Goa Unplugged: The Wedding: Day 3 *The Finale*

Super sorry to give you all the wedding story in bits and pieces but I have been swamped in work!


This is the final leg of the wedding that happened! The analysis will be next!


Now over to the wedding!

Since the wedding was a punjabi wedding, as per the rituals. We had the early morning puja for both the bride and the groom! Separately thank God!

It was the one ritual where my parents being the maternal uncle and aunt played a super important role! And the pandit ji that we had was really awesome! But droned on and on! After we got done with groom's puja and put Haldi, which btw was Vicco Turmeric cream, I helped in the preparations for the bride's puja! 


Much more elaborate fare, because of the chuda and the kaliraas! Had this been an Indian bride, she would've broken down, as this is normally the big realization of the marriage in the wedding! But our bride was American ( with an American family) and all of em looked confused! The highlight of the puja was me the dear getting all the blessings from the bride to be the next one (bride) *I am telling you, the entire family is obsessed with my marriage*! She even shook her kaliraas on top if my head, twice *First time she did it, none fell, and then masi ji told her, we did not see you do it on Sakshi, once more please!!*! And finally, one did break on me! So good luck! To me!
And because we were all into this puja, I could not have breakfast! Just had a bite here and there! 


And then because there was a good gap of four odd hours between the puja and the next evening events, instead of trying to grab a bite, I just got into the pool with my cousins... :) 


And after the dip in the pool, we had to start getting ready for the baraat and sehrabandi *Time was  of the essence, but we still managed to not to get things started in time!! :P*
And ready we did get! All of us in sarees! And, barring my father, no one particularly said nice things to me after I got ready! He was the only one, who was like, wow, you are looking stunning, rest of them were very uncomfortable owing to the fact that I was in a saree and looked twenty five instead of 18! I think I looked very pretty!
And then there was the dhol and the baraat! And I din care a damn! 
Okay, so we got thru seharaabandi  *You know manage get his pagdi on, the sehra, which my Bua and I had picked so lovingly from Chandni chowk along with the kalgi, then there was the sarbala, my nephew, who got so confused and cranky through all of this!!* But my brother looked really handsome and *touch wood to that* Oh, and the dhol guys, they tied pagdi's for the baraatis.. which was very awesome for the americans... and then finally we got my brother on to the ghodi! 
Realized that the chane ki daal we had carried all the way from Delhi was useless as we had not soaked it! Made the horse eat some sugar and tied the waange and got the baraat rolling!

Now, I have seen my fair share of baraats but this one was different! We had dhols with a live dj playing in jeep right at the front! And then there were us dancing to some weird rendition of snoop dogg with the live dhol mix! And on top if it, barring us, the Indian cousins and kids every one including the groom had a beer in their hands! And there was the elder brother, who was carrying, a big bottle of grey goose and giving us shots! And then there was champagne too, yes in the baraat!

Finally, we made it to the mandap, got the bride's brother to get my brother down, do the milni!

Now, The mandap- was beautiful! Simple and classy decorations! The ceremony  was in the hotel lawn and the madap, had in the background numerous candles and lanterns! With glass hangings reflecting their light! 


There was proper seating and yes, we were ALL required to be seated during the ceremony! And we all did! Since, for the obvious reasons- there was nothing else to do! And mind you, only thing being served during the ceremony was water, and nothing else!
The ceremony also had a Goam twist, these priests who were there, they did a mix of konkani, punjabi and vedic wedding, I think. But it was really cool.*If the whole budget thing would not have been a constrained, I might have considered getting them for my wedding..*  So we just sat and waited for the ceremony to get over while listening to classical background music by two sitarists who were there and admiring the decor! And yeah, we had the brides maids and the grooms men also, they came in before the bride walked in just like you have it in Christian weddings!! 
Being the sisters of the groom, Sister, another cousin and I did the gath-bandhan for the couple and also did a little puja there on the mandap!
 
