Festival of Colors

I didn't want another multi-subject post, so I'm taking the liberty to rant about my events of yesterday, March 26th, in a new, fresh entry. It's titled Festival of Colors. Considering I don't have very many readers, and most live in or around Utah, I'm sure you know what it is. They do these major events at certain times of the year, and this Festival in particular is for the welcoming of spring at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah. Basically, people know it because you get to throw colored powder at each other and everyone around you. It's popular. I mean, everyone at school was talking about it.

Kaylynn and I decided we wanted to go. Now this is the cool part, because we invited Brett, but he couldn't come, (Sorry, that wasn't cool) so instead Kaylynn invited our friend Nahuel. It was a spur of the moment sort of thing, and amazingly, he could come! So Kaylynn's mom gave us a ride down to the Festival of Colors, and we were all dressed up in white (Except Nahuel, who didn't necessarily know we were going to throw talcum at him) for the festival. We got food, graciousness from Kaylynn's mother, and then headed into the party. It is situated next to a Llama farm, which was pretty weird, but I got to see Llamas! Anyway, even as we went in, we were being hit with powder. Nahuel kept saying how he didn't like where this was going, and that he was already regretting coming, especially after a guy threw orange powder straight into his face. (Nahuel made it very clear that the stuff tasted very gross, but that it was scented.) I had fun being hit by plumes of colored dust, I was dressed up and didn't care how I looked at the moment. In fact, by the time we got to a gazebo where we could buy our powder, I was pretty colorful even then. Kaylynn and I bought our colors, glad to have something to throw, and it was pretty cool, because we found our good friend Drew there, already splashed with yellows and pinks.

We lost him, but we continued on through the giant mob of people, throwing it at everyone and anyone. They had a hippie band there, playing music and chanting some words I couldn't make out, and we were allowed to go up to the temple. We could even go in, but we had to take our shoes off and blow off any excess dust. Kaylynn, Nahuel, and I didn't bother. Nahuel made a snarky comment and I emptied a bag of pink dust all over his head...took him a while to forgive me for that. He was pretty pink though. Kaylynn talked about how they did this thing every two hours, and that we were here for the three o' clock one. I had no idea what she was talking about until it happened. It was so weird and cool. They did a countdown up at the mic, and everyone counted with them. On one, everyone shouted Hare Krishna and drew all their powder into the air. I saw a cloud of blackness. I couldn't breathe for five seconds too! All I could see what Kaylynn and Nahuel in front of me, probably kissing, and people everywhere jumping and shouting. Finally the wind blew it away, and I could see the grey sky ahead. It was crazy, I'll tell you that much.

Going home was an adventure. I'd like to point out that I knew where I was, but my parents just couldn't find me. Spanish Fork is weird. We were colorful, and got approval from other equally colorful people as we left and made our way towards a highway. It was there that my dad got all irritated and stuff, but they found us finally, and we drove home in good cheer, for the most part. I think Nahuel didn't have AS fun a time as me and Kaylynn, but he'll look back and laugh.

As for me, I thought it was a fun experience, something new. It felt sort of sacrilegious, but cool to feel that religion also. I definitely won't forget it. Might go a second time next year...might.