enhance your beauty

I just returned from a small Indian village in the Koonthankulam Bird Sanctuary. I was blown away. At first, all I could notice is how different a rural Indian village is from my cushy American life. And then I fell in love with it.

My first night at dinner, the wife of the hotel owner put flowers in my hair. (Culture note: hotel is a restaurant, not a place with beds and mints on pillows). The "pun" or jasmine flowers are worn by many Indian women to dress up their hair. The scientist that I am working with, Jayakumar, was surprised. He told me that usually people don't usually share their flowers with others--that she views me as a daughter. What a wonderful thing for me, halfway across the world--to have a surrogate mother. She then went to her back room and pulled out a bindi for me (the forehead dot). The bindi are used by women to enhance the beauty of the forehead.

One thing I've noticed about Indian women is that they really know how to decorate. Every day while I was in Koonthankulum Bird Sanctuary, the woman at the hotel (restaurant) would ask me if I wanted some bangles or toe rings. There are so many ways to "enhance one's beauty" on Indian terms.

On my last night in the village, Jayakumar bought me some henna, and the daughter of the hotel owner decorated my hands and feet with henna tattoos. Before I leave for home, I'm going to get some more tattoos done, since they last for a few weeks. I'll bring back some henna to share. (Look at the top of the post for some sari pics)