"Audrey Hepburn... I know that name but I can't picture the actress." Bala furrowed her brow in thought then brightened. "Oh! Was she the actress in that John Wayne film? What was the name of that film? 'Grits' or something like that." Bala lifted her head and put her fist against her forehead. She thought for a moment and looked back at Ishtar. "Well, whatever. I'd say that is a good choice anyway. It's good to know that her stardom never went to her head."

Bala then switched to Ishtar's question. "The most important thing that I've learned here? Hm. I... would... have... to... say... that I learned just how much I depended on my social network back home. If I needed something back home, my family, my friends, even my teachers were there to help me. Being new here, I've just started to make some friends. But it's not the same. In Pittsburgh, a friend of mine might tell me that she saw the necklace I was looking for in Macy's. Here, my new friends wouldn't even know that I was looking for a new necklace.

"And in Pittsburgh, the teachers were so friendly and helpful. Here it seems to me like the teachers don't care about us. I don't know. Maybe it's because this school stresses discipline more than my other school. I mean, you can't argue with their results. I don't know. Maybe they're trying to teach self reliance here."

After thinking for a moment, Bala asked her next question. "Do you like sports?"

Sports? A smile appears on Ishtar's face. Actually, I play volleyball. I usually on the front row as an attacker. I am pretty good at my position, but I have to rely on good teamwork to set up the kill. I do play other sports as well, but volleyball seems to be my passion.

Ishtar brushed her hair a little as she thought about her question. So what kind of sports are you into.

Bala smiles coyly and covers her mouth with her hand again. "I have a confession to make. I don't like sports at all. Not in the least. I have noticed that most people like sports and like to talk about them when asked. So it's one of those 'ice-breakers' I will ask to get people talking." Bala shrugs her shoulders and gives Ishtar her pleading eyes and smile.

"The closest I come to liking a sport is Cricket. But that's because it was more of a social event. In India, all my cousins and I would wear our best saris and go to a match to flirt with boys. We'd spend as much time as we could with them until one of my uncles or my grandfather would come around and chase them off, decrying how the boys were threatening our propriety and honour."

Bala shifted around some on her bed and thought for a bit. "Since volleyball seems to be your passion, have you joined a team here? They have a rather extensive athletic department. Just let me know when you play and I'll come out and watch."

I have to admit I initially played volleyball for the same reason. I figure in my outfit I would get the attention of some boys I was interested on the basketball team. However, I came to like the game for what it was, and became very good at it.

Ishtar smiled, I would love it if you came out and watched a game. I think you would have alot of fun. Ishtar leaned back on her bed, inadvertently flashing Bala with her orange marigold-themed panties. Ishtar thought about her next question. It was becoming a bit difficult to come up with new questions. So what kind of music are you into?

"Certainly. Let me know the next time you play and I'll come out." Bala was quite happy to have another evening activity. She always liked to keep busy back home. Here, she didn't do as much and she wanted to change that, even if it was sports related.

"Oh. I mostly listen to pop punk. Fall Out Boy, NFG - that's New Found Glory -, Blink-182, Good Charlotte, Koopa, Eleventyseven, and ancient groups like Green Day and Bad Religion. I also listen to Bollywood music. Mostly I like Alisha Chinoy, Alka Yagnik, Anupama Deshpande, The legendary Asha Bhosle, Falguni Pathak and her band, Aamir Khan, and Babbu Mann, he was an Indian Idol finalist in 2005. They're playback singers.

"So what do you like to wear when you're not wearing our uniform?"

Ishtar smiled, Oh Bollywood music, I never gotten a chance to listen to any length of time, just snipets here and there. I really like a chance to here more. I listen to alot of J-Pop, myself, since that is easiest for me to get a hold of at my old school. I listen to some other stuff from America when I got the chance too.

Ishtar giggled when Bala mentioned clothes, I guess that is the part of me that never truly grew up. I always liked playing dress up when I was growing up, and still do. I'll try outfits just for the sake of seeing how they look on me. I tend to go through a lot of fads as I try on different things. Right now, I am interesting in backless dresses, largely because I feel pretty while wearing them.

Bala quickly sat up in her bed when Ishtar mentioned backless dresses. "Backless dresses?", she said with a start. "Ooh! I have something you simply must try!"

Bala jumped off her bed and nearly runs over to her closet. She opens the door and starts to sort through hangers. She pulls out what looks like a half-jacket with an open back. She then goes over to her dresser, opens a drawer, and after going through several colourful bolts of cloth, pulls one out that matchs the 'jacket'. She holds the sari and choli up to Ishtar and says, "you simply must try this on! I think it will go well with your hair."

((Note: I don't know anyone with coloured hair. So I'm not sure how best to match clothing to it. Hopefully the outfit in the link actually would go with Ishtar's blue hair.

Ishtar looks a little confused at first, until the sari and choli are presented by Bala. Wow, that looks beautiful. The flower designs is simply elegant. It brings attention to the dress without overpowering it. I would love to try on the dress. Ishtar smiles as she holds the outfit close to her.

(OOC: I think it would very well. From the top down you see a blue hair fade into white which then would fade into blue again. I think its an awesome combination!)

Bala hops up and down, clapping her hands. "Oh! I just knew you would love it! You should try it on right now... wait!" Bala runs back to her dresser and opened another drawer. She pulls out what looks like an ankle-length skirt made of a gauze-like material with a draw string at the waist.

