Handicrafts Emporium

Handicrafts Emporium is located at Shop No. 1 in the K. T. D. C. Shopping Complex. We are right across from the Taj Gateway Hotel on Marine Drive. Being in this part of Kochi is interesting because we see a lot of different people, from tourists staying at the hotel to locals just out for a walk by the water. The shop is filled with all sorts of handmade items, so it looks quite colorful and packed. We have to spend a lot of time dusting everything because the sea breeze brings in a bit of salt and grit. It’s a small shop, so we have to be clever with how we display things on the walls and in the windows. We don't really do much advertising; the location does most of the work for us. People see the sign while they are walking along Marine Drive and just wander in. We usually have the radio on or just listen to the sound of the traffic outside. It is a quiet kind of work, mostly just tidying up and talking to people about where the items came from. We aren't trying to be a big fancy gallery. It’s just a place to find something interesting. We like the view of the hotel and the water, even if we are inside most of the day. It is a good way to spend the time.