heading into 2006

The engagement ceremony happened on Christmas Day. The final tally was about 350 people. Mr.Bombay Dream and I kaalpudi-ed (ask for an elder's blessing by bending down to touch their feet) at least 300 of them. :) Thankfully after the luncheon, 10:15 am to 4 pm, Mr. Bombay Dream and I had some time to chill out and laugh about our adrenaline-fueled day. I know, where are the pictures?! I promise to have them up in January when my internet connection is reliable again. The guy who runs this dial-up-connection cyber cafe is blasting MUZAK in the background. The stuff is growing on me I have to say. I just might like Bryan Adams by the time Mr. Bombay Dream and I head west again. Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, I am spending the day going to Tippu Sultan's fort and then a picnic lunch by one of two holy places in India where three rivers meet. Companions on the day trip will included Mi Hermanita, Mr. Bombay Dream, his bro, and two of my cousin-sisters. At night I head to Mercara, capital of Coorg, to party it up with loads of cousins and friends at North Coorg Club. Unfortunately Mr. Bombay Dream has to head back to my new home early on Jan.1st. On the 4th I move to Mumbai and we'll take it one day at a time. Happy New Year!!! May the best be yours in the year to come. mwah ***

Puthari

Recently, on the 14th, we celebrated our harvest festival. People set off firecrackers for the last three days and drink for most of the day. Mostly the estate owners and managers prepare a huge feast for all of the workers and their families and hand out tons of fire crackers and sparklers to the children. My family and I spent the festival in the old house that my father grew up in with the relatives that live there now. The kids were setting off firecrackers all around us and we sat on the veranda drinking and talking well into the night. We gave thanks to our ancestors by preparing food and put a bit near the grave of my great grandfather and great grandmother.--December is also wedding season so we have three to attend in the next couple of days with the engagement ceremony sandwiched in there somewhere. In my mind the ceremony will be quite large, about 325 are expected but in a country that holds a big chunk of the world's population, that number is a drop in the bucket. I say this because when I balk at the size of the engagement party, people look at me like with blank stares and proceed to tell me that actually, that's quite reasonable.--We also visited my soon-to-be inlaws yesterday for morning tea. They were very sweet and bought me a cake to cut to celebrate my recent b-day and gave me a very lovely gift- a sari in orange, green, and gold tones. I particularly like different the border is.--Also, housing in Mumbai is finally settled. Now I am in the process of tracking down my employer for details about work. I hope all are well.

Nesting

I went to Bombay this weekend to house hunt. on our way to the fifth place that day we drove through this huge area of what looked decaying wet boxes piled on top of one another decorated with flashes of candy-pinks, sky-blues, saffron-oranges dotting the invisble lines from level to level. Mr. Bombay Dream said to me, "Welcome to Asia's largest slum." Am I crazy? I have entered a whole other jungle. new york was cake, at times peppered with a little arsenic, compared to this.

leavin on a jet plane

heading out..will write when i get there. love :)k