From Jackson Heights to Jivamukti to the Taj Mahal, CCNY members ventured wide and far before they journeyed Om.Across the country, Americans compete with their neighbors for the best yard or biggest house or fanciest car. But in a small block radius in Queens, NY, it's all about Keeping Up with the Patels.
And so the girls of CCNY did just that. Only 15 minutes outside of Manhattan, CCNY traveled to Jackson Heights, Queens to step foot into a culture where jewel tones are the norm and black is an unfavorable color.
The afternoon started with a brief walking tour of Indian gold jewelry and apparel stores filled with beaded saris and kurtas.
Statues of well-known Hindu gods graced the window fronts of several stores.Here it is where CCNY members learned of Ganesha, Shiva, Krishna, Durga and more. To get in true Indian spirit, we entered a Bollywood music and film store where we danced and ogled at Shahrukh Khan, India's version of Brad Pitt.
Before heading back to the city, we stopped for some temporary Indian henna tattoos. Little did we know, they last for a few weeks and that we would have to wait for them to dry and flake off. Wait this reminds me...kinda sounds like someone's eczema, doesn't it?
With Jackson Heights behind us, we were now headed to Jivamukti for what we thought was an Intro to Yoga. Whoever said "there's no sweating in yoga" has never been to Jivamukti. I can speak on behalf of the group and confidently say Jivamukti may be one of, if not the best, yoga studios in the city. For more information, visit www.jivamuktiyoga.com. (picture of group taken after our workout (sorry about the focus some tourists just can't take a picture)
After an intense workout, those who worked up an appetite and weren't afraid to tantalize their taste buds headed to the Taj Mahal in NYC's Curry Row.
As a traditional Indian feast goes, each member left with a full belly.
We dined on chicken vindaloo, samosas, saag paneer, raita, naan and chutney before we said goodbye to our new turban-wearing friends.
