tighter the fit became and I started laughing until my laugh turned into hysteria. Nobody seemed to be in the room and nobody seemed to hear me. Finally I heard U Khin Maung. "What are you laughing about?" he asked. "Look, I am sitting down in the bottom trying to get up and I can't," I called. He said, "Oh, all right, I will help you." In the meantime Prince caught my hysteria and began barking and barking. U Khin MaUng then stood on the chair, leaned over, pulled, but it was impossible to budge me that way so without any warning there he was, standing behind me. He put his arms under my shoulders and tried to lift me up, but slipped and he was then sitting behind me. U Khin Maung was short and stocky. He had a waistline of at least 44 inches and his backside must have been twice the size of mine and there we were, both stuck and both laughing hysterically. I couldn't move, neither could he. In the meantime, little Prince, still barking, began jumping and finally succeeded in joining us in the "tub" which only added to my problem because now I had to hold him up to protect him from drowning.
We must have been sitting there at least 20 minutes when we heard U Khin Maung's younger brothers come in. When they discovered our predicament, first they laughed, too. Then they tqok Prince out and then finally with the help of some ropes they succeeded in getting me and then U Khin Maung out. Though we were still laughing, he said, "Well, this thing will have to go". And the next morning my beautiful bathtub was dismantled, and I had to bathe under the pumps again. However, I had become somewhat adept at it and no longer heard the titters from the various houses in the neighborhood as I had previously. I knew that they had gotten used to a foreigner bathing the native way under a pump.
|there is a nearly new teak tub in need of a new home. (Photo: Martin Ehrmann)
The next day I showed my pigeon egg-size star sapphire [mentioned in Chapter Two] to various experts and asked them how to cut it. It was a little over 32 carats. The advice of most of them was more or less the same. There was only one saw that could do the sawing and it should be cut so as to make one stone of about 12 carats and one of 17 or 18 carats, depending on the loss after sawing. The small one would be from the side of much finer quality and would make a very fine gem. After much discussion we went to the sawer. He was an elderly gentleman who did practically all the sawing of sapphires and rubies for the mine owners and cutters. We walked into his room and there was a saw. It was an upright affair with foot pedals on the bottom of the stand which operated a wheel about the height of my eyes. It looked very primitive but I thought it would be efficient enough until I had a look at the blade. It looked very thick and I blurted out, "Don't you have a thinner blade than that? There is going to be a great loss cutting it with this!" But he said that that was the only blade he had and that he had never cut a finished stone before. All the sawing he had ever done was of rough material where a carat or two more or less didn't matter. I said that in that case I would not let him do it, but he asked me to wait and he began to file the edges of the blade on both sides.
It took him about an hour or so to get this job done. When I looked at it again he asked me if I was satisfied. I was sweating but I thought, well, the blade at this point was good enough, and he had enough diamond powder to recharge it. He took the stone and marked it up to my liking. Afraid to watch, I walked out and started talking to U Khin Maung. "Gee, I hope he does all right because all the responsibility rests with me and not with him." U Khin Maung assured me that he was a good sawer. I lit a cigarette and waited, but I had taken only three or four puffs when the old man came out smiling and in each hand he held a very beautiful star sapphire. The smaller one weighing 12 carats was the most beautiful star sapphire I had ever seen and the other one was also a very fine stone. I was very satisfied with my exchange at this point and was happy with the two stones, especially with the 12-carat stone which, to my mind, was the most beautiful star sapphire then in existence.
Then two very important events took place. The first one was the purchase of a very important rough sapphire which was in the hands of U Law Si, a mine owner from whom I was thereafter to buy many very important gemstones. He was an old Chinese-Burmese, lived in a very large house and whenever we entered we found him sitting on a bamboo mat in a corner of a large room smoking his opium pipe. Over the years, through his many grandchildren, I became his friend. Apparently he had watched me periodically when I came into his house as I played and talked with the children. I like children and the grandchildren of this old man were very attractive and very friendly and I had no difficulty making very fast friends with them.
On that first meeting, after the customary coffee and tea he finally got up from his corner, went into a room next door and brought out a very large piece of rough sapphire. It wasn't gemmy but rather it was one of those that looked as if it might cut into some very fine star sapphires. After much dickering I finally bought this 2800-carat piece of rough. U Khin Maung and I left immediately as I was very excited and anxious to find our just what I had purchased. We went to our old friend the sawer and he cut off the top piece. This piece I then took to a cutter who started fashioning it into a cabochon. However, it turned out to be very disappointing. There was absolutely no star, it was just plain cabochon material. I had paid quite a price for this piece and of course my disappointment was very great as I had looked forward to a great loss on it. However, such losses are a risk of the business. It wasn't a complete loss, however, because good cabochon sapphires also have much value, depending, of course, on the quality.
