My Punjabi Suits - February 3

Yes, they were finished - well, not quite, the tailor had to hem the scarf of my deep pink outfit for the upcoming wedding and the elastic was not put in the pants. It took an extra 40 minutes to get all of this done. I don’t know if he would have done it if the woman from the Ashram with me had not insisted that we pull out each piece and check it. She found the missing things. She is an old timer and understands how production can work. She came with me because she needed a tailor – and he quickly understood that this meant more business. She examined the seams of my outfit and declared that he was good and the price – about $6 to make all 3 outfits – she thought was a great deal. I had been given the “Indian price” not the “tourist price” she assured me. When I was finished she stayed and was measured. All this took place down an alley from the main bazaar street – not too far from the fabric “store” – space open to the bazaar - where I bought the fabric. The tailor’s shop was an open space about 9x10 feet. There were 2 trundle sewing machines and 3 men sitting inside. They offered us tea and rickety stools to sit on. A man and his son stopped by to talk. The father was either deaf or mute but his son was happy to chat with us. The father was extremely proud of his son’s ability in English. The whole crowd watched while I tried on the Punjabi tunic top (right over my sweater) – with the Ashram friend holding the back of my sweater down while I pulled the tunic off – no skin showing, please.

I have 2 day Punjabi suits and a fancy one for the wedding. The 2 tunics are great – but I will not wear the pants at this point – still too cold and they are just cotton. So, the tunic top goes over my silk long underwear and my sweater. I put on my black American pants (Indians don’t seem to wear either black or white so I am so out of style – but I don’t care, warmth takes precedence). Then I put on the matching scarf (pinned – thank you, Patty Cullen, for suggesting that I bring pins for this very purpose – I do NOT know how the Indian women keep these scarves on) and my jacket over it all. When I teach the 5th graders I wear the jacket (8:30 am). By the time the 6th class meets I can take off the jacket (11:25 am). So, I am looking more Indian. I do mourn my lack of a hair dryer and make up however – my hair looks pretty darn flat. But, in all honesty, I wouldn’t trade them for my pencil sharpener, big eraser or my Nancy Drew notebook.