If I were blindfolded, unknowingly led to the Southall, and turned loose in the center of the town, I would have guessed that I was in the heart of India. I was very much the minority in such a foreign place. It was a completely new cultural experience, with unique clothing, strong religious ties, and even interesting smells.
We visited two Hindu temples and one Sikh temple. I enjoyed being able to take part in their worship at the Sikh temple and being able to observe the religion so closely. We had to cover our heads with scarves while in the temple to show respect .
It impressed me how open the Sikhs were to having visitors and assuring us that they would feed us in any of their temples around the world. It certainly wasn’t on my “Top 10 List of Amazing Meals” but the gesture was very kind. I really liked what one Sikh man told us: “Whatever faith you are in, you should be the best that you can be."
These porcelain statues of gods and goddesses adorned the insides of the Hindu temples. These temples had a very different feel compared to the Sikh temple. Their décor was much more gaudy and the noise level was much higher.
I bought my own Henna kit from a shop on the streets and tried to throw together an artsy Indian design on my hand. It turned out much darker than expected and looked a lot more like a jet-black sharpie gone wild than an intricate Henna decoration. 
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