Home is where the work doesn't get done.

Once again, I can't believe its already Thursday. As I start writing this post, I am currently at Praneetha's house after a double sleepover (my house is being painted right now and is thus filled with noxious fumes, cold, and loud music). I arrived Tuesday evening with my Physiology textbook, a bundle of clothes, and three lipsticks. We ate, played poker, and I studied. Praneetha's photoshoot was the next day (hence the lipsticks) and I would be helping her get ready. She, along with three other pals of mine who learn from Jothi Aunty are having their arangetrams this summer, so they need nice photographs of themselves to put on the arangetram invitations and brochures.

We awoke excessively early the next morning (at 6:30). Praneetha, her mom, and I picked up Ramya and her mom, and drove to Jothi Aunty's house, where we met Neha and Shweta and their moms. The next two hours were filled with getting the girls all made up as if they were about to go on stage. This includes several layers of foundation, powder that lightens the skin by 5 shades, enough eyeliner to give the "raccoon" effect, and RED lipstick. Also, their hair needed to be weaved and braided into complex arrangements that allowed them to wear flowers (fake jasmines) in it. For the first time, I realized what an involved and lengthy process by doing it on another person.

I spent the first hour coloring everyone's toes and the outline of their feet with red Sharpie (of course that's my job...I am the expert, remember?) and undertaking other such degrading jobs. Luckily, I wore waste clothes so it didn't matter that I got red smudges all over them. We finally left Westford at around eleven, and drove all the way to Belmont to the photo studio. Tensions were still running high as people needed their eye makeup fixed or hair smoothed down before they were called down for the photographs. And then we spent close to 5 hours taking 4 sets of photographs in 12 different poses and 6 different close up shots. If you look at my arangetram invitation and brochure, you'll see just a few of these.


Oh mannn. It was so exhausting and I wasn't even in it this time! I was reminded of the stress I went through last year, what with the whole dance business and that Global Voices performance I had to give and upcoming graduation and prom and all that.

Ramya, Praneetha, their moms and I drove home pretty exhausted after the lengthy photoshoot and several hilarious pictures of our own. At Praneetha's we and a bunch of kids tried playing things like baseball, monopoly, and poker (all of which failed) and just ended up going to bed soon after, at around 11. We were so very tired.

Got up in the morning, and crammed as much Physio in as possible. On the bright side, I now know how the body regulates its salt and water balance. Will have some really awesome pictures up soon, so check back.

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