India: HOLI festival

The Holi Festival in India is really something to experience! I had been warned (in past years) that if I were here on Holi to not go outside that day...it can be dangerous for girls, especially foreigners, and you will get covered in colored powder. Info on Holi: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi

Why is it dangerous? Well...it is a day that can involve a lot of drinking, but more importantly it is a day when people let all of their inhibitions go and touch each other...ostensibly to apply the powder, hug you, and wish you Happy Holi. Men will often take advantage of this day to touch women in ways that are not appropriate, especially the foreigners...because those girls don't know that the touching should only be between friends, and so these strange men turn it into a fast and furious grope session. As a society, Indians are pretty repressed...men hang out with men, women with women. There's no touching, no public displays of affection...and hardly even any hand shaking. (They put both hands together and say "Namaste" as a greeting instead.)

This year, though, I went out with a group of friends, and that is probably the biggest thing to staying safe. We started at one house, and then as the day goes on we drove to other houses, to play colors with friends and relatives. Each time you emerged from another house, you had all new colors. So, pardon the seemingly egotistical amount of photos my myself, I was simply documenting my metamorphosis.

As the day went on, and things got wilder, we also got thoroughly doused with water. So now you've got tons of powder all over you...in your hair, your eyes, ears, etc...and it gets WET and becomes heavier and a bit more damaging. At the end of the day, I was transformed into a redhead. No more light brown or blonde hair...I have got definitive red highlights in my hair...see the very last photo in this post, taken the next day.

Also...because of the water, my G11 got ruined. I was trying very hard to be careful, but there was a sneak attack that involved a large bucket of water, and the G11 has stopped working.

After we were done visiting people, we all went swimming to get the majority of the powder off of us. I brought some clean clothes and changed, which felt so nice! But then I needed to stop by at Animal Aid to pick a few things up, and the staff was all excited to see me, and it was Holi, and they all came at me with colors. I am feeling very badly about it, but I was kinda rude and held them at arms length and just kept saying "No! I'm done! I have had enough" No!" and backed away from them.

Three days later and one of them STILL isn't talking to me. I am sorry that I offended them by refusing, but I was so tired and I wanted to stay clean. Also, the powder tastes AWFUL...and by the end of the day when I'd see someone coming towards me, I was actually grimacing in response.