Holi Cow!

Joy is in the air. The sun is out, the weather has been getting warmer, and this weekend is Holi, a Hindu festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil. A goddess named Holika wanted the affection of Lord Krishna, and she got it, even thought Krishna's family didn't want the romance to happen. So in celebration, on Sunday everybody will get drunk and smear colored dyes all over complete strangers. Again, another religious excuse to get inebriated. Again, I digress. Needless to say, I've been asked by my chaperons to stay inside tomorrow. For one, the dye is very allergenic. Plus there’s nothing like the clean white canvas of my skin just begging to be pigmented. Yeah, I think staying inside will be a pretty good idea.

I’m typing this in Principal Ramdev’s office on Saturday. Many of the students have traveled home for the weekend for the holiday. Yet the ones that are here are getting a little bit of holiday cheer out of their system early. There’s screams, crashes from the rooms above me, colors flying, and general chaos. I look outside and everybody looks like a bowl of Froot Loops. The teachers are just sitting there calmly like it was any other day. Again, I think I’ll stay right here until the chaos dies down a little.

Alas, it didn’t work. I ventured outside when I thought the coast was clear, and I was ambushed. Fortunately, the attackers were only armed with yellow dye, and I was able to retreat in time before any permanent damage was done.

On another note, I presented the meal plan to Principal Ramdev and discovered that virtually nobody here eats nuts. He even used the word “allergic,” even though he admitted that it probably wasn’t the correct term. In truth, only 1-2% of people have true food allergies that prevent them from eating a certain item due to serious health concerns. Too many people simply avoid foods and use a made-up allergy as an excuse. Whether they are just lying through their teeth or they truly believe they are allergic, humans are able to eat and digest a huge variety of foods. Nuts are just seen as fattening and people here avoid them like the plague except for very small amounts used in sweets and desserts. So nuts are 86’d. The bad news is that it’s one important source of protein that they likely won’t be getting. The good news is that nuts were the most costly item on my proposed menu, and taking them off brings the price down a lot, which increases the likelihood of it getting approved.

Total price for this extra meal, which varies depending on what will be served or otherwise provided, ranges between 1000-2000 rupees per week. That’s 20-40 USD. Per week. For 40 girls. I am continuously amazed by the relatively cheap food prices here. Moreover, I love it. It gives me an excuse to play with my food more.

But I’m sure to be responsible about playing with food. Respect the food, remember? And respect people obnoxiously threatening you with colored dyes. Otherwise, you’ll be sorry.