Season’s greetings from the UK

I feel like a pompous, ignorant, uneducated fool.

At least I can comfort my self that yes; I did know that England at one point ruled India. Why, when and how is the bit I am not too sure on.

It is easy to throw my anger at my school, why did I not have a decent history lesson or a decent any lesson for that matter. Why was every class dominated by unruly pupils, the worst culprit being now quite big in the porn industry and the other culprits riding the benefit systems.

Its easy to blame the school and then I could blame the TV maybe they should stop running all these documentaries about forensic evidence of Christ and how a tennis racket is made and run something that might educate us Brits in something that happened not so long ago.

Exactly what did I learn in History? I cannot think of a single thing not one, vague recollections of medieval torture. I remember the great British plague and the great British fire every thing in history seams to be the Great British something. But what about the great British reign of India?

There have been hints of it as I grew up I guess, Mary Poppins for example, how the British economy was built on the East India Trading Company, Pirates of the Caribbean and also spotting Indian fabrics in stately homes.

I have a theory. Maybe what I did learn in history disturbed me so much I just blotted it out of my mind to protect my self from the cruelty of early Britain. I mean if having a king who killed his wife’s and divided religion even more wasn’t bad enough. But the truth is I have not had any formal lessons in any thing to do with the British Empire.

Recently a friend in India stated that that the Indians have a soft spot for the English because of the reign. It made me think. Why the soft spot? What on earth did we do except exploit recourses, labour and divide and rule with some devastating consequences. And of course shoot men, women children and tigers.

I guess there are always the trains, science and languages and it certainly made the stuffed animal collection grow in the Natural History museum, but really, was it worth it? To me it looks like the English came, wrecked, hung on for far too long and ran away with their tail between their legs.

I have not yet studied it fully and I know it will not be a pleasant learning, and what I have so far have found has made me feel uncomfortable being a Brit who is enjoying learning about Indian culture to find that possibly a late ancestor was overseas pinching ivory and exploiting the land and its people. Not a nice feeling.

My boyfriend is constantly reminding me of the fact that I am not Indian; I have never understood that until now, “of course I know I’m not Indian! what do you mean?” I ask him.

The rose tinted glasses have not slipped from my Indian closet, they are not firmly on my nose either, and however they have fallen off at my English one. And it has certainly stirred up some horrid memories from my school days!

My blog is being made more public thanks to a cross-dressing site.

I was browsing the Internet when I suddenly found my blog in a cross dressers website!

At first I was a bit horrified, do I look like a man? In certain photos, I guess I do! I’m female! Honest, I know, I have given birth after all!

However my horror did not last long as I began to think about it a bit more. After all, I have made use of the term “coming out of the closet” which in some cultures states that you are reviling your secrets and mostly in the UK states you are opening up about your homosexuality, which at this point I would like to point out that not all cross dressers are homosexual.

Putting my self in another set of shoes I thought, there is not a lot of difference between me and a cross dresser. There’s this obsession, that’s not quite the norm, which you find hard to talk about hard, and hard to find people with similar interests and always at the back of your mind what everyone else thinks.

It must take some courage trying to tell your family that as their son you like noting better than getting a nice dress on, stiletto heels and hitting the town armed with a handbag and lipstick.

If I’m honest, where my family are concerned I am well and truly still in the closet when it comes to coming out with my saree obsession. My dad sort of knows about the fact I like sarees, and I think he likes it because India had a huge influence on the Beatles, my dad is Beatles mad, and of course, I think my dad is a closet hippy. My mum draws a blank on the subject, when I told her I wanted to wear a saree to my brothers wedding resulted in the finger waving and “If you ever….” (Words of disownment followed as it does overtime I do something that mother does not approve of)

When you do not have the support behind you from your own mother, I feel that you are made to feel slightly outcast from what you feel is, and should be a part of you. I have the disapproval of my mother sat on my shoulder like a little red daemon, the sort you used to see in the old cartoons nagging at me saying that I shouldn’t be wrapping that saree, I should be wearing things that are more ordinary. (Apparently)

So I call my self a cultural cross dresser, who favours the Asian fashion, sarees in particular. When I do venture out in a saree I get a lot of complements, I just wish my mum could hear them I’m sure she will suddenly find herself proud of her tom boy daughter all of a sudden and encourage the wearing. The odd thing is, if my mum was out and about and happened across a man in a dress, she would be singing his praises and be full of complements, of course, if he looked good!