Finally, after the pheras and the pictures, we were ready to grab some drinks and get something to eat!


But, we all had to change for the Cocktails and Reception! My father wore a tuxedo and oh my Gosh- looked super handsome! *That was sorta a dress code, almost every one was wearing a tux but for my dad it was the first time, and trust me when I say handsome, I mean handsome with a BIG H*


The reception was American, inside the Banquet hall of the hotel! We had our tables assigned to us with our name cards!*Even though we were right in front our table was Number 10* There were the speeches, which were good but which were also a let down! (will tell you why in the analysis)  and since this wedding was just about surprises, the one for the reception was the Flash Mob dance!  Which went well, except..that the cake cutting and champagne were forgotten! *there was another thing about me not being able to get my other cousins involved in it, because they were sitting on a different table!!*
I got drunk that night coz there was nothing that I had to do! So all I to do was to get my drinks and have a lil food! And crashed, in my bed!
My parents were wary of drunk people around me and sister!So they came back after changing to get us from the party!   And honestly, I was glad that finally, the year long project came to an end!

The pictures, ( I hope)  you can see here!

And the analysis shall come soon! I mean, it was a big budget wedding and there are things that could've been done differently! And who knows, my analysis may help some one :)
Cheers till then!

It is a happy day.
I got a order in a court case vide which I got the case closed in favour of my Client.
I am very Happy!
And, now I really hope that my salary is increased.

Yes office makes me work SUPER hard, for a salary that is VERY less!! 

November Update!!!

Yes there are things other than weddings that are also happening my life. Please appreciate the fact that this is the wedding season.. and like Best Friend puts it, we are in that age group, where most of our friends are getting ready to get married.
So, yes, one of my closest college friend is getting married, making me realize that my time too is near. It is just weird though, because the whole thing that I will have to leave my house, to go in to another house and make it mine and live there, all my life.
The whole leave behind all your life and picking up the pieces anew is a scary thing. It makes me nervous. Because, I know that life is gonna take a 360 degree turn and I can't do anything about it. Because ironically getting married to the bf is one thing that I really want.

*****

Office is going great. *touch wood*. There is work. And my kind of work. My only complaint is my salary. :|

I wish that they would increase it soon.

Since my desk at office had a previous owner, it's drawers were not empty. I would tell her to clear it, and she would forget it. 

Today, I cleared em for her. Put my stuff in it. And made the desk my own. In all respects. I am no more a tenant. I have become the owner and a part of the firm completely. 

Yes, bitterness at being cold shouldered by the extension office a.k.a previous office, does creep in. But I am managing. I am slowly forgetting.

******

There is the Delhi Judicial Services exam that is coming up. Since it is in Delhi, no point hiding it from the college batch mates, coz I have been told that my entire batch and the batch junior to me are all giving that paper. No, I am not hopeful at all. Though, I am trying to study very hard. 

******

Can you imagine, that me being a SRK fan has not watched Ra.One. Yup, I am upset. But now it is hardly on at any nearest cinema ghar. So to make up for that, I am going to watch Tintin this Saturday. At any cost.

******

I miss having bf in town. There is hardly anybody that I can go out with. I went out for a coffee today, after ages. :| 

*****

And I have been told by a million people that I need to loose weight.. someone inspire me to get rid of the lazy me!! :(

*****

Lastly, I have become super obsessed with the song 'Katiya Karoon' from Rockstar. It just doesn't get outta my head! And the weirder part is that, when it was released I just did not like it. I started liking the song only after I watched the movie, which by the way is good in parts. I absolutely did not like the second half. The movie could have been crisper and shorter. Somehow the dots just did not connect in the second half.. I absolutely loved the first half. It was just right. Nargis Fakhri, well, can't act. Ranbir Kapoor has out done himself. And A.R. Rahman is back with a bang. His music had become repetitive but in Rockstar, he has proved again why was he given that Oscar!!! Also if you go watch the movie, don't miss the dance sequence that introduces Nargis Fakhri, that has been choreographed by The Danceworx, the place where I danced and my dear darling instructor R was in there and I saw him shouted, 'Oh my God, that is R!!' in the hall in a loud voice!! :) 

