New year at Atali

2013 started with a blast! Two blasts!!

First the official new years party for the guests at 31. December, including the Danish tradition of jumping in to the new year (At christmas eve, I got a bunch of kids to dance around the christmas tree while singing a Danish christmas carol), dancing, drinking and all that follows, including hangovers, chips and movies on 1. January. (I can really really recommend BBC's Sherlock Holmes series!!)

Second new year party was for the staff on 4. January. That was first day without guests at Atali. And what a party! Several plans and dates had been discussed, but at lunch we cleared all the arrangements - who slaugters the goat and prepares it (and sharpens the axe), who gets the daru (alcohol), music, invites the staff from camp etc. etc. Fast and efficient as an old school Danes loves it (though my patience has grown over the years in India).

At 5.30 pm the 2 clients (old Aquaterra friends - so of course also invited) and the staff from camp arrived. The snacks were served: a local speciality consisting of raw marinated goat (calling this an aquired taste is not overstating) and the local peanuts deluxe, which means with spices, tomatoes, onion and chili - an absolute favourite. The alcohol was served (in all 8 bottles for about 50 people - reasonable), the music started and so did the party indeed! There were dancing - lots of dancing and as always in India the guys have no issues with dancing. I was the only woman at the party and even if I was popular on the dance floor, nobody stepped back if I wasn't there. Brilliant.

Not least when one of the gartners (4 feet 7) were to go to bed (madam's orders) and refused - or more like it - his legs refused, and Vikram, who's the carpenter around here, resolutely lifted up the gartner, threw him on the shoulders and carried him back down to the dorm, where he was put to bet. An amazing sight!

Some impressions from the party...