Wednesday, January 22, 2020

A day set aside for shopping...

Today was all about shopping for special outfits and such for ourselves.  Unlike some things that have changed since our first trip over, this definitely was as exhausting as it was back then, but equally as exciting...especially for the newcomers!

Novahu decided to start with the guys since that would probably not be as draining, and he was right, they found their outfits almost instantly!! And the biggest surprise was that Al, yes Al, got purple pants!!
 The Grand Poobaa sat back and took it all in!! 😂

They also got fabric to have some custom work done; naturally the taylor met them in the street to take their measurements, because why not!?!


Next was our quest to find outfits for the women. I'd first like to say that all the guys were real troopers about patiently enduring this whole process, but Jordan actually took it to the next level by being the guy with the eye for the perfect fit and eagerly gave his 2 cents worth! 

We looked at many different fabric selections and tried on different dresses before making our final selections.




Getting from store to store required either squeezing into the old school van...

Or braving the streets of Kakinada by crossing them at your own risk. ..


Midday, we took a much needed break to have lunch and rest up at the Valluri's home; they sure do take good care of us!! 💗


Upon heading back to the city, we made our final selections and then it was off to the tailor for our fittings. I'm not sure who had more fun shopping, Joan or Olivia; regardless, they'll both be sporting some beautiful Indian attire!! 
It's amazing how these little shops are tucked away into the smallest nooks and crannies. 



What a vulnerable process, but we're sure it will be worth it when we can wear our beautiful attire! 

Across the alleyway was man embroidering by hand...

After a few more stops, it was time to head back to the hotel for the night; I was thrilled to get a turn riding on the back of Manjula's nephew, Sasikanth's, motorcycle! It's a whole different experience going from inside the safety of a vehicle to putting yourself out there in the mix!! 




What an adventure!!

Namaste'
~Jenny