Last night was the reception, and it felt like it was quite a production to get into my sari. Swathi's grandmother did everything for me, since she was the only one around who knew how to put on a sari properly. With me being so short and the sari being so long and wide, there was a ridiculous amount of excess fabric to tuck in, but once I was tucked, pleated and wrapped, I felt like a pleasantly odd mix of a Star Wars character, a Barbie and a regal princess since it's not every day that I'm encased in copious layers of silk. My first several moments of walking around in a sari just made Swathi laugh since she said I waddled around like a pregnant woman (all that excess fabric was tucked in front of my stomach), but afterwards, I was determined not to walk around so awkwardly since I would already look different from everyone else at the reception so I would like to think that I was able to walk more normally after I got over the awkwardness.
While we were waiting to take pictures with the bride and groom, Swathi and I just had a commentary going on all the women's saris and salwaar kameez(es?). There were so many different colors, although Swathi says I have 'old lady' taste in saris since I tend to go for the more modest colors. I like bright colors, but I still have a US-mentality in terms of bright colors where I'm afraid that colors that are too bright would come off as tacky, but here in India I see women walking around in orange, tennis-ball green, everything else under the sun!
Anyway, after posing for photos (I have no photos of my own, but at least I'll end up in someone's wedding album now), we went down to the banquet hall. We got to have our meal on a huge palm leaf, and it sort of reminded me of Chinese banquets where there are several courses in small portions of each. I ate with my hands, despite someone bringing me a spoon (I didn't ask for one!), and I think I held my own in that arena. There was a large variety so I ate more than I expected, since I was afraid that I wouldn't like most of the food. I wish I could say which were my favoritesm but I don't know any of the names! Afterwards, there was some vanilla ice cream which was a bit too sweet, but I liked it since it was cold.
We went home after the food, and a very tired Swathi and I quickly took some pictures of each other in our best clothes at home before we went to sleep since we didn't have time before we left. We didn't really have the energy to get creative, but at least I have some photos of myself in a sari to send back home. : )
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