Durban: from Dutch to Indian (-looking) in an hour

  1. Posted on Tuesday 15 May 2007 - 12:57
    Elvira van Noort
    Image of Elvira van Noort
    14 May 2007, by Elvira van Noort in Grahamstown, South Africa. For quite some time now I"ve wanted to buy a traditional Indian sari. I"ve always wondered how it would look on me. Would I look as beautiful as those Indian women in Bollywood movies? Some of my Indian friends in Johannesburg have the most stunning silk sari"s covered with carefully handcrafted embroidery. I"ve always stared at them in awe at gala"s and dinner parties. The graceful way of walking, their female figure showing those lovely curves.
    I finally had the opportunity to buy a sari this past weekend, when I travelled to Durban for a wedding. Well, you are mistaken if you think that Africa is not the right place to look for a sari: Durban had so much choice it was difficult to just buy one. After careful considerations and a bunny chow, my boyfriend and I walked into a shop around the corner of the famous Victoria Market.

    Inside the shop an enormous selection of sari"s, all neatly folded and stacked in an open cabinet, welcomed and overwhelmed me. An Indian woman, chubby and wearing jeans, immediately walked up to me.

    As soon as I mentioned the word 'sari" she took of to the cabinet and started pulling out all different colours of fabric. I couldn"t understand her, she spoke softly and fast with a thick accent, and before I knew she was stripping of my summer dress in the dressing room.

    Within a matter of two minutes she transformed me into an Indian woman, complete with Bindi and (fake) gold jewellery. It was unbelievable; I had to look into the mirror twice. It was really me. There I was, draped in five meters of orange material and looking fabulous. I tried on another one, a dark red one with silver sparkles and I felt like hosting a gala for Bollywood superstars; because I would fit in perfectly!

    Of course there was a special price if I bought two. And even a better price if I buy another one for my mother. The shop also sells matching shoes and jewellery. It became quit difficult to talk my way out of the shop but back into my summer dress on a stoep somewhere in Durban I was glad I did.

    Without buying shoes (OK, I did end up being some bracelets) I was able to afford myself one more typically Indian accessory: a golden nose pin. My transformation was complete within the hour.

    Check out some photos of me in my new sari here

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