During any visit to Mogok, I was never the only purchaser of gems in town. A. C. D. Paine lived there all year round and Julius Schiff, who worked for a Paris concern, stayed there 8 or 9 months of the year. And in addition to that, there were many Indian dealers who had little cubbyhole offices and regularly purchased stones. There was always gossip about what was purcbased each day. Everybody knew what everybody else bought and sold. No matter how much you wanted to keep your purchases secret, through the grapevie everything became known within a very short time. So it was no secret that I had purchased this big piece of sapphire and that I was terribly disappointed because it did not have the star quality I had hoped for. They also knew the price I'd paid and that same morning I was visited by an Indian dealer asking me if I wanted to sell this piece of rough as he could use it to fill an order he had for cabochons. After the usual bargaining, I sold it to him for half the price I had paid for it. I was glad to get that much out of it as cabochon sapphires at that time did not look very promising to me for the market in the United. States or Europe.
The next day U Khin Maung and I went back to my old Chinese friend. By this time he was also told exactly what had happened but during the course of our conversation I assured him that I didn't blame him a bit and that it was my own fault. After all, the buyer must beware, and if I made a mistake, it was not his fault but rather my own mistake. I asked him, "Since you know all about it, perhaps in your cubbyhole you might find another piece that will really make some fine star sapphires as I really do need some very fine star sapphires for the united States." He told me that he had absolutely nothing else and I seemed resigned to the fact that he was not going to do anything about my loss. Our conversation turned to other matters.
We talked about the children, we talked about his family and suddenly he said, "You know, I would like to build another pagoda. I have a Buddhist priest that needs a home and this pagoda is going to be one of the finest ones in this area. Maybe I will find something. Wait just a minute." He got up from the floor, put his opium pipe down and went into his cubbyhole. A few minutes later he came back with another piece of sapphire, the same color and a little smaller and said, "I guarantee—and I did not guarantee the other one but this one I guarantee—that it will make very fine star sapphires." He then taught me something very important I'd never known before. He placed a small drop of oil on the top side of the sapphire and then took a light and beamed it on the oil. A beautiful six-sided star became visible. He told me, "This is exactly how the star in these stones will be." The price he asked for this one was, of course, twice as much as the other but I told him, "Look, even though it wasn't your fault you know I have taken a big loss. At least give me a chance to make up." We finally agreed on a price and I bought it. This time I wasn't really worried...much. I had confidence in the old man's knowledge of such matters and I knew he had cut many such pieces in his lifetime. I also felt that he was being honest with me.
Off again we went to our sawer who cut off one piece and said, "Oh, this is going to be entirely different from the other. This will make a real fine star sapphire." We took it to the cutter and we started cutting the cabochon and a few hours later I held a star sapphire weighing over 20 carats in my hand; a very beautiful dark blue color and a very beautiful, sharp star. By the time the cutting was finished I had so many star stones that we later were able to realize a profit in spite of the original loss. We took the stones to Switzerland and sold them all within a few weeks. After that purchase, the brokers, mine owners and dealers became aware of me as an important buyer. They began coming to my quarters in large numbers, unannounced throughout the daylight hours. Through U Khin Maung I let it be known that I would look at merchandise from seven in the morning until about noon. In the afternoons, if we had no appointments to visit dealers or owners, vie would visit any of the 1200 mines in the Mogok area where gems are found in the gem gravels.
