What am I talking about you ask? Holi, of course. As I was enjoying a cup of coffee on my balcony, camera in hand, I watched as some of the neighborhood kids came ringing door bells, trying to lure their friends out and smear colors on them. Here's a shot I got them to pose for.
After they left I picked up the newspaper and looked over the headlines. Two things (no, they weren't really headlines, they were page 2 and 4) grabbed my attention. The first was an article about Bhaang, drink made up from the female cannabis plant, and mainly enjoyed on Holi. It shared stories from various Bollywood "heros" glorifying the consumption of this drink. The complexity of this country is so deep, sometimes I'm not sure what to think. Alcohol is condoned (though sold right down the street) and drinking cannabis is expected, at least once a year.
The next article talked about the dangers of the chemicals in the various colors:
Black...lead oxide...Kidney failure, learning disability
Green...copper...eye allergy, puffiness, temporary blindness
Purple...chromium iodide...Bronchial asthma, allergies
Silver...aluminium bromide...Cancer
Prussian Blue...iron and cyanide ion...skin allergy
Red...mercury...Skin canter, mental retardation
As if the issues of the bhaang intoxicated people wasn't enough to keep me from wanting to participate! My Muslim friends stay indoors as well, so I'm in good company.
Here are some links to video's of previous Holi celebrations, one of my favorites is this BBC video that shows it's a family celebration. Oh what the heck, here's another one from a Bollywood classic (or so it says)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2PzxjTFGn0
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