Hostel Day (or the time I sang the Titanic song, was dressed up like a man, and lost and regained all my music in one night)

Two weeks ago was the second big celebration of the year at Lea Hostel other than Christmas: Hostel Day! Hostel Day is the big celebration of Lea Hostel before the 3rd D.C. and 2nd P.G. students graduate.

The festivities were copious. There was a program on stage, attended by all the girls of the hostel and some of the college faculty. Beginning at 6 pm, it lasted until THREE A.M.!!!

The girls acted out a variety of crazy skits, sang songs, and awarded prizes. Mostly, however, it was dancing. Lots and lots and lots of dancing. I'm going to make a cultural generalization here and say that every girl in India is a ridiculously good dancer. I have never met so many good dancers in my entire life. The second years had choreographed TEN different dances to perform. They were amazing, so in step. I can't believe they memorized the steps to ten different choreographed group dances, all with different costumes and music, and performed them all in one night! Talk about talented. These girls are so amazing and continually blow me away.

I bought and had a new sari made for the occasion. Early on in the program, I played guitar and sang "Nanniode njan," my favorite Malayalam hymn. There were also treats and speeches given.

During the middle of the program, a girl needed to have a song burned onto a CD for a dance, so I did it for her. As I put her flash drive into my computer, her flash drive had a virus and deleted all of my music on my iTunes account, over 5000 songs. I handed her the CD and said nothing. Turned my computer off and on again. The songs were gone. The girl standing next to me saw that something had happened and saw my empty iTunes. I told her I wasn't sure what had happened, but that my files had disappeared. Right as this happened, I was called on stage to sing the song from Titanic.

Timing. Sigh. I felt God say to me, This is an opportunity to show grace. I took a few deep breaths and went on stage while the track began to play. I felt like crying, realizing I'd just lost all my music. I began to sing, and saw all the girls smiling at me, and suddenly realized how stupid it was to be upset about the music. It really didn't matter. What mattered was them, and singing for them, and making them smile. The third years in the back of the audience stood up and swayed. I threw all of myself into that song and sang my heart out. The girls had been asking me all year to perform the song from Titanic, and so I'd prepared it for them, and as I found myself on stage, in a sari, belting this song, I felt unspeakable joy. Joy that this was such a hilarious memory, joy that every day I am being given so many opportunities to show grace.

The night ensued. The faculty left, everyone ran to eat dinner and change into comfy clothes, and then the skits and dances got crazier, with many elaborate costumes and props. At 1:30 in the morning, I found myself as part of a fashion show. The girls sat me down and did my makeup and dressed me up_AS A MAN! Every girl with a fancy outfit for the fashion show also had a "man" to walk out with. So I catwalked all over the stage as a man.

So in one evening I went from

this...                                                                                            

...to this.

At 2:30 am, I went upstairs to my room and sat down. I prayed that my songs weren't lost. I turned my computer on and off and few times, and after a few times, I found my songs elsewhere on my computer!!! Miraculous! I was overjoyed! I hadn't lost anything! See how silly it was for you to be worried? I ran to find the girl with the flash drive and told her it all right! And then I went back to my room, washed off my mustache and sideburns, and went to bed.

It was a pretty wild night.

Father, thank You for the joy of Hostel Day. Thank you for the wonderful memories and for all the joy. And thank you for always taking care of us, Your children, even in the little things. Forgive me for all the small things I get upset by that really don't matter. Forgive me for losing sight of all the blessings surrounding me when I focus on one thing that's wrong. Help me to keep my eyes on You at all times. Thank You that when we pray to You about anything, even little things, You hear our prayers, Lord. 

Sorry the recording is not so great.

The girls eagerly waiting for the program to start

Singing "Nanniode jnan"

The event was called "Melodeon"

Hilarious second-years: Soumya tries to "woo" Tina with her guitar-playing abilities in this comic dance

All the second-years, after a dance they performed where each "guy" successfully wooed a partner

A dance celebrating the traditional dances of Kerala farmers

Amazing costumes for a traditional dance

Ledu and I after the first portion of the program

Sporting the "2nd Runner Up" banner from the Miss Lea competition.

Shenanigans