VEL VEL!!!

I haven't slept well for days and I am exhausted... but wait, the fuss isn't over, it's Thaipusam and I am insomniac.

Thaipusam is the popularly celebrated religious festival which is sort of a homage paying ceremony to the Hindu deity Lord Muruga. Of all days, when dawn breaks, this is going to be a long, excruciating, stifling and tiring day. And I am a week behind in beauty time. Imagine the acne outbreaks waiting to happen on my skin. The horror!!!

There is this tradition in the extended family of mine, the paternal extended family that is. Involving mainly the youngest aunt (and family), eldest aunt (and family) and ours; an apartment is booked, and the entire stampede is  packed like a can of sardines in a two-rooms apartment. All in the nature of welcoming the holy day; and it does help that the gang gets to sorta, kinda, unwind and relax, away from the routines of daily life (repeat after this Hdaran, stop using clichéd phrases).

I am blogging from that very apartment now...

I don't know if it qualifies for a tradition, (a decade of this so called 'get-away' of sorts) but it certainly has been one that we all (at least most of us; Hdaran excluded) look forward to.

I am looking forward to Thaipusam on the island this year. Very simply because this will be the first that I am going to be writing about.

The horrific machas and their flashy outfits;
The dull colourless uncles; their unflattering pleated pants with eye hurting shoes;
The worse of fashion faux pas; men wearing their cell-phone as an accessory on their belts (and flash them as if it were cool).
The neatly and unflatteringly dressed KKVs (kudumbatte kutte vilakke, a.k.a typical homely Indian girl next village).
The outrageous so-called party gals whom usually wear flashy sarees and overdone makeup. Sometimes they score, mostly they're an eye-sore.
And best *sticks tongue out* of them all, the eccentric fashion paraders; these are a rare breed of the Thaipusam going gang of machas whom go one step further and turn up with very eye-catchy fashion statements. Almost runway worthy (yes, the circus could use a freak-show by the side don't they???), they come up with intriguing ideas from highlighting their beards and tying them up with colourful rubber bands to coming up with the most mind-boggling wardrobe match-up mankind has ever seen.

C'mon this has got to be fun!!!

Ok then, it's almost half-past three and we're heading to the temple.
Say it with me;
VEL VEL!!!!!!!!!!!!