Happy Holi!

This was the beginning of the festivities when we were just getting started.

Then we went to my Uncle's house and got more into it...

My mom even played with us which was so much fun!

And the water and the colors just kept coming...

My cousins and I.

As we were washing the color off their front porch. I wish I couldn't gotten a photo when all the colors were still there. It was amaaazing!

Some boys on the street that had obviously gotten into the Holi spirit.

Back at my cousins house watching all the people walking by on the street. This boy looked like he was ready to pelt passers-by with water balloons.

The beginning of his colored adventures.

And further along... These boys were so much fun to watch. They played for hours and most of the time it was just the two of them, but they seemed like they were having so much fun anyways.

These were some other neighbors that were just living for Holi. It was so refreshing to see people being so aggressive/passionate, but in such a loving way. Going out, even the few days before Holi, was like war. You could get hit with water balloons from anyone waiting up on their porches or even hiding behind walls.

Color color color! So much color and so much fun!

After we had played in front of my Uncle's house for a bit, we went to the community park by his house where most of the neighborhood had gathered to celebrate. Everyone was putting color on each other and the energy was just so positive and loving. It was such child-like fun and it was so cool to be able to go up to a complete stranger and just put powdered color on their face and wish them a "Happy Holi". I really wish I could have taken pictures in that park (!) because there were more colors and more people and it was definitely a sight to see! Sadly I didn't have my camera because we were all drenched with colors and water!

So to everyone back home, Happy Holi!

I hope you all are having amazing times doing whatever you're doing and just remember to live. Life is colorful and it's beautiful if you let it be.

Peace&love.

This is just a quick pre-Holi post of some photos. Today is Holi (the festival of Colors), so I don't have a lot of time right now.

This is a sweet shop that  I went to a few days ago. Sweets are very big in India, especially around festivals.

This is my Mom (who's here now for a couple weeks!) holding a flower that we saw on one of our outtings.

My cousins and I went to a market a couple nights ago and these men were already in the Holi spirit throwing color on each other and having a good time. There was a bag of color laying on the floor that wasn't totally empty so I picked it up to put a little dot on my forehead, but one of the men saw me doing it so he took the bag and poured some in his hands and kind of gestured to make sure it was ok with me and then just put it all over my face. And then another man came up and put some more! My first real taste of Holi.

Then we ate corn on the cob with lemon and spices. So good! Indian food is seriously to die for.

Yesterday, puja got to watch a puja! My cousins do one every month at their house just for good energy, etc. So I got to experience it with them. A pandit came to the house and performed the puja.

This is the little altar the set up. (Notice the pandit's cellphone. Everyone here has one!)

A bracelet that we saw at my cousin's jewelry shop.

One of my cousins after he came back from a Holi party with his friends. He had already cleaned up but notice all the color that didn't wash off. I'm getting really excited for today!

As we drove last night, there were quite a few little fires like this for the night before Holi. It's all part of the tradition and goes along with the story (which I don't have time to fully explain right now).

So, Happy Holi and expect photos from today! This is my first festival that I get to experience in India so hopefully it will be one to remember!

Peace.

One Pose.

These are the rickshaws that I've been doing most of my traveling in so far. They're everywhere.

This was one in particular that I loved the interior of. They all have little unique things about them, but one common thing is that almost every one I've been in has a photo (normally heart shaped) of a Bollywood actor on the rearview mirror above their heads.

This is a stall I passed on a rickshaw ride. They are all over and have things like sweets, mouth fresheners, cigarettes, soda, etc.

This is where we (my homie Raviji that has been taking me to Chandni Chowk, and I) would normally get off the rickshaw and head into the hustle and bustle of the markets/alleys.

Deeper into the beautiful madness.

This was in the second workshop I went to. It's a necklace he was working on with a set of matching earrings. Incredibly detailed craftsmanship.

A pendant and matching earrings.

An earring that was waiting for diamonds to be set in it.

This was a tool they used to make/stretch wire, normally made of gold.

A mens gold/diamond ring that I watched get made.

This was a workshop that I went to to see diamonds set into a ring. There were two boys sitting up on the little bunk part working when we walked in. I was standing just inside the doorway, so that gives you an idea of how big the workshop is.

 This was the view from sitting up top with the workers. As you can see, there are a many religious photos on the walls which was common in all the workshop that I've been to so far.

These were the pigeons that were hanging out with us as he set diamonds. (So I've now seen pigeons, mice, and insects inside of workshops. And camels, cows, dogs, cats, monkeys, goats, pigeons and crows outside.)

The thing to the left with the spikes is the ring with many tiny little diamonds already set into it, and the white things to the right is a 3 carat diamond that is about to be set.

And this is the finished ring. This is the one I saw started the first day I went to the workshop. It's gold but they've finished it in a way that makes it silver in color (but it's not white gold). This photo doesn't really do it justice. It's amazing!

This is Sanjeep. He was the one setting the diamonds. He was really nice and very welcoming.

This was a little shop that I went to one day to pick up a gas tank for my aunts house. I was with her driver on the way back from dropping my little cousin off at her friend's house.

I pulled out my camera to take a couple photos and these guys got interested so they asked if I would take a photo of them. The one in the sweater said "one pose", and the other was reluctant but seemed to love it anyways. So I title this... "One Pose".