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I went shopping at Ghandipurma. As I mentioned, it's a great place to go if you looking to throw an Indian wedding. The street was lined with Jewelers and Saree shops - and not much else. Though I did find an Indian confectionery on the corner. I bought a small box of sweets - absolutely delicious. I had to put them down; I could definitely get fat here.

I went into one of the Jewelers - lots of heavy ornate necklaces - not really my style, but they pair well with sarees, and they look absolutely stunning on Indian women. They pull that beautiful, exotic look off effortlessly - not me. I'd look ridiculous - like a kid playing dress-up. 

I was looking for an ankle bracelet.  Nothing fancy. They took me back into their special room. I don't know why. I don't think anything about me screams "I love to spend money on jewelry".  But they ushered me in there nevertheless, treating me like someone who might drop some serious cash. 

As it turned out, the special room was more of a stock room, floor to ceiling boxes and boxes of costume jewelry. So much for my perceived VIP treatment. When I told them I was looking for a simple silver anklet, they told me theirs were silver plate and referred me to a place on the next block. Turns out their assessment of my budget was spot on with the backroom inventory.

Anyway, I went to the other joint and bought two lovely silver anklets for 5000 rupees. Fun fact - they're sold in pairs, which makes sense, as most ladies have two ankles. I was super stoked with my purchase, and I think they were super stoked to sell it to me. We all exchanged the Indian nod - a slight head bob with a smile, which, I must admit, I'm close to mastering.

Afterwards, I wandered up the street some more and through a few alleys before landing in a very fancy Saree shop. What a feast for the eyes. Everywhere you looked -wall to wall - were exquisite silks, in every imaginable color and pattern. Three full floors of them. 

I was barraged by a pack of salesclerks as soon as I entered. When I mentioned I was just kicking tires, the metaphor fell flat, much like all of my jokes here. I had to explain it with the help English to Tamil translator, and it still didn't land. Eventually, I managed to communicate that I wasn’t planning to buy anything, and surprisingly, they didn’t mind at all. They seemed genuinely eager just to show off their dazzling inventory to the wide-eyed Ugly American.

The first floor was apparently for the regular shopper. It was bustling with ladies holding up fabrics, running their hand over the textures, consulting with salesclerks. Meanwhile, their male companions waited patiently in armchairs, offering the perfunctory nod or smile - just like back home. 

On the second floor, I received a blessing from the monk. He asked if I were married. When I said no, he seemed to get a bit more serious with the blessing, applying extra paint to my chakra. So, we'll see what happens. 

I'm not sure what the monk or the alter, for that matter, was doing in the saree shop, but there they both were, front and center, as you entered that second-floor showroom. Maybe the monk appreciates a good tailor. Who knows? I took my blessing, gave a Namaste bow (and some rupees), and proceeded to the third floor. It bears noting that this showroom was considerable calmer than the other two, making it a perfect place for a bit of spiritual reflection.

Up on the third floor, the energy picked back up. This was the piece-de-resistance of the Saree shop - the wedding saree floor. There was no shortage of beautiful brides-to-be being fitted for the big day, as their proud families gazed on. This was the happy room - lots of beautiful smiles, bobbing nods, and Namastes up here.

I didn’t belong there, obviously, but no one seemed to mind. After a few minutes I slipped away and was back on the mean streets, where I blended into the crowd. 

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