Shopping for bangles

Day 2 in India was spent with accessories and gifts. This means jewelry, bangles, fake hair (yes! Needed for a decent long braid), etc.


So first we went for the jewelry… I am usually someone that avoids golden colors. Well, this obviously is not an option in India. I also like discreet jewelry… not an alternative either (according to SIL: you are too fair and your saris are dark colors so you have to wear heavy jewelry otherwise it will not show…). I managed to buy just 2 sets, each matching 2 saris. One is golden with green and dark pink and the other is blue. I also got one for my mom… and she is usually even more averse than me regarding big jewelry hehehehe.

Next was the bangle shop. As we walked in the door, with the walls lined with all sorts and colors of neatly arranged bracelets my eyes twinkled at all the options… until I went to try some. My SIL knew her size and started ordering the colors and styles she wanted while I started my battle with the glass bangles. They are beautiful!! But made for Indian-standard sizes. At 5’9” and of German descent, I definitely do not fit the bill. So after breaking 2 bangles trying them on (with the incentive of the shop owner who insisted they would fit) she finally brought out the largest size she had: 2-10. With a lot of squeezing the bangles did make it through my hands but once in place I had no clue how on Earth I would get them off. Again, her help was needed. And then came the ordeal of trying different types and colors of bangles, all in the almost-impossible-to-squeeze-in size. My hand turned bright red and bangle marks were quite visible. I ended up buying 2 sets to use at my SIL’s wedding… and maybe will go back to get more if these make it through. I must say that feeling like a giant is definitely one of the things I do not like in India, but at least we all had had a laugh about "non-standard Indian size".