"The sari won't drape correctly over your skirt. Put this on instead. You're taller than me so it will only come down to your shins. But that's ok. Nobody sees it anyway. And we can get you a proper petticoat before you wear the sari in public. You can change in the powder room."

Bala looked expectantly at Ishtar. "Oh", she said. "I should tell you how to put on a sari." After a short pause she says, "after you put on the choli, that's what the blouse is called, and petticoat, just wrap enough of the sari to go around you once. Then come out when you're decent and I'll help you with the rest."

Ishtar smiled at her friend, Ishtar loved dressing up and this was going to be fun. Okay, I will put go try it out right now. Thank you. Ishtar picked up the sari and choli and almost skipped into the powder room.

After quickly stripping down to just her panties, Ishtar began to dress herself as Bala instructed. She put on the choli first making sure the skirt reached down to her shins. Then Ishtar put on the sari so that it wrapped around her once. Ishtar took a second to admire how good the outfit looked on her already, amazed by Bala's fashion sense.

Ishtar then opened the door to the powder room, Bala...I think I am ready for the next part. Ishtar blushed a little holding the sari up to remain descent.

Bala took off her jacket, vest, and tie as Ishtar skipped to the powder room. When Ishtar closed the door, Bala sprang into action. Her shirt, bra, and skirt quickly joined her jacket on the bed. She then rushed to the closet and pulled out and put on a choli she had picked out while looking for Ishtar's choli. She ran over to her dresser and took out a sari which matched the choli. She pulled another petticoat out and got to putting on her outfit. Practiced hands quickly put on the choli and petticoat. She began to wrap the sari as though she had been doing it all her life. She quickly put in the pleats and finished wrapping herself, throwing the rest of the sari over her shoulder as Ishtar opened the powder room door.

"Oh! That looks wonderful on you." Bala quickly glides over to Ishtar to help her finish dressing. She holds one side of the sari and says, "ok, now let this slide down a little. You want the sari to come down to the ankles." Once the length of the sari was right, Bala starts tucking the top part into the petticoat. Warm fingers glide against Ishtar's skin as Bala tucks the sari into the petticoat like a mother who's dressing her daughter for the thousandth time.

"Now the pleating", Bala says matter-of-factly. "The pleating is important because it gives the sari some depth. It really looks nice." Bala then puts five pleats in the fabric and tucks those in as well. "One more time around", she says as she wraps the fabric once more around Ishtar's waist, this time without tucking.

"OK. Now you can wear this three different ways." Bala grabs Ishtar's left hand and holds it out from her, with the elbow bent at the waist. "You can hold it in your hand or on your arm." Bala puts the remaining cloth in Ishtar's hand and on her arm with each statement. "If you were part of something formal like a wedding party, you'd wear it like that. Or you can wear it over your shoulder for everyday wear. Or when the reception got to the dancing." Bala then drapes the rest of the sari over Ishtar's left shoulder. She squeezes the cloth together to make sure some of Ishtar's bare midriff shows.

Bala then took Ishtar over to the full-length mirror so they could see how they looked in their saris. Bala looked at the reflection of the girl nearly half a foot taller than her and asked, "so? What do you think?"

As Ishtar stepped out she was surprised to find Bala already clad in her sari and choli. She watched as Bala effortlessly glided over to her. Ishtar was amazed as she saw Bala immediately going to work, straighten out what Ishtar had gotten wrong.

Ishtar particularly liked when Bala added pleating to give the sari depth. Bala was right it did look really nice when it was setup correctly. As Bala finished up the work, she put the remaining cloth around Ishtar's hand.

Bala then directed Ishtar to the full length nearby. Ishtar began posing as she tried to look at her sari from as many angles as the mirror would allow. Wow this looks amazing, Bala. I feel like a princess! Your sari looks great on you too. Thank you for showing me this.

"You look gorgeous, Ishtar." Bala looked Ishtar over, adjusting the sari a little bit here and a little bit there. She then looked at Ishtar's face in the mirror.

"Just one more thing!" Bala hurried over to her dresser and opened a jewelry box. She took out a tika and choker and brought them over to the blue-haired girl. From behind, she put the choker on Ishtar, adjusting the fit, and moved in front of Ishtar to put on the tika. "Lean your head forward just a bit... not that much." Bala pressed against Ishtar to pin the tika to her hair, making sure it draped properly down her forhead. She stood back to admire the look and said, "I don't have matching bracelets and rings for these. I usually don't wear them. I go more with earth tones than metals. But if you like it, we can see if they have anything at the mall."

((The basic idea without the scarf and earrings))

Thank you, Bala. I think you really brought out the best looks in me. Ishtar watched as Bala made some final adjustment's to the blue-haired student's sari.

Then Bala went raced over to her dresser and got some things out of her jewelry box. Whatever the things were, they remained out of view as Bala moved up behind Ishtar. It was then in the mirror, Ishtar saw the prettiest blue choker she had ever seen.

As she got was becoming familiar with the blue choker, Bala asked her to lean her forward. Ishtar did so she felt something being pinned to her hair. As Bala backed away, Ishtar could see see the clear blue line of jewels extending down from her hairline to her forehead. Wow, they are absolutely beautiful.

All the outfit is doing is bringing out your natural beauty, Ishtar. I only wish I had the earrings that went with the choker and tika. I think that would look awesome. Looks like we're going to the mall this weekend to shop for jewelry."

Bala smiled at Ishtar. "Let's get back to our questions, ok? If you were to wear that outfit to a special occasion or place, where would it be?"