South Korea, Jeju island, known for its characteristic basalt volcanic rock, sits off South Korea. It is the home of the renowned Haenyeo or women of the sea who free dive off the black shores of Jeju harvesting delicacies from the sea. Wearing thin rubber suits and old fashioned goggles,...
Alain Schroeder: Miracle Mud
Techirghiol, derived from (Turkish) Tekir’s lake, is a small Romanian town on the Black Sea famous for its therapeutic mud discovered by an old Turkish man and his donkey. There are several variations of the story and its origins, but all share the same principle: the thick black mud (highly-concentrated...
Alain Schroeder: Living for Death
In Toraja, the rituals associated with death are complex, require extensive planning and are expensive. Therefore, when a person dies, it can take weeks, months even years for the family to organize the funeral. During this time, the deceased is considered to be "sick" and kept at home. Relatives continue...
Alain Schroeder: Kushti
Kushti is a traditional form of Indian wrestling. Practiced in an Akhara, the wrestlers, under the supervision of a guru, dedicate their bodies and minds to Kushti on average for 6 to 36 months. Wearing only a well-adjusted loincloth (langot), wrestlers or Pelwhans enter a pit made of clay, often...