Holi is an Indian festival to celebrate the beginning of spring. March 11th was the perfect spring morning. 90 degrees, sunny, clear blue skies, low pollution, and almost no humidity. All that was missing was watermelon and lemonade, but I had those the day before...If I didn't know better, I would say it sounds like a summer day in America...but this is India...
7:30 was earlier than we wanted to be awake, but we had to get up at this hour in order to make it safely to M's house for breakfast. We had been warned "don't go outside on this day." We knew the consequences, and we were armed and ready.
The fun began when we stepped outside. "splat", a water balloon landed in an explosion of pink.
Purple water shot from Josiah's water gun in retaliation. The war was on! With pink and orange dye smeared on our faces, we joined the neighborhood children playing the street. Josiah called it "the mother of all water-wars."
We were "attacked" by a gang of teenager boys. In our attempt to get even, they caught Joe and smeared poop/mud on his face and shirt...ok, that's a little gross...
The fun began when we stepped outside. "splat", a water balloon landed in an explosion of pink.Purple water shot from Josiah's water gun in retaliation. The war was on! With pink and orange dye smeared on our faces, we joined the neighborhood children playing the street. Josiah called it "the mother of all water-wars."We were "attacked" by a gang of teenager boys. In our attempt to get even, they caught Joe and smeared poop/mud on his face and shirt...ok, that's a little gross...
Shortly after that M called me to the roof to watch the fun. She said something about many men drinking and playing, and I had noticed that most people "playing" were men and children. I bitterly stood on the roof, the Indian culture had interfered with my fun...
A few minuets later, some women came and M told me to go play with them. "Play" meant let them smear colored dye on my face. Then I got to do it to them as well...
Then we went to visit our various friends. First we went to S & J's house for chai. Joe attempted to clean the poop/mud off of himself.
Someone turned on the hose to help him...and soaked all of us. J's little daughter, ran across the porch crying, and without hesitation, lept from the porch into her mother's arms.
From there we went to I & J's house. M gave me some dye and said to put it on J's face when she opened the door. M knocked, the door opened, and J poured a bucket of water on me. Then the fight went in-doors as the guys dragged L from his room, smearing his face with colors.
Our growing gang moved down the street to U & G's.
While chai was served, an all out water-war took place in their kitchen and porch. You can do this in India, because houses are cement, tile and marble, and furniture is mostly plastic lawn chairs...then we chilled on the porch and dried off in the sun...until someone started the war again...
We went back to M's for a dance party in her 10x12 ft living room...then home for showers, lunch, and laundry...which all turned pink...
It was a good day...
A few minuets later, some women came and M told me to go play with them. "Play" meant let them smear colored dye on my face. Then I got to do it to them as well...
Then we went to visit our various friends. First we went to S & J's house for chai. Joe attempted to clean the poop/mud off of himself.Someone turned on the hose to help him...and soaked all of us. J's little daughter, ran across the porch crying, and without hesitation, lept from the porch into her mother's arms.From there we went to I & J's house. M gave me some dye and said to put it on J's face when she opened the door. M knocked, the door opened, and J poured a bucket of water on me. Then the fight went in-doors as the guys dragged L from his room, smearing his face with colors.
Our growing gang moved down the street to U & G's.While chai was served, an all out water-war took place in their kitchen and porch. You can do this in India, because houses are cement, tile and marble, and furniture is mostly plastic lawn chairs...then we chilled on the porch and dried off in the sun...until someone started the war again...We went back to M's for a dance party in her 10x12 ft living room...then home for showers, lunch, and laundry...which all turned pink...It was a good day...
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