"Yes Mina?"
"...Your butt is purple."
"I KNOW. It won't come off! I'm going to soak in the tub for another hour."
an hour later
"Um Mina?"
"Yes Abla?"
"...I think I broke the tub."
They both contemplate the pink-watered tub that is absolutely not draining.
* * *
Our hotels in India have the most opulent, mammoth tubs that I have, just have to, test-drive every single time. This tub eventually did drain but Mina and I still had traces of paint on us for the next couple days.
The next morning we went to my mom's friend's recommended jewelry place. Our guide wasn't allowed in because he has no deal with them/wouldn't get commission and we, after we identified ourselves by our relationship to my mom's friend, were quickly ushered into a back room. Let me just say this, Mina, my mom, and I are all females. We are Turkish, and in my sister's and my case Turkish and Iranian. Now when you add female affinities with two cultures that revolve around beauty and arts and adornning oneself, you get us. We love jewelry. Hell, we just love accessories. Less is more? Fuck that, I will wear my ten earrings (I have ten piercings) and necklaces, and rings, not to mention show off my tattoos (that's art and adornment too you know) and still load up my arm with bracelet and bangles and all manner of jingly things. My mom is very tasteful and my sister has her own awesome style but yeah, I err on my Iranian grandmother's self-proclaimed motto of, "If it sparkles, by God it will be on me." But we didn't go crazy. We all had our certain items we wanted and we got them (as well as the cheaper bangles and pendants we'd loaded up on earlier). The proprietor was the sweetest man and very proud of his shop, his wares, and his clients. He actually asked us not to spread of his business because he took care of his reputation. He served us Masala tea and showed us Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's signatures (they shopped there too) and my mom got her daughters each a bracelet we will treasure forever. It might sound odd to put so much worth into material things, especially silly stuff like bracelets but no. This is our tradition. The women i our family are the ones that buy each other jewelry and gems and they all have meaning.
We also went in town to the Sardar Market to a special spice store. This actually happened the day before Holi because we go to see the town getting all prepared for it and wishing everyone Happy Holi, but I'll just put it here but I'll just put it here. This store was run by a lovely girl named Nikki and it had a couple branches in Jodhpur and she said she and her seven sisters were hoping to open even more. Her mom's dream was to have a store per daughter. We drank masala tea (we can't get enough of it) and stocked up on masala spices, Darjeeling tea, and a few other teas and my dad got chili powders and various curry mixes. While we were walking around town our guide cautioned us to stay away from the cows, and we politely nodded because oh, we thought he thought we were just some gawking tourists. Well, on the way to the spice store this stubborn heifer was heading right at me so being the polite girl I am, I stepped out of her way. No no that wasn't enough. She looked at me, swung her head and bashed it into my hip throwing me off balance and on top of my sister. We almost went flying over. I think being gods and considered sacred have gone to their heads, silly cows.
But coming back to our last day, after stopping by my mom's favorite clothing store Anokhi, we headed back to the hotel to grab our stuff and bid farewell to Umaid Bhawan, Jodhpur, and Sting.
Oh did I not mention? My parents sat next Sting and Trudie Styler at breakfast. My sister and I came later and though I didn't care, Mina was pissed. The hotel manager said he was in town for the Sufi music festival. You see how everything fits together? SUFI!
Bye bye Umaid Bhawan.
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