gori beware, holi hai

Foreigners Beware - its holi!

The few days before holi tend to be very dangerous on the roads. Kids armed with water balloons are out in full force and bystanders, foreigners especially have to take caution. Every single year since I have been in India I have been hit with these water balloons prior to holi. The first year it freaked me out, and sent me in a rage! Now I am used to it, even though they always get me when i'm least expecting it! Yesterday Stacie got hit as she travelled down Linking Road in a rickshaw.. and today as I passed the same exact spot I got NAILED. Seriously nailed. I was with an Indian friend telling her how I always get hit, but she said she never had that before. As we were just chatting away, i got hit with what felt like a rock on my upper arm, splashing all over me, Nisha and the rickshaw!

The bad thing is that it really really hurts! I'm lucky it was on my arm and not my face. I could have broken my nose with that one. My arm is still red, tender and starting to bruise - 7 hrs after the attack. I've been scared ever since to go out!

I also read in the paper how a boy got hit yesterday and has lost his sight! I've heard stories of vicious kids using acid in the balloons, but thankfully that hasn't happened to me yet!

This has also been a weekend of holidays for so many religions! Thur was Eid, a muslim holiday, Friday - good friday, Sat - Holi (Hindu holiday) and Sunday - Easter. I think as well it's Purim a jewish holiday! Hopefully the world is too busy celebrating to fight these 4 days.