21

Yesterday was the day after Saraswati Puja (the last day of Navaratri), and it is said to be an auspicious day for new beginnings.

I began the day with prayer and a nice (cold) bucket shower and cycled over to SITA for my very first venu lesson. It went slowly, but eventually I got a note out! Then I spent a lazy afternoon at the apartment, reading, knitting, enjoying fried fish for lunch. At around 3:30, Aafreen insisted that I play with her on the roof. When I came back down, I was bounded with shouts of SURPRISE!
Nisha, my host mom, had called all of my friends over to have a party :) The cake was actually very good and the crazy butane flower candle nearly burned the place down... that may be a bit exaggerated.
I had a really nice time! I didn't expect it at all, especially because she had said that she couldn't do anything for my birthday because her family would be here. Sneaky!
We ended up going to the rooftop restaurant at the Hotel Metropole (it looks shwankier from the ground than up there).

It certainly felt auspicious.