November 12th - 13th
With the bridal shower done…it was time for a break and some rest before the rest of the Wedding events began….Sangeet on Nov 14th, at Long Island, NY; Mehendi on Nov 15th, @ Piscataway, NJ; Wedding on Nov 17th, @ Long island, NY; Reception on Nov 17th, @ NY
If you think, traffic is bad and vehicles travel at snails pace, back home in desi-land, try driving the stretch between Edison and Long Island…Distance = ~ 50 miles; Driving time estimate= ~1.5 hrs…Actual = ~ 4 + hrs!!!!!! I am very curious, on how MapQuest, Gogglemaps, or any of those mapping devices come up with the time taken to drive from Edison to NY…. Do they simply guess-etimate or do they ensure, the roads are all clear and then clock the time taken…it honestly takes 4 + hrs!!!. Am I cribbing…no never, as I don’t have to drive…(smile). Darling Jay or Pakku or someone in the family will drive...while I...
1) Ensure I have a comfortable sitting space…(all this sitting and no exercising has made me pleasantly plump – still gorgeous…but yes plump)
2) Eat before I embark on the journey from Edison to Long Island or vice versa
3) If 1) and 2) are fulfilled, I can sleep through the drive…lots of Power naps!...though I can hear everything that everyone is talking about…
Coming back to the actual post,…during the non-event days, we just rested, cleaned and ensured my aunts home got back to its original form, had simple meals (since we gorge during the ceremonial lunches and dinners, that said...Prabha chitti and Mangala are such awesome cooks...the simple fare become gourmet meals)…and ensured all was ready for the next set of events, talked and talked, packed gifts and went shopping…Now when you have 6 opinionated, independent women in the house, every task must go through discussions…but there is so much fun in the activity, as ideas are shared liberally and all criticisms are made in good humor…
Speaking of shopping, most of us were ready for the wedding ceremonies with our outfits, sarees, and jewelry, except Lynne felt, she needed a very Ohh lala Bling saree for the wedding at the Gurdwara…Mind you, she had all her saris packed with the most gorgeous jewelry…but decided to make her Diwali purchase…so off, we went to the famous Oaktree road in Edison. Oaktree road is the destination for all NJ shoppers for desi, Pakistani stuff…Grocery, Gold, Diamonds, Silver, Sherwanis, Lehengas, whatever you want you can get there...Clothes especially are so trendy!Anyway it was fun doing the window shopping, whileLynne got these 2 beautiful chiffon sarees…very elegant and dressy…Check out her sarees at the Wedding and Reception...She looks gorgeous!!!
Next day, a couple of us got the Mehendi done, at Mangala and Pakku’s home. Mangala had the mehendi person come by and the session started at 4:00 PM going all the way until 9:00 PM. Many were having the mehendi done for the first time...we had the pretty ladies, check their design and colour every few minutes...thank the lord...the colours came out real dark...all right ladies, your husbands really love you...I just loved the way, they blushed...and had those quiet shy smailes and had their husbands initial drawn on their hands and had their husbands seach for the letters…Jaganath uncle was our Nimboowala…dabbing the liquid on our hands, so that the mehendi does not dry and gets more darker. All these ceremonies besides the ceremonial significance..is time to spend together...precious times that are so memorable when one looks back...Thanks Mangala and Pakku...both the Mehendi sessions were such fun at your home...another place that we have and regard as home away from home...check out the pictures…J
Feels really good to read all these in such details
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