|Water is essential to Mogok mining. Above, the end of the line, mid-20th century, in this slide from Martin Ehrmann's collection. Below, Pala International's Will Larson stands with workers who have washed gem gravels in the manner described by Ehrmann. (Photos: Martin Ehrmann, above; Bill Larson, below)
There are two types of mining operations. After signs of gem stones having been discovered in an area, the top layer of sand, sometimes as deep as 15 feet, is removed until the gem gravels become visible and then the real work begins. Depending upon the size of the area, from 3 to 25 miners begin to loosen the gem gravel. The large boulders are discarded and the smaller gravel is gradually shoved with shovels and picks into a pile in a concentrated corner. In most mines around Mogok, the water is plentiful. A centrifugal pumping system is used to pump the gravel up to a high point in an 8-inch pipe. A wooden structure able to hold 30 to 40 tons receives all of the gravel. At a specified time of the day the gravels are washed in the following manner. The men who had loosened the gravel come up into the structure and remove the largest pebbles by hand. The balance is pushed through wire mesh to the first level, then to the second level and finally to the bottom. Thus, the large pieces are held on the first level, the smaller pieces on the second, and the smallest pieces on the third and bottom level. At this point the washing operation actually begins. This is a top secret operation. Only the mine owner and his miners are present during this final step. No one is supposed to learn what luck the mine had on any day. The gravels on the lowest level are then taken out in wire baskets and thoroughly washed again. Many pebbles are removed by hand and the balance is carried by each miner to a picking table, 4 by 8 feet in size. The mine owner and his assistants stand there moving the gravels with a metal blade in one hand. The other hand is used to pick out all gems which are then placed in a bamboo container while the other gravels are pushed off the table. This bamboo container is usually tied on to a corner of the table and though I watched this operation many times, I was never able to see what was put in that container. The material that is pushed off the table still contains small pieces of rubies, sapphires and other gems with which the mine owner does not think it worthwhile to bother. This material is gathered into piles which are sold to the poor women relatives of the mine owner. After purchasing one or two piles for a very small amount of money, these women combed them all for remaining gems. If by some chance the mine owner had overlooked a large gem it belongs to the worman purchaser who finds it in her pile. Naturally the results of any washing can be joyous or very disappointing. The entire operation is a rapid one and the results are quickly seen. The process just described is used by all of the mine owners in this area. In Kathe and Kyat Pin, the first six miles, the latter 8 miles from Mogok, there are many individually owned mines employing from five to fifty miners. There are also large tracts of land. These are operated individually by miners who work a designated area by the hole digging method. This is usually a two-man operation. They dig square wells with depths up to about 50 feet. To prevent the walls from caving in the miners shore them with bamboo rods. After the hole is secure the mining process begins. These square holes are no more than one foot in diameter. One of the miners goes down holding on to the shoring and letting himself down to the bottom of the hole. Then the basket is lowered and he fills it with gravel which his associate hauls up.
These visits to the mining areas also gave me an idea of the geology of the area. Rubies and associated minerals such as spinels are formed in a matrix of white dolermatic granular limestone. These rocks have been altered by contact with molten igenous material which crystalizes the calcium carbonate as pure calside, while the impurities became the rubies, spinels and other minerals. Rubies are now seldom found in this matrix. All mining is in the adjacent alluvial ground.
|Click to enlarge. (From the library of Pala International)
I also learned that the origin of the Mogok gem area had not been described anywhere as there has been no scientific investigation to date. My own superficial observation indicates at least 250 mineral species in the area. It is safe to say that the Mogok area gems are of metamorphic origin. The original rock in which these gems were found is intergraded on the earth's surface. Loose disintergraded soil was formed in which the gem minerals such as rubies, sapphires and spinels which are not harmed by water and other atmospheric conditions were embedded and remained in excellent condition. This disintergradion was washed away by waters and the gems were washed along as well. Eventually the water stopped flowing and the gravels remained covered by the sand layers of from five to fifteen feet where they now lie waiting to be discovered. Areas are opened daily where new finds are continually being made.
Rubies are khown to occur in three important tracts in upper Burma. But our original source of the gems is found to be highly crystalized limestone. The variety of minerals found in these mines is great. Statistics as to how much these mines yield annually in dollars and cents is usually kept secret. However, U Nyunt Maung, a jovial Burmese and owner of the largest mine in Mogok, told me that about 75,000 carats of rubies and sapphires are mined in the area yearly. Of unusual interest is the fact that only 1% of spinels come from his own mine. These rubies and sapphires are not all of gem quality. A good guess would be that less than 5% of the 75,000 carats is of decent quality and only half of 1% is of gem quality. The varieties of gemstones found there are danburite, scapolite, beryl, zircon, amethyst and fibrolite. In addition many varieties of iron and rare earth minerals occur such as monazite, columbite and tantalite. The danburite found there are from colorless to a dark yellow weighing up to 40 carats. The scapolite cat's eyes are in white, pink and blue of various sizes up to 50 carats. Apatite are in blue and green as well as the chatoyant variety, which is rather common there. Albite cat's eyes up to 50 carats are also found in abundance. In Sakhangy, 15 miles from Mogok, there are several decomposed pegmatites in which topazes, orthoclase and other varieties of feldspar are found, as well as tourmaline. Some of the other mines, especially those in Kyat Pin, have kornerupines, sphenes, diopsides, iolites, chrysoberyls and zircon. Mr. Paine has recently found a new species which has been described by the British Museum of Natural History of London as painite.
