Navratri

Padmini invited us (Natalie, Mark, Rebecca and me) over for Navratri and Rebecca and I went totally Indian--braids with jasmine, salwaars, bindis, tons of jewelry. Vijaya told me I was looking "very gorgeous" when we came in, and Padmini said that I should dress like that more often.

So Navratri is a nine-night festival that involves displaying dolls representing various deities; it makes a mere manger set look half-assed. Their display filled a room, and people were invited over in an open-house manner to view the dolls. The doctor, always hoping to enlighten, pointed out gods and goddesses of note (and I can finally recognize a few myself), then Maitri came over to offer us sandalwood oil, red paste for our foreheads, sugar, and more jasmine for our hair.

It was the perfect last evening in Chennai--Vijaya sang a few songs, we talked to an array of Padmini's interesting friends; it's striking how mainstream astrology and palmistry are here. We met a retired Indian Intelligence officer who reads palms. He reassured me that I have not one but two relationship/companionship lines. Whew.

We headed back to the Hotel California so Rebecca could get to the airport, and Mark and Natalie and I went to the weird cafe nearby.