Holi!

Friday was Holi here, the Hindu festival of colors, behind which are a thousand stories. Essentially the celebration revolves around either Krishna or the demoness Holika, and involves throwing colors and water balloons, coloring the streets red and yellow and soaking everyone. Kids started throwing baggies of water early, though...on my way home from the clinic on Thursday, a group of teenage guys were walking by me armed with waterbombs. One of them politely asked me where I was from, and then whether we celebrated Holi in New York; when I told him no, he asked whether he could hit me with the balloon. I declined to be hit, and he ducked his head and smiled and went on his way. It was very sweet! Of course, about five yards ahead a group of much more mischievous younger boys got me and soaked my hair and jeans anyway.

On the day itself we all went over to Phuntsok's house and engaged in a gigantic waterwar with the houses all around. His roof is higher than any other in the neighborhood, so we had a grand time. It's a fabulous holiday...I can only imagine what it would be like in NYC; people hanging out their windows and heaving plastic bags filled with water across the streets. It's very good-spirited and warm-hearted here. Actually, I find that the children, especially boys, are extremely friendly and helpful, not at all like the insensitive buggers that roam the streets of New York--though they get up to plenty of trouble, I'm sure. Here they're always willing to help someone cross the street or haggle with a taxi driver, or translate to the best of their ability, or just show off whatever tricks they're playing at the moment. Maybe it comes from living in multi-generational homes.

The afternoons have been gorgeous for the most part, aside from occasional thunderstorms. I spent the afternoon working on assignments for my online medical anthropology class, which was great. The readings are totally fascinating; it almost makes me wish I could be back at Lehman for class, but of course being here is what makes everything so interesting.