Bling

So this is a little late. After I moved here, I acquired some new bling...in the form of a nose ring. I sort of forgot to tell most people...for about six months. I usually forget about it unless I snag it on something, which hurts something fierce for about 8 seconds, and then I go back to forgetting it's there.

The go-to-nose-piercing man in the capital did it. He has some kind of reputation. Rumor has it that most of the Bollywood actresses have entrusted their noses to him, so I felt pretty comfortable with it. Then I walked in to the shop that was about 8 feet by 10 feet and had about 20 people in it. There was no place to sit and lots of mirrors on the walls. I picked out one I liked and watched him pierce about 6 noses in less than 5 minutes....ALL WITHOUT WASHING HIS HANDS. I promised myself (and my nose) that I would immediately go to the pharmacy and buy something to clean it afterward. Then I tried to convince him to let me sit down while he pierced it. No go. So I leaned over against the counter, took a deep breath, squeezed my water bottle really tight, and then it was over. And I promptly marched to the pharmacy and cleaned it with chlorahexadine. By the way, good job Asia for selling this for super cheap.

If you are reading this right now with raised brows and are tempted to jump to conclusions, remember I live in a country where it's completely culturally appropriate. Don't get crazy now. Here's a picture that's several months old to accompany the announcement that's several months late. :)