*****

Just a little help here- I need to gift a friend couple of ours something for their engagement- and somehow, can't think of something nice.. please suggest!! Thanks :)  

Goa Unplugged: The Wedding: Day 2

So after a serious discussion about 'What really makes a marriage work' and well of course giving you all a preview about the wedding that happened in Goa.. it is only fair that I narrate the rest of the story as well!!

So the second day that we were in Goa, was the day when the guests had to arrive and the mehndi was to begin. I was rudely woken up early in the morning by my father, insisting that we have breakfast asap since the hotel will close the breakfast soon.
And plus we were supposed to shift to the hotel 'Alila Diva', where the wedding festivities were to take place. So, after having breakfast, the bags were quickly re packed and casual but nice clothes were worn for the running around. And trust me, run around I did!
The hotel, Alila Diva has a 'Diva Wing', which was totally secluded from the rest of the hotel, and that wing was given to us. The best part of the wing was- That, we had a lovely swimming pool all to ourselves, along with a 24x7 coffee shop and nice comfy rooms for all those who were staying in that wing.
The worst part being- That so many of the guests were staying in the main wing of the hotel, and me the great was co-ordinating everything. So, after running around for like, just 45 odd minutes, I felt like I had not taken a bath in like two days. Such was the humidity levels there!
So I went around to our guests' room with a 'Welcome Bag' making sure that our guests are fine, and that, they know what the exact time of the various events are and also where they should be coming for the events!!
After, making sure that the guests are taken care of, I made my dear sister get ready and go down, so that she can get the mehndi done.
The women doing the mehndi had already come, and there were loads who wanted to get the mehndi done first so that they are able to enjoy the festivities..once all the people gathered.
Of course, as soon as the relatives started gathering, and I got ready and came down.. there were only talks about 'Oooh.. Sakshi you are next..' fortunately I was looking super pretty.. and very nice :)
And, the Mehndi function which is primarily for the bride fizzled because the bride to be made a grand entry- super late. She was to be there by 12 noon, instead she came at around 2pm!!
The food on the other hand was very nice. We had 'chaat corner' as the theme for the lunch and it was a huge success!!
Of course we wanted to have a couple of traditional punjabi songs.. we even had a dholki for it. But, because the whole thing was pool side and half of the people were just interested in getting drunk.. it was not as much fun, as it ought to have been.

But the second half of the day/evening, that is the sangeet night- WAS AWESOME!! Of course that is THE night that I was to shine.. and I did. Actually both sister and I did! :)
The thing that we messed up on was our dresses. We were so fixated upon wearing a lehnga, that, it sorta spoiled the fun, because, I was looking really huge, and I had to tie the lehnga so high that, it spoiled the look!!
But, sister and I managed to put up and awesome show! I was to emcee the show with one of Bhaiya's friend, and well, that poor guy got to speak only once.. and then.. it was only me who took over the mike.. *ironically, the name of bhaiya's friend was ''Mike'' ;P*
My bua and Uncle's dance was a super hit.. and they still can't get over the fact that I was able to get two of their friends, my mom and chachi to dance together ... and then there was sister and me! We dazzled the dance floor.. and that is what the reviews are :)
We had worked so hard for this!!

This is the ONLY good picture of me at the Sangeet

Oh, and my 3.5 yrs old niece did an amazing performance.. she was so so so cute on the stage!! And then there was the performance by the 'Mumbai Clan', meaning the other brother, his wife, and their friends! They mixed three songs...
The best part being, that the songs the Mumbai Clan chose were especially for my brother.. and the ones that we the 'Delhi Waalas' had chosen, were for the bride to be!
And this was when there was absolutely no sitting and deciding about the songs happening between Delhi and Mumbai.

