Cricket Fever!

The 2011 Cricket World Cup was held in India! My interest in cricket didn't really start before the semifinals India-Pakistan (These two are sworn enemies!) It wasn't just a cricket game, it was a battle of honor !!! To most indians, it would be more important to win this game than to win the final.



Beatriz (Brasil) and Riina (Finland) had come to my place on tuesday to watch the game on the big screen that had been put up in my society. We had a popcorn machine, a sandwich maker and a guy making bhel (a typical street food). They were all geared to sit there from 2.30 pm. when the match began till around midnight when it would get over! Us girls had so much fun, we watched the first half hour of the game and then we went upstairs and made nachos with my host mom. We were just talking and talking and talking, then we ate some mango ice cream and talked some more. Then we went down and watched the last two hours of the game. India won! (of course)! And we went to Barista in Lokhandwala to celebrate with my host mom and some of the neighbors. It was crazy in Lokhandwala! People were dancing on the cars and on the streets, waving the indian flag and screaming from the top of their lungs! There was an awesome vibe and everyone was happy!



Then a couple days went by and it was saturday, the day of the final! India would be meeting Sri Lanka on the field! It was a tough fight and a many point of the match it looked as if Sri Lanka was about to win... But ultimately Dhoni hit a 6 and India won!
Everyone was jumping up and down, and the city was in euphoria! It was awesome. We went out driving and I hijacked an indian flag from to guys on a bike. So we were waving the flag screaming and driving around the suburbs which had all turned in to one big party! Finally we went back after 3 am. and I still (two days later) dont have any voice! AWESOME!!!!!!!!

Holi !

Ill take a small break from writing about the North trip (/there will be more, don't worry) and tell about the wonderful festival i was lucky enough to experience yesterday. Now it is harvest time in India and with that comes the festival of colors! People gather on the streets and in the societies and play with water and color-powder. Its so much fun.! The night before there is held a big bonfire in the villages and in the building societies. They do pooja (De tilbeder ilden og beder for et gunstigt udbytte) to the fire and roast coconuts! Then on the actual day of holi (which was yesterday) I went to a big holi party along with a bunch of other exchangestudents and around 100 other people everyone was in crisp clean white shirts that would soon be ruined by the fun games involving gulal (the colorful powders used everywhere on this day). We would mix it in a bit of water and splash it all over each other! We had a blast!

Before & After

Its also a tradition on this day that you do Bhang, an indian 'drug' put in a sweet milk drink called Thandai and gets you high for days! Of course we didnt do that. But walking on the road you would see so many people obviously under the influence of something (if it was alcohol or Bhang - ill never know, but it sure was fun to watch! )

Even the dog on mahalaxmi station had been playing holi!