Holi is a big Indian festival marking the beginning of harvest of all the crops, festivities started last but Holi started today! We went to a big Indian market on our afternoon off in Anjuna which was really cool. Big, busy and dusty but SO much fun stuff to look at/ buy. They've got everything!! Clothes, bags, shoes, jewelry, statues, hammocks, spices, tea... Etc. Etc. I really enjoyed it. I think im getting better at haggling the prices down- although by the end I get a little less cheap bcuz I'm so tired.
Anyways- back to Holi! We were driving home and there was a road block set up so we had to stop and all these hands came in the windows with colored powder and threw/ smeared it all over. It's SO cool!!! It's like human tye dye. When we got back we went to the beach and got Holi-ed again- yellow.
Apparently they celebrate for 16 days- Dancing and drive by powdering haha. We're planning on going out tmrw night (armed with powder)...
On a less cool note.. A girl from my course was running on the beach this morning and she got bit by a wild dog. She was ok, just a little scared. I run every morning and haven't had any problems. Usually if you just yell or raise your arm they go away but our yoga instructor told us to start running with a stick just in case.. Greaaatttt. I'm gonna look like a warrior ready for battle!!
So I'm living in a beach hut, like I said. I like it but I might as well be outside. They're open windows and a foot open over the door (good thing for my mosquito net). I've got a frog who sometimes sits on my light switch.. And ants and spiders etc. Nature overload (Hannah you would HATE it haha). My friend Briana from California lives 2 huts down down and she hates it too. She seems to attract the worst stuff. We share a bathroom with 3 or 4 people and the other day she was going to the bathroom when a "mouse" came flying through the window and landed at her feet. (open windows... No screens). So she comes flying out of the bathroom screaming. The story sounded pretty crazy but I looked in the bathroom and there was a.. Not mouse- a rat!! I'm not too fussed about stuff like that but rats are so gross. And it was big! And dead!
We couldn't figure out how it could fly through the window.. Especially when it was dead. We think the only reasonable explanation is that a bird was carrying it and dropped it... And just coincidently at the exact time/ position/ angle that it came in the window. Poor girl.. What are the chances. Haha.
So except for flying rats and rabid wild dogs... And powder attacks... It's been a pretty standard few days here.
Seriously, India is so weird. One of the weirdest things that has been puzzling me lately is money, and stores. So you buy a water and it costs 25 rupees... You give them 30 and they say "no change?" and you say "no sorry" but what they really meant was "no change." Stores don't have 5 rupee coins or bills to give you change (theres 1 and 2 rupee coins too but good luck finding those).. but yet they still charge prices that require 5s. Their solution is to give you a pack of cookies or gum and call it even. What kind of business is that lol... And that's every little store I've been to. It's like 5 rupees are pennies.. But imagine going to a store and they don't have pennies so they give you a mint or a pretzel instead. Just one of the many things I don't understand about India. Makes me laugh though.
Missing everyone, wishing you were here to celebrate Holi with me!!
Also a very happy 90th birthday to my grandma!!! <3
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