Shanti

Had a wonderful experience over the weekend.
One of the doctors I work for is from India and their local Hindi temple has an annual fundraising banquet every year. It is a very fancy vegetarian banquet with traditional dancing and music...the kind of thing I'd love to go to, but way out of my league costwise. My colleague thought it would be a fantastic experience for us so she not only bought an entire table for me and 7 other coworkers to attend the banquet, but she bought us all saris to wear for the night and had us over to her house that day to dress us up traditionally. She is such a wonderful and kindhearted woman! We had so much fun getting ready and learning how to walk and carry ourselves in a sari. She even had matching jewelry and bindis for our foreheads...so very cool.
The event itself was very elegant and the banquet was delicious. It was vegetarian indian food (it had matar paneer - my favorite indian dish) that was incredible. The traditional dancing was neat too and we even got to meet the Indian ambassador to western Canada and the premier as well as learn a lot about indian culture at the kind of classy event I usually never get to go to (unless I'm a server!). It really was an experience I never thought I'd be able to have. We were all worried we'd offend someone with our dressing and manner, but I guess we were instructed well and carried ourselves according to custom, as we got so many compliments on our dress and our manner. Everyone we spoke to was flattered that we were there in traditional dress and were full of compliments. I have always wanted to wear a sari (despite being a dress-o-phobe) and I must say I loved wearing it. A sari is really comfortable and you just feel so elegant in one.

And...to top it all off, our colleague is so sweet - She wants to make this an annual event every year! I am overwhelmed at her generosity and excited to wear my sari again...