Monday, February 7, 2011

India Musings…"My New Red Salwars!"

So I’ve decided that in addition to my bi-monthly articles on my blog I should add postings on some of my “musings”…some stories, some reflections, some aha’s! (its an Acumen thing ;) You can imagine living in India, a country that has the ability to unearth one’s balance and bombard the senses, that I come across a lot of material!

India is like nothing else I've ever experienced, like nowhere else I've ever been! Nothing quite prepares you for the overwhelming shock to your senses...the massive number of cars moving haphazardly, honking and swerving among one another to make their way; the crowds of people bursting at the seams, pushing and pulling in an effort to get ahead; the instant attack of a myriad of smells, from curries stewing to chapatti baking, overtaking your nose; and to the haze that fills your eyes and the spices that swell your tongue. All I can say is “Holy Cow!” [Yes, literally, there’s a cow walking down the middle of the road!]


So, how does a foreigner like myself begin to fit into this new world, this new home? Well, it starts with a story, of course…

Many years ago I owned a pair of red pants. These red pants were one of my most favorite. I wore them all the time…to work, out to dinner, with friends. Until one day I visited my best friend, Sudha, and to put it lightly, she was horrified. “What are these?” she asked quite bluntly. “WHAT?” I said, “I love these pants!”. “Oh noooooo!” she shot back as she began laughing heartily. “I don’t think so”.


Well, suffice to say, that was the end of my red pants. She went on to lecture me, as only best friends can do, that no pair of my pants should ever resemble a color in the rainbow. She than came to my house and performed a “What Not To Wear” on my wardrobe, in fear of what other “circus clothing” I had hiding in my closet. (she got rid of my blue pants as well!)

Me at my former office, ECDC, wearing my favorite red pants!

Flash forward to last week when I went shopping with my friends in India. I walked into the store to find the largest array of red, green, yellow, and blue salwars (loose trousers that come tight around the ankles). And as you can imagine, my fond memories came flooding back. I very happily took the plunge!

In a country where “the brighter the better” is fashionable and desirable, I was finally going to fit in, me and my new pair of red salwars! To others they may just be a pair of red pants but to me they are a small nod to my ascent into assimilation, my delight of Indian culture and style!