As said before I have the support of my readers, those on twitter and those that complement me when I’m out and about in the saree so thank you.

I wrote on their blog

“Hello, Thank you for supporting my blog! I’m having a lot of fun writing it. I am a self confessed cultural cross dresser and sort of nearly almost just slightly in some ways face the same issues some of your more shy members may suffer with whilst expressing their individuality. Keep up the good work”

Non Indians in Sarees

Angelina-Jolie has forgot to put on her blouse. In all fairness I think it was for a movie

Anna Kournikova, wow, its a shame she did not wear it when she plays tennis I love the shoes!

Ashley Judd wonderful saree. Stunning

Lady Kingsley, thanks for trying but I feel you may of needed some help!

This is Camron Diaz, the saree is wasted in this pose, I would love to see what it looks like upright!

Julia Roberts in the film eat love pray, I would love to know what saree she would choose with out a wardrobe team choosing it for her

JR again

Jessica, where has your petticoat gone?

The late Lady Di not in a saree, but in a slawar, just a bit of name dropping but I brought a saree off Geeta Sarin a designer who designed a salwar for Lady Di..Not this salwar mind

Liz Hurley and son. It was Liz's destiny to wear sarees, doesn't she look great!

Liz Hurley again, the right way to wear a saree thank you

Madonna, I wonder what it would of looked like if the flash was not so harsh

Pamela Anderson. No Never again, please no, a more modest blouse even with that size chest and it could of looked allot better

Patricia Arquette Love it

Dear Pussy cat dolls. Thank you for bringing the saree to the uk teenage public attention. Next time don't make them look so trashy

Victora Beckhams tiny frame is lost under all that heavy material. Still stunning.

Alyssa milano.....What are you doing to that poor saree


 

Helen Mirren. If this photo does not make you want to wear a saree, nothing will. Save the best till last I say. I love it such a brilliant choice and she wears it so well.

I do not follow what the celebs do....However....

Just seen on facebook that brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie will tie the knot in Jodhpur and there is a poll out on if she is going to wear a Lhenga or saree. I just wanted to point out, what when I wear a saree on my wedding day (if I have a wedding day of course) it was not because Angelina did!! I thought of it first! I am already cringing with the thought of people saying “oh- just like A.J” Save me.

On one hand it would be great if she did get married in Indian attire, it will really open everyone’s eyes to wonderful world of Asian wedding fashion. I just would not like anyone associating me with what the celebrities do. I’m wearing a saree because I want to and not because of some fat lipped actress!

www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/IndianSarees

My re-homing obsession

As you all are aware, I have a very special relationship with ebay and sarees

Here is a picture of a blouse I have recently brought

It is very detailed with gold spun wire thread and black sequins, and it is very heavy. I was keeping my eye out for a plain black chiffon saree for it . However....

I found this on ebay and I have a day to decide to bid for it or not. They are asking allot of money for it it looks soft and silky and looks like it may go with the blouse. What do you think?

Also beginning to wonder...When will I stop buying?!? I will always go for a bargain however anything more than £5 I do put some thought into before I buy!

Below are some photos of those I have not brought, but wanted to, just to show I do exercise some self restraint!

However I am seriously thinking about these two

I fancy owning a blue one at the moment. But Im sure this obsession will not stop until I get married in one! And that could be some time comming!

Three hours and its gone...What do you think?

I found this on ebay, and have not seen a saree quite like it
Can't decide if I should add it to my collection. It would be nice to have some vivid colours for a change

And I guess a black blouse may tone it down alittle.
Thoughts welcome!?