|(From the library of Pala International)
In 1889 the Ruby Mine Company Syndicate Limited was formed, capitalized by numerous English bankers and industrialists. It was handled by the management firm of Streeter & Company in London. According to agreement, this company paid the British Crown 40,000 rupees yearly plus one-sixth of all profits accumulated. Barrington Brow, M.P., was sent from England to negotiate the first five-year contract, which expired in 1895. Scientific mining began and several geologists were sent to survey the Mogok area. They reported that the bulk of the gem-bearing gravel was located in the center of town where most of the natives lived. The company negotiated with the owners of these properties and bought all the huts located in the surveyed gem-bearing bed. The natives were given new homes or, where possible, old homes were moved to new localities hacked out of the nearby jungles. These moves presented no problem since the natives were well compensated and were promised employment. Mining began immediately after the people were moved. Electricity was brought to Mogok with the construction of a power plant. Digging began and several millions of dollars of rubies, sapphires, spinels and other gems were mined. A single ruby of fabulous size reportedly worth one million dollars, was discovered. Profits were good under the first contract. The company and townspeople were happy with the new way of life. The first contract had expired and in 1896 the company negotiated again with the British Government and agreed to pay a tax of 3,150,000 kyats, about 800,000 dollars, plus one-fifth of the total profits for 14 years. This contract included all the mines within a radius of 10 miles of Mogok. These were the boom days with everyone working and much money in circulation.
|an illustration included in Edwin W. Streeter's Precious Stones and Gems, 5th edition, 1892. (From the library of Pala International)
In 1906 the company extended its mining operation to other areas and bought all the property in the city limits of Mogok, again moving homes to new sites. Today the original Mogok area is the site of a beautiful lake in the center of town. In that year a 42-carat, fine pigeon-blood ruby was found. After cutting the ruby weighed 22 carats. It was purchased by an Indian gem dealer, M. Chodilla, for 300,000 kyats, over $100,000.
Because of heavy rainfall and much excavating, pumping became a serious problem. In the rainy season the hole would fill and stop all mining operations. Experts from London solved the water problem by building tunnels for the water to flow off from the hole. However, this proved to be only a temporary solution. Tunnels costing $200,000 were built into the mountains. After a year the same problem arose.
|weight 1184 carats, an illustration included in Edwin W. Streeter's Precious Stones and Gems, 5th edition, 1892. (From the library of Pala International)
In 1914 affairs of the Company began changing rapidly for the worse. Because of much stealing, technical problems, and wide extensions, large sums of money were lost. There was no security possible in such a vast area of operation. But they continued working until 1922, the expiration date of the contract, which marked cessation of company operation. Some personnel remained until 1928 working privately with local people on a half-share basis. On August 28, 1928, this group attempted to remove water from the big tunnels in order to empty the big hole. That venture culminated in disaster as the mountainside caved in. Nevertheless, gem mining continued.
I had taken offices in Rockefeller Center in the International Building, 630 Fifth Avenue, when the Building Center was first opened. On the same floor on the other side of the building there was a dealer by the name of Albert Ramsay, a gem dealer who came to Mogok at the beginning of World War I. He was a wonderful lapidary. His alert and inventive mind eventually made him the savior of the mining industry in Mogok. In previous years only the clear rubies, sapphires and spinels had been sawed. Such stones were not too plentiful, especially those of faceting quality. Mr. Ramsay began experimenting with the translucent varieties of rubies and sapphires and found that by cutting certain of the crystals with the base perpendicular to the crystal axis, a star was formed. Heretofore such material had been ignored as having no market value. After his discovery of the star, Mr. Ramsay began buying all the material he could obtain and which he cut into cabochons showing wonderful stars. It took him a long time to convince the jewelers of Europe and America that this type of stone would gain favor with the gem-loving public. But he finally succeeded and mining was revived in Mogok. Ramsay remained in Burma until 1930 when he moved back to England and a few years later came to the United States. Before he left he bought the largest rough gem sapphire for which he paid $30,000. According to his story, 32 stones were cut from it, one of which was sold for the total amount paid for the original rough stone.
|Click to enlarge. (From the library of Pala International)shares issued to Charles Lewis Nicholls, March 22, 1941.
Homesteading of mines began in 1950. Because of pressure from the local people, rules and regulations were made. Claims were made by individuals and granted by the Crown. The tax levy was ten rupees per miner employed. By this time all company holdings had been abolished and the machinery and electric plant were sold to a Mr. Morgan and Mr. Nicholls. Mr. Morgan has since died but Mr. Nicholls still lives, is married to a native Burmese and still carries on supplying electricity to the whole area. During the day electricity is supplied by him to all the mines in the area. At night it is supplied for all the homes and as far as I could learn, his rates were cheaper than any of the government operated companies in Burma.
On May 7, 1942, Mogok was invaded by the Japanese and all official mining stopped. But secretly some mining continued and under the watchful eyes of the Japanese many fine gems were recovered during the war years.