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Sumeet's blog
Update... Litchi season is here!
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2/August/2009 Globalized family
Now I can proudly claim that I am in a highly "technologized" global life style! This week I coordinated an international cross cultural wedding ceremony with a wonderful person whi is officiating our the big event - Shan, along with my bride and my self, where we shared wonderful personal ideas, for more than an hour, all being at different parts of the world - all for $0. Yes, if I were a skype salesman, I would really take this as a case study - "share your moments and make them count without paying a cent or paisa". I am glad to be growing up in such a world (yes I am still growing up). However, seeking to find stability in constant movement has always been an interesting experience. In an ever changing global world where my relationships are getting re-defined with my own family and extended family being predominently in another country, and deciding to live in a part of India where both my wife and I would be outside culture. How would I [and we] really belong anywhere? I am reminded of the songs composed by 'sons of Korah' whose forefathers had experienced a transient life that included rebellion from God and eventual grace of life. These sons of Korah wrote a song which claimed God to be the constant home during their pilgrimage on earth. It is good to be @ home. The youtube song in video is not from the sons of Korah. For their song, read Psalm 84 mentioned in the bible. |
Bangles for the Bride 26/July/2009
The adventures of bridal shopping continues. I am making up for not doing any shopping for my sisters' weddings and it has been fun for most parts. This time I went bangle shopping with my friend Zamir. Hyderabad is known for the ostentatious tastes and preferences of the Hyderabad's rulers. There is a bangles market for the Nawaab's wife called Laad bazaar. It is located on one of the four main roads that branch out from the historic Charminar. Laad meaning lacquer
is used to make Bangles, on which artificial diamonds are studded. It is a kilometre-long shopping strip exclusively for women. However, two men from the north dared to embark on a journey and get bangles for my bride... Here is a video clip of this adventure.  |
16/July/2009 Best man's trial(s)
Since two of the three groomsmen are in different locations, coordinating them to match in their outfit was seeming to be an endeavor. So I decided to get their outfits stitched. From options of several types of outfits, we selected Jodhpuri suit. A Jodhpuri suit is blend of Indian and western taste that became famous during the British era with the interaction of Mughal and English cultures. This blended attire seems apt for wedding as our marriage is all about blending of thoughts, cultures and revealed truths. Since the best man Anirudh is in town, we planned to go for a trial of his suit. The other two would just have to pray that it comes out to fit them. The tailoring is a three step process of sizing, trial and then embroidery work. The finished product is due next Tuesