It is a real scorcher out there. ISH residents are feeling/hating this heatwave, but we don’t let that get us down. On Saturday, July 20, ISH held a Henna Night, which was a complete Indian themed cultural program. Residents dressed up, then danced, ate, and drank the night away. The great hall was decorated to the nines, with disco lights, strobe lights, Bollywood posters, henna posters, fairy lights, and the Indian flag. A specially cultivated Bollywood playlist was created for the evening and the music videos were projected for all to see.
Our in-house resident Bollywood expert gave a dance demo/lesson so that everyone could feel the beat and look the part. Even the food/drink samplings were Indian themes – residents could taste both chicken and vegetable samosas as well as aloo chaat, which is originally a street food from northern and eastern India, made of fried potatoes with spices and chutney. Of course, the night was true to its name and Henna was the real show stopper. Raghu, a resident from India, was the Henna artist and he drew some fantastic tattoos. Each participant chose their design, and Raghu added his own artistic flare.
ISH Residents showing off their henna
This was my final event at ISH-DC. This was an epic goodbye parting. I was even able to choose the final song of the night. I choose “Zoobi Doobi” a love song from the Bollywood movie Three Idiots. I absolutely love this song and that movie and would suggest that if you have not seen it to stop reading this blog post right now and go watch it (it is a 3-hour long movie, so maybe plan wisely of when you can watch it). Three idiots will have you laughing and crying, and you will learn all about life. Every second of this movie is worth its weight in gold.
Entrance to the Great Hall decorated for the evening to welcome residents
