As the festival season is beginning to kick off over here, I get to attend 'jam sessions.' And seriously: I'm calling parties jam sessions now. It's awesome.
First was the Rotary club's pre- Durga Puja party. (here's the wiki article for anyone who's interested in what Durga Puja is) My host sister told me that she and her brother don't normally attend these functions, because after a while her dad's antics gets pretty embarrassing. So heading there I expected a show, and man, the Rotarians of Durgapur did not disappoint. Its great to see some of the most dignified people I've ever met let loose a little. I've got a pretty good stockpile of blackmail now, should I ever need it. I promised not to post the more incriminating videos on the internet, though.
As an aside: Why don't adults dance in the US? not like professional dancing, but lets-go-to-a-dumb-party-and-get-our-groove-on-even-though-we-have-absolutely-no-hand/eye-coordination dance? It's a travesty. Or I do just not know the right adults?
First was the Rotary club's pre- Durga Puja party. (here's the wiki article for anyone who's interested in what Durga Puja is) My host sister told me that she and her brother don't normally attend these functions, because after a while her dad's antics gets pretty embarrassing. So heading there I expected a show, and man, the Rotarians of Durgapur did not disappoint. Its great to see some of the most dignified people I've ever met let loose a little. I've got a pretty good stockpile of blackmail now, should I ever need it. I promised not to post the more incriminating videos on the internet, though.
With my host sister and mom, before we left. (they're both wearing heels, I'm not.) It's quite disconcerting being one of the taller people walking around.
It was a theme party -1970s Bollywood - but she was the only one who really dressed up. Her saree, which this picture doesn't really capture, reminded me of Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om (which was the point, I guess, since Deepika was playing a 1970 Bollywood film actress for the first half of the movie).
 |
| I love this movie. |
 |
| there was cake. I was happy. |
 |
| the live band |
 |
| lead singer |
 |
| my camera sucks. but then, he was moving fast |
 |
| you should have seen my host sisters face when my host dad started dancing. |
My host dad is a better dancer than most of you combined.
Let it be on record that the moment I died laughing was when my host father started doing this one move that, for all intents and purposes, was twerking.
Watch for the guy in the pink shirt. He's got moves.
 |
The lady you saw at the end of the video pulled me out
on the dance floor.
|
Lots of fun.
As an aside: Why don't adults dance in the US? not like professional dancing, but lets-go-to-a-dumb-party-and-get-our-groove-on-even-though-we-have-absolutely-no-hand/eye-coordination dance? It's a travesty. Or I do just not know the right adults?
You don't know the right adults--or at least, you don't know the right father. Melissa would love to dance, or at least she would have 20 years ago. But we never went out dancing together, and so we never developed the habit, because I just never enjoyed dancing in public (as opposed to just skipping around the room in my own little world to the music, which I did often as a child, and which some people will tell you I still do to this very day when no one else is around, but they are LIARS I tell you, COMPLETE LIARS, and you should absolutely disregard those scuff marks on the kitchen floor).
ReplyDeleteHi Megan! Not sure if you remember me, but we met a couple times when you were in San Antonio and Austin, and you had lunch with your mom and me and my husband Jason at the book festival a couple years ago. Anyway, I have to say that I love your commentary on the dancing. I can dance like that when I'm with my kids, but I would never do it in public. I wish that I could, though - when I visited Palestine for my sister's wedding there, everyone danced all the time, just like this, and it was a blast. We should definitely do more of that here. Everyone's too interested in being cool and not embarrassing themselves here.
ReplyDeleteI dance like that twice a week and call it "exercise". :-D I need to go hang out with your Rotarians. It seems they're more my sort of people. :-D Thank you for putting this up.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the pictures of your host mother and sister. They are so lovely. That's one thing that I notice when I'm at the grocery store--Indian women dress so beautifully and look so much better an anyone else in the store. As far as the dancing, most Indian people we have known have great parties and it always includes dancing--some with sticks (maybe that will be part of the festivals this season as well) but it always looked like fun. It is too bad that we think dancing is just for kids. (and besides it is great exercise.) Glad you are having fun.--Grandma M.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, you will come home and be shorter than me and all will be right in the world.
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful!
ReplyDelete