BHANGRA BLOWOUT: A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER

Bhangra Blowout for those who don't know is this competition started about 15 years back for college teams to show off their bhangra skills and compete against other colleges nationwide. The competition is generally held in the spring time and every year for the longest time I have been unable to make it... except this year.

Two friends and I finally got our shit together in time enough to not only make plans but actually follow through this year for Bhangra Blowout 15! Now... because its me.. you can IMAGINE its going to be a crazy trip.... just how crazy even surprised me a bit, visibly shaken not stirred. ;)

Our journey actually started on Friday night when we were planning the last minute details to our trip. I offered to drive us all down and back in hopes of making a memorable roadtrip, memorable in deed. Saturday morning we drove down from Philly to Bethesda, MD. parking in a parking garage under a building. We were meeting my best friend there and taking the metro into DC to walk the Cherry Blossom Street festival (btw -- where were the cherry blossoms!??!! I didnt even notice any!) As we were parking, free parking on weekends, for the first time ever in my life but not the last definitely, I parked my car without a glance around to see what time the garage closes, no ticket, nothing.

We took the metro into DC -- walked the festival, ate, looked around (apparently not at cherry blossoms -- haha.. im still laughing about that), then my two friends and I left for the show and my best friend went back home. We took a cab to the venue and waited in line at WILL CALL for tickets. Now, I reserved tickets, and I didnt think the address issue would flare up (I live in Philly with a MD driver's license -- yes, I know.. I should switch) but it did! Almost didnt get tickets, but before my punjabi side kicked in the lady gave in and handed me my tickets.

Outside, I decided to text message my little sister -- I was teasing her about being at BB with RDB & K.S. Makhan coming and her NOT being there because she's a PUNK! I looked in my bag and kept searching.........searching............ SEARCHING?!?!?!!?! Where the hell is my phone?!

I. LOST. MY. PHONE.?!?!?!

OMG I lost my freakkkin cell phone!!!! Not sure where to start, where to look, who returns found cell phones, good samaritan my left toe!, AUUUGH!!!! I narrow it down to possibly having it fall out of my pocket in the cab ride on the way over. I called verizon and planned to suspend my service but they operator reminded me I may wish to keep it open so I can talk with the person who finds my phone, possibly. They were seating for the show, and there was NOTHING keeping me from watching and having a great time, still. I reasoned that it was the weekend and no one could drain my mintues so I kept calling my phone from friend's phone, but entered auditorium to be seated.

The show was fabulously amazing -- soo much energy... so much pride... so much culture and tradition all around me! I was flooored by how the young Punjabi generation is so tied to their roots and equally floored at how well small small children were fluently speaking punjabi! All in all -- the show was worth it! VCU won the competition and rightfully so!

We get out from the show at around 11p right after announcement of winners -- we wanted to beat the rush out. We got to the street and tried to hail a cab. I ended up meeting one of my bloggers on the street while i was on the phone with verizon. I felt bad at not being able to talk but I was visibly distraught over deciding whether or not to suspend my service, hail a cab, and talk to this new friend all at the same time.

My friends found a cab, I said goodbye to friend, and we were on our way to station. At the station my friend tells me to let the phone thing go. And I had. I had another phone at home that I could use. My service would be switched over and all would be good again. The cabbie on the way to the metro was funny. He turned out to be a Pakistani muslim. (Funny side note: I get the feeling most cabbies in DC are Pakistani muslims as opposed to like NYC or somewhere where most are Sardarjis or indian.)

Paki cabbie: What's the cab number in which you lost the phone?
Me (BLANKING COMPLETELY!): Oh, I didnt even think to check the number. I would have if I planned to lose something in it so I could call back and check.... ??
Paki cabbie: Yeah, if you dont have the number its hard. You probably wont find it. What color was it?
Me: (again... this guy doesnt get it -- all I know is it was a car!) I dont know. My friends said it was brown.
Paki cabbie: They're all brown, mostly.
(SHIT!)
Me: Do most cabbies return found items?
Paki cabbie (now totally flirting and laying in on thick): If it was me, I would go to any corner of the world to return it to you.

Yeah, sure. Anyway, we make it back to the station and my friend is talking to another friend who we were trying to meet up with in Bmore. She says, "Where are you? And where is Farah? She's calling me. Doesn't she know Im on phone with you?" My BB friend immediately shrieks, "ANSWER THE PHONE! Its the person who found Farahs phone!" She missed the call and the person hung up. But then they called my BB friend and she gave the phone to me.

YES. HE FOUND MY PHONE. HE, TOO, TURNED OUT TO BE PAKISTANI MUSLIM, KAREEM BHAI. He had my phone and we planned to drive down to DC -- which Ive never done by myself in my life, that too at 12a! Bethesda is about twenty-thirty minutes outside of DC. Shouldnt have taken long.

Right? WRONG! We get to the garage and its CLOSED with my car stuck inside.

Ok -- seriously -- WHAT THE FUCK? No, seriously, WHAT THE FUCK!?!?

Long story short ------- my friends ended up having to take anktrak back to Philly. I called my Bethesda dwelling friend, 1am, to come pick me up. I stayed the night with her -- couldnt sleep at all -- started to get sick -- prayers on my lips we went the next morning to see if the gate was up otherwise I would have to wait for Monday morning to get my car out. No ticket or anything to show for the car being mine. Its not even registered to me!

Thankfully, the garage door was up. Apparently the garage is NOT even open on weekends. Its a private garage with remote access for building employees. I got in because there was a cleaning crew cleaning who left the gate up and I drove in and parked. I finally got my car at 10a, but Kareem bhai would not begin his shift until 6-630p. Im full fledged flu mode now, and remember I dont have a phone to contact anyone... Kareem bhai was answering my phone in case I called but I was calling from different numbers so technically he could have answered when anyone called. What if my father called? He would have put together Farah... cellphone... found in cab and PANICKED. rightfully, so.

I was beginning to get so sick, I called my brother -- remember we're Marylanders -- and he said he would be going to DC and he would pick up my phone. I called him back, gave him all of Kareem bhais info and left it all up to Allah (swt).

Kareem bhai (when I commended him on his noble intentions): Why would I risk weakening my iman over keeping something that belongs to someone else.

Wow, there ARE good people left in this world! I drove back to Philly -- by the time I got home I had a message from my best friend flashing on machine: Your brother has your phone. I quickly called verizon and switched phones to another phone that I still had, which has since run out of battery, rendering me, again, with no phone.

Crazy weeekend. I should have let my parents know about my plans. Something always happens when I don't. So many lessons to learn -- it was all unintentional of course. Never meant for any of this to happen its just my luck. Literally.

Im very blessed to have my phone, my car and my friends and I back safe. :D