Gold is a Neutral

I'm currently cuddled up in an armchair in front of a fireplace the height of my shoulders, surrounded by bookcases built into the cold grey stones of an old English manor.  Oh, and the manor is in Mussoorie, a small town nestled into the foothills of the Himalayas.  If you haven't heard of Mussoorie, if you haven't ever been to the Himalayas - much less the foothills - please oh please jump a plane (or two, or three, or however many it would take for you to arrive).  Make sure you bring your dramamine for the drive up the mountain, and after you've settled in and had your tea in the rose garden (OH the dahlias!), being your amble down the thin and windy roads to make your way into town.  Smile at all the locals that you pass, and, as you enter the village, open your eyes.  

You can have ANYTHING made here.

And by anything, I mean the only things a girl really needs: clothes and shoes.  

I had read about the cobblers before coming to Mussoorie and was intent upon having a pair of shoes made just for me.  As I peered into the open-air shops, I saw a gold-coloured Mary-Jane-esque flat.  I asked the cobbler just how long it would take for him to make a pair of shoes for my feet, and he told me 3 days.  I was leaving in 36 hours, so that wasn't going to work. As I started to leave, he gestured with his head towards the gold Mary-Janes hanging on the wall and said, "But if these fit you, you can take them."

He must have been my prince, because the shoe fit. And you'd better believe that I bought it!  Next door, my wish of having a sandal fit to my foot was fulfilled - one turquoise, and one metallic gold slipper.  Ooh lala!

Two pairs of gold shoes in one shopping trip.  It doesn't get better than that, folks, but some of you may be wondering why on earth anybody would need 2 gold pairs of shoes.

And here, dear friends, is the answer:
If there is one thing that I have learned in India, it is this: Gold is a neutral.
Seriously.

Ok, yes, I've learned many, many other things as well; if you've been reading Saahasiga since its inception, you are probably thinking, "3 years on her own in India and all she has learned is that gold is a neutral?"

For those of you who aren't colour-inclined, a neutral is a colour/shade that goes with anything.  Cream, beige, black, grey, white. etc.  Most consider gold a glitter, a jewel-tone, a metallic, or just plain blingin'.

But in India, gold is always a neutral.  In today's larger fashion world, gold is now considered a neutral as well, but I like to believe that India is responsible for its debut.

We learned of the maxim when my roommate was buying a sari to wear to an Ooty wedding (they're crazy!) and was searching for the perfect blouse material.  Nothing was an exact match for her sari, so the tailor whipped out a shimmery bolt of fabric and said, "How about a nice neutral colour - like gold?"

It tickled us pink to hear him describe gold as a neutral and only served to reaffirm our love of the way of life in this country that is bursting with the unexpected.  Live life beautifully, it says.  Live life expecting the unexpected, it says.  Don't save the gold shoes for a special occasion - wear them every day!

Oh, don't worry...I will.