12/25 The Guru of Dance

I left early from the hotel to have some tea, get my presents wrapped in New Market and watch the sunset from the rooftop. After I finally found someone willing to wrap my gifts, I had to wait another twenty minutes watching them slowly wrap with deliberation if not expertise.  It took two people and lots of tape.  Sitting on the roof, the city seemed so much larger at dusk. Huge hawks darted in and out of the iron railing.  After the sun went down, I tentatively went to catch a taxi giving myself ample time to get lost;).  Two cabbies flat out refused and the other three wanted rates up to three times the normal fare - all refusing to run the meter of course.  My getting lost time was  pretty much gone by this time so I took the next cab regardless of the fare.  While he claims to know my destination, as we get closer, he has to confirm with a shopkeeper.  We stop in front of a house that I thought looked similar to Mitali's and indeed one of the gentlemen waved at me.  So I got out, payed the fare and went to join the group.  However, as I walked up to the crowd I didn't recognize one single person.  One woman stepped out and kindly asked me if I needed help.  I declined saying I would call my friends.  I walked out to the main street unable to get Siddarth or Mitali.  I ask a few folks which way to go but am leery, not of there directions but of my capacity to understand them;)  In the end I find Mitali's house.  Turns out their power is out.  So Siddarth and I sit and talk in the dark as they get ready.  After driving over the bridge to the party, we get out on a little street lined with sleepy shops and dark small homes.  Walk down a windy path lined with cramped little three to four story houses and enclosed courtyards with towering  trees.  It's really lovely - a mixture of a medieval city in Europe and certain neighborhoods in Cairo.  We arrive at the little house that is Suman's Dance studio. We enter the court to find a cook outside stirring a large hardia (pot).  Bartenders are waiting inside.  Suman wisks in wearing a beautiful vest and tie and promptly wisks out again.  We go and sit in the dance studio.  Everyone is quietly sitting in chairs against the walls except for the mirrored wall where a man is video taping with a light bright as the sun.  Most of the twenty or so people are wearing western clothing.  Thank god there are a few women wearing Indian style clothes.  I guess it is quite typical for westerners to show up wearing Indian style clothing to find Indian's wearing western clothes;)  Mitali assures me that I don't look silly, so I relax in my pink Salwar Kameez and am happy to hear it's time for a drink.  One of the women shouts at me "I saw you! I know you!"  Turns out it was the woman who had offered to help me earlier and it was her husband who had waved at me!  Small small world in a city of ten million my goodness.  Suman turns on the music and grabs one of the women for a waltz.  The evening progresses with other dances - cha cha, rumba, the swing, etc.  It's fantastic and just a little surreal to be sitting in this lovely little Christmas decorated studio tucked away somewhere in Calcutta watching Indian's boogey and salsa the night away.  So we drink for a few hours than eat - a lot of both;)  They served whiskey, rum, and vodka with soda, Sprite or Pepsi.  After about two hours and a few drinks, Suman invited everyone up to dance.  A little salsa and before I know it I am dancing the Merengue with Suman!  Except for a few moments of self conscious "1,2,3 ... 1,2,3"'s, I relaxed and absolutely loved it.  I typically have a very difficult time following, but I didn't have time to think about it too much and besides the rum had loosened up my inhibitions a bit.  I really could have stayed and danced the night away.  As we all ate, Suman turned on the Bollywood music and kept loading my plate with food.  I really couldn't finish and got some very very concerned looks as I returned a plate with food still on it.  In the cab home, Mitali and I both conferred that for some reason we couldn't take the smiles off our faces;)  Merry Christmas with an extra helping of Merengue!