Today I got my second opportunity to wear a sari. A co-worker sent a note last week saying, "Hey, how about if we all wear saris to the new building inaugeration?" And I thought, "Hey, wearing a sari went so well last time, why not?" http://karnatakatabbies.blogspot.com/2009/01/sorry-saari.html
This time around I took advantage of lessons learned to refine my approach: NO more instructions from the internet and NO letting Larrie try to follow the instructions from the internet. I went to work with the top facing the correct direction this time, a whole bunch of safety pins, and an appointment with a colleague for sari draping. That proceeded pretty well. We just about had it wrapped when two more women came into the rest room and had suggestions for how to wrap it even better. So two more unwrappings and wrappings later, there was consensus it was as good as it was gonna' get. I only got rewrapped one more time during the day when another colleague suggested a different draping style with more coverage. Apparently there are many ways to tie a sari, none of which Larrie and I can replicate.
Fast forward a half hour... doing good... having only stumbled a little bit once tripping on the bottom of the sari and I didn't get set on fire during the lamp lighting ceremony. It looked dangerous to me to try to hold my sari on AND hold a lit candle at the same time. Then my co-worker gently told me I had my bindi on upside down and a little high. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bindi_(decoration) Sigh... she pulled it off and turned it over and said "Don't worry, I do this for my daughters all the time." (They are 7 and 5).
I have to say... the only thing I've found more difficult to manage in a restroom was my wedding dress. I walked out of the restroom the first time today thinking "Wow, it's a lot easier to walk now than it was a few minutes ago", leading me to wonder..."Uh oh, what's different?" It was just a few minutes later when my colleague suggest a new style with more coverage. Huh.
It was also tricky not strangling myself because I kept running the wheels of my chair over the bottom of the material. There is a reason I had the not so loved nickname "Uncordinated Orvis" when I was a kid. And a reason I avoided dresses and high heels.
All in all, I was glad when the end of the day arrived and I could return home to shorts and a t-shirt. Anyone want a used sari?
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