By the time I got back to AMP, many of my coworkers had already transformed into proper Indian goddesses! Some of the guys went all out too and had on traditional Indian garb as well. It was fabulous! After admiring everyone for a few minutes, I went to change into the special Indian outfit that Chhaya had given me a few weeks prior to wear for the event. It was absolutely stunning---a sequined and beaded silky half top and a long silky, sequined bottom piece in a brilliant gold color with splashes of red. I felt so special that Chhaya had specifically thought of me for wearing it that evening. I just love her! Most of the other women wore traditional Indian sarees for the event. The sarees were all soooo beautiful and so different, ranging from gorgeous pastels to bright vivid hues. I loved them all. =)
Chhaya was a master at delicately wrapping the sarees around each person to get them to look just right. A few of us just watched in awe as she worked her magic. After everyone was saree’d up and adorned with bindis on their foreheads, we headed out toward the Heritage Hotel. A group of about ten of us walked from AMP to the hotel and received many curious gazes from onlookers along the way. After arriving there and squeezing together in the Heritage elevator, we were escorted to The Grand Tearoom where the actual event was being held. A huge smile spread across my face as I heard the traditional Indian music blaring down the hall before we ever reached the room.
Upon entering The Grand Tearoom, the feel of New Zealand completely
dissipated and we were quickly immersed in the vibrant culture and spirit of India. The room was spectacular and the decorations and lighting were perfect. We had a buffet of food, plus an open bar was available the entire evening, offering champagne, mimosas, wine, and beer. AMP had even hired traditional Indian dancers who put on a wonderful performance. After they were done, everyone else got out onto the dance floor and boogied until the late hours of the night. At one point, the DJ put on “Jai Ho” from the Slumdog Millionaire soundtrack, and the crowd went absolutely WILD haha. SO much fun!!
It was great to dance and let loose with all my girls from the Kiwisaver and Life teams. Everyone just had a ball. There were of course a few people who enjoyed the open bar a little too much, but I suppose that’s to be expected. One of the guys from work named Simon had us laughing quite a bit with his improvisation skills during the evening. Since he didn’t have a proper Indian kurta that many of the men wore, he took off his flannel over-shirt and wrapped it around his head like a turban haha. Our evening at the Heritage ended with some tasty ice cream for dessert. Overall, the Bollywood Event was a smashing hit and I felt so fortunate that I was able to be a part of it. =)
After it was over, a group of about 10 of us walked back to AMP to change our clothes. To get into the building after hours, you have to scan your access card for the entrance door to unlock. Well, at some point between all of us entering and exiting, a random Asian couple snuck into the building without us noticing straight away. When one of our managers Fiona yelled at them to leave, the Asian girl was drunk, belligerent and confused. Her male Asian companion had apparently promised her a ‘room’ in our building haha. The guy, who didn’t seem to speak much English, just kept repeating in a strong Asian accent, “We booked room here, we booked room.” Hahaha…nice try buddy. Pretty sure our corporate AMP building doesn’t offer any hotel rooms.
After changing clothes at AMP, Jess and I met up with a group from work at the Bungalow bar on the harbour. A friend of Chelsea and Ervin’s was having his birthday celebration on the back deck, so we all chilled there for a good portion of the evening. Besides hanging out with Jess, Chelsea, Ervin, Celeste, Sara, Nicole, Fiona, Kanch, Chris and Izzy from work, I was also introduced an American girl who Izzy had been dying for me to meet. He had previously told me that I reminded him of her because of our similar accents =). She was a sweetheart.
I also randomly met a couple guys Russell and Basir during the evening, whom I had in-depth criminology-related conversations with as opposed to the usual bar conversations. Surprisingly, this turned out to be quite amusing. I spent the rest of the evening dancing with my AMP girls on the dance floor. Then, Jess, Sara and I all eventually left together in the late hours of the morning to head home. All in all, a memorable evening in New Zealand. =)
Cheers,
Ash
No comments:
Post a Comment