Holy "Holi!"

Yes I think I am probably the first one to make that connection.

Varanasi the city spent the week preparing for Holi and the whole city sitting was buzzing. Colour was for sale every few feet and big piles of sticks were being made to burn bonfires the night before Holi.

On Friday at the school there was a pre- Holi celebration and we all threw coloured powder on each other and afterward all 120 kids got new Holi clothes. The were hideous/hilarious sequined dresses and embroidered shirts but the kids were so proud of them.

On the actual Holi eve we went for a walk around the ghats on the Ganga with the kids who had not gone home for the holiday. But we made sure to have them all home by 8pm as that is when the drinking starts. I slept at the hostel that as everyone said it would not be safe for a woman on the streets until 2pm the next day. From the hostel we could see the fires burning and hear the firecrackers going all night. The girls were so excited that Nadine (the other volunteer) and myself were sleeping over. I was excited too but the excitement wore off when the girls fell asleep with their arms and legs around me and scratching for lice in their slumber. But despite that and the cement floor and dogs howling all night, I was really happy to be there in the morning.

The boys were all putting silver on their faces and I wanted to as well (not knowing why, just because it looked funny) but they ran out. I discover the function minutes later when Bola-Sir ran in and wipe green paint all over my face and neck. Gone were the powders of Friday and the real stuff was not going to come off.

Soon after buckets of water were filled and mixed with pink, purple, blue and green dye. The music was brought outside and started to play as loud as possible. The kids were all given buckets and water guns and the mayhem ensued. It was so much fun and once the buckets of water were finished we started attacking people with the mud on the ground. While Sheelu continue to make more buckets of colour we would all dance or chase each other. It was sooo much fun.

Afterward everyone attempted to clean off as much as possible and the kids put on there new Holi clothes. The kids looked relatively clean but the 4 blond foreigners playing were unable to get the dye off. Sheelu said cooking oil would take it off. I found some sesame oil in my guesthouse kitchen and lathered up but it was not super affective. It is now 2 days later and I have finally got the pink off of my face, my neck still has a green tint and all down my back are big streaks of purple where I can't reach. The most obvious though is my hair. It has made little improvement and all my blond streaks are bright pink with a few and green and blue parts. It is very eighties chique. All my Indian friends have said it will come out in only 3 weeks, one even suggested I wash it with shampoo, like I hadn't already done that 10 times. But it was totally worth it!

The next 2 days were holidays and no school so we went to a waterfall about an hour away and all the kids got to swims and bathe it felt great.

It was a great introduction to Holi!