Happy Holi...

One week early we were able to attend our very first Holi event, hosted on the AES campus.  The kids were all given kites and water squirters when we entered the area.

Kite flying started immediately followed soon by the street food experience.  The food was a huge hit for our family.  We use extreme caution with the food here because of the gluten free diet most of us follow plus we were warned that the quickest way to really experience Delhi is eat the street food and find a bathroom.  Our tender American stomachs can't tolerate the ways of India as well as most native stomachs, so it is best to skip the experience of street foods.
The school cafeteria works with our girls to find gluten free options for them and are great about explaining to the girls what foods have gluten flour and what do not.  Both girls and the mister all went through the line with a food personal employee explaining what foods they could and could not eat.  It was a great food experience.  Now we need to remember the names of the foods so we can try to make them at home.  Although some are best left on the streets for special occasions.  Much like the cheese curds from the state fair, it is really best just to eat them once a year.

There were drums, like any good Indian celebration has.  Always drums and always loud by my standards.

And then there were the colors and the water.  The colors are in powder form and the water helps the colors stick.  White or light colored clothes are a favorite so one can see the progression of the colors as the throwing and water play continue.

After everyone had a chance to throw and play in water if they choose to, a game of cricket was played.  We haven't learned the game fully as of yet but kid three has played at recess from time to time.  It does look like something we all want to learn more about. Just the vocabulary alone is fun to learn: cricket, wicket, bowler, popping, striker.  You try it.