The Sangeet btw was at a beach side shack called Zeebop.. and it was a beautiful setting and all except that Goa, despite being a party place has a law against loud music being played in open places after 10.30 pm! Yup, that spoils the party big time.
So, party buffs came up with the idea of a Silent Party, wherein each one is given a wireless headset and the DJ plays the music and everyone can dance on it!! And we had 3 DJ's playing the music for us. We had a guy playing Hip-Hop, one playing R & B and one playing bollywood! :)
And that means that we had three channels on our headsets.. and each channel was a different colour.. so you could actually see what the other guy was listening to. And, yes in case you are wondering, it did look like a lot of loony people swaying like drunkards to no music!

But, trust me, it was one hell of a sangeet night, which I know, no one in my family will forget for a loooong looong time to come!!!

Btw- You can check the mehndi and sangeet pictures here.. I have been told that I look terrible.. a.k.a SUPER fat. So please refrain from commenting on those terms! :) Enjoy!


PS updated to Add: I had no idea about the code thingy, I have linked you all now to a FB album. I hope you like it. Thanks. 

What makes a marriage work??

Loads of my older cousins got married in the last five odd years, and every time a wedding would happen for all the obvious reasons, the topic would turn to the ones who are next in line. 

Of course I was teased, and there was leg pulling all the time, but every one knew that I still have time, considering the fact that I was still in college.

Now, amongst all the cousins, there are a set of cousins who we meet ONLY at weddings. And that is one reason why we are not close to them. Be assured, though we have heard enough stories about them. Because these two distant cousin sisters are very bright and intelligent young ladies.. you know the always on the the top sorts!

The older of these two is getting married too, next year. *I hope that it does not clash with the n number of other weddings that we have!!* And, her parents had been looking for a match for her for almost 3 years now!! And I remember when her parents started looking out for a match for her, a shout out was given to all the relatives including us, lest we have some one in mind for their highly qualified daughter.

And one of the first questions that my mum asked at that time was 'What is the kind of family that they are looking for??'

And that became a debate, because my cousin bua who had touched the topic here, told my mom that they are looking for a family of their own status.. and my mother retorted mind you stating that they should get her married off in a family richer than what her parents are... 

Now, I know that love does not feed hungry mouths, but, what exactly is the definition of financial security that the parents of a girl expect?? If the boy has a job and gets home a salary at the end of each month.. then isn't that enough?

Again, enough has loads of definitions.

I also understand that the parents want only the best for their children.. but the parents in case of the arranged marriage trust their choice and in case of a love marriage trust the choice of their children. The world has changed, and so have the needs. We do not live in times where lives were simpler.. as a matter of fact, we are living in a time, where petrol is costlier than beer, and inflation is at all time high.. but can having all the money in the world fill the void of being lonely.. or will a marriage work solely because there is financial security??

Tell me, my lovely readers.. if you were to marry your daughter.. what is it that you will look for in the groom that you would choose for her.. and in case the groom is of her own choice.. what are tick offs?? 

My grand father had devised an A to F formula.. which is one way of looking at things...it goes something like this.. *Modifying it a little bit, coz his original was only for the selection of a girl.. I am gonna try and fit both the genders!!*

A- Age

B- Beauty/ Brains

C- Character

D- Dowry 

E- Education

F- Family

******************************************

PS: The next installment of the Goa Post is coming soon :) 

 

Goa Unplugged: The Wedding: Day 1

Yes, I am going to bore you all with all the details of the wedding, thus dividing the whole thing into days and events. I am a sucker for details.. but you are more than welcome to not to read the details. :D

So we landed in Goa, one day prior to the official start of the wedding festivities, after all we were part hosts.. And it was a mess to just get to the airport. There were 6 of us going from my house and two other who were reaching the airport from their house.
For 6 of us, we were carrying NINE bags. It is not funny. Trust me! Because these nine bags were just the check in luggage, there were the hand baggage that each of us was carrying too.. and for the two grand mothers that were travelling with us, well, I was lugging their hand bags along with mine. So, basically I was looking like a coolie.


IMPORTANT lesson, in case you are travelling with loads of people in an early morning flight, either eat breakfast, or keep your mouth shut. Because, we were so flustered about making sure that everything that we would need is there and is packed properly, we did not bother to eat at all. For some weird reason, I was very calm and composed but my usually calm and composed father was totally cranky and that gets us scary.
So a cranky lot of 6 of us reaches the airport, manage to check in and despite the our luggage allowance being 120 kgs, still manage to be overweight and thus end up carrying another handbag!!

All this while my father is super cranky and super grumpy. Thanks to the new food court at the airport, the moment my father gets his morning breakfast he is back to being his normal calm and jolly self, and finally the eight of us *two others have also joined us by this time* board the flight, and Dad blasts off again.. because, both sister and I wanted window seats.. and in all that confusion.. we all end up sitting separately! *Mom and dad sat together, both grand moms sat together and two others sat together and sister and I were on totally different seats* and because it was a flight to Goa, there were foreigners and there were weirdos.. esp the one sitting next to me! I think his girl was coming from else where to Goa and he was sweet talking to her all the while till take off! And then, as soon as the phones were allowed to be used again after landing he was talking to her.. and he had a weird hairstyle and was too much of an metro-sexual male for my comfort zone.. and yes he had a super fake accent.. and jumped between fake accent english to bengali.. like a jumping bean...
So any ways we landed in Goa, reached our hotel.. Martin's Comfort, a simple hotel for the night before we moved to the hotel where the wedding was! And after lunch... I went with my bua to the Wedding hotel, coz, the Bride, the groom, and my other brother with his family were staying there only. Plus, the Bride was getting her mehndi done a day before the actual mehndi so that she could have fun on the function.

The Dulhan's Mehndi (Designer, not ethnic Indian)

And, since, I was required to do the running around the whole of next day.. I jumped in the Que as well. Bua also got her mehndi done with me that day.

My Mehndi (Can you see the 'S' in it??)

The back of my hand

And, by the time it was evening.. there was enough confusion.. with the decorators not getting the decorations ready for next day, and last minute up downs!


The Sour part of the day was the Dinner. My sister and I were told, that every one including my brothers and their friends and all of us will have dinner at the same place.. a shack called 'The Pentagon'. It had a live band, and lovely food. The rude shock.. that the youngsters were at another place 100 mtrs away and sister and I were stuck with Parents, Bua and Uncle, Grandmoms and my other bhabi's mom! Because we were not told about the change in plans or invited at the shack.. I decided I wont go. Sister felt bad too! Esp since the groom a.k.a my brother and the other Cousin 'A' came to say 'Hi' to us, and did not invite us!

We did end up going to their party later on.. to catch on some drinks, because my darling chachu dropped in for dinner with us! :D
Oh..
Sister had her first 'Kamikaze Shot' ever, that night! :) She has become an adult, officially mind you.. and we all had fun making her do her first ever shots! :)

But, the festivities were yet to start.. and the party had just begun!

I am blue

Post holiday depression setting in!!!
No, don't get worried, it is the lull after the storm.. no more phone calls, no more getting the clothes and the things organized for the wedding... so the silence is weird.
Even though there is another wedding to be planned *I am not a major player here*, the whole wedding in my house thing is over now.
The next wedding in the house thing will be for me. So no point hoping for anything else at all, because there is no one other than me who is left for getting married! ;P

The detailed Goa post, shall come.
I am still sorting the million things that I took along with me and getting the winter wardrobe in place.. it is chilly here!!!

Also, I promise to read and comment all of you all's blogs. I am right here, only a little disoriented!