Indian Barbie

I recently attended an Indian festival with some of my friends. I heard there was going to be traditional Indian dancing there, so I was pretty excited. Not being Indian, I didn't really know what to expect. I went to my friends house, and little did I know I was in for an Indian make over. This festival is a pretty big deal--they pull out all the stops, meaning traditional Indian dress was a must. Fortunately, my friend has a younger sister who happens to be my size. Before I knew it, I was parading around their house in various outfits while they decided which one looked best. They decided on a pants and tank top set--blue and pink with some bead work. It was very nice. After my outfit was selected, there was the problem of shoes. Again, I went through several options before settling on a pair of flat, silver sandals. At this point, I'm thinking that I'm ready to go. But no. Not quite. You don't have a complete Indian outfit without jewelry. I sat on the bed while the mom and sister sorted through piles of necklaces, earrings, bangles, and bracelets. After I was sufficiently adorned, it was time for my hair and make up. Oh yes, when I said Indian make over, I meant the whole nine yards. I high pony tail and some eye liner and eye shadow later, I was finally ready. My friend looked at me and said, "You look like Indian Barbie." Yeah, that pretty much sums it up.
I have to admit though, that I did enjoy the make over, and the festival was amazing. It turns out that you don't simply watch the dancing, you participate in it. I was a little self conscious at first, especially since I was the only white person in the place, and I had no clue what I was doing. Luckily for me, most of the people I was with didn't know how to do it either, so we all learned together. Every person gets two wooden sticks, one for each hand. The art of the dance is moving with the music, hitting sticks with your partner, and executing spins and turns while traveling in a circle and changing partners. It sounds complicated, but if this Dutch girl can get it, it can't be that bad! My friend has some pictures, so hopefully they will be up soon!