My dad's cousin, Rafia (again, she was at our wedding) bought Nick his first shalwar kameez yesterday. We thought some photos might be instructional for all of our readers out there.
Before you put on the pants, you have to thread them with either a piece of elastic or a long length of cotton cord known as a nara. Why, you ask? Because they're made to be one-size-fits-all in the waist region:
But once you get everything fitted, then presto! You have the perfect pair of MC Hammer pants.
We both feel the need to reiterate to our readers just how incredibly comfortable these outfits are. In fact, the only thing that's preventing me from buying shalwar kameez for everyone back home is knowing that most of our friends and family probably won't be sporting them for dinner at the Roma Lodge anytime soon. Still, girls can wear the pants around the house and the long tunics over jeans, so you never know...
Today also marked Nick's first foray into the world of paan. Paan looks like this:
Disgusting, right? It's actually a whole host of ingredients (seeds, spices, sweet candy bits) wrapped up in a leaf. Some varieties can contain tobacco or other, erhm, stimulants. [Nick: "I would describe it as chewing sunflower seeds and Winterfresh gum wrapped in spinach."] Clearly, paan has no American counterpart. It's consumed after meals to help with digestion. I think it's pretty cool, if only because the taste of what you're eating changes over time. It's like a cow and cud: chew forever, then eventually swallow it (you can also spit it out). Here are Nick and my cousin Farrah (an experienced paan enthusiast) taking part in this local delicacy.
It's good that Nick is always up for trying new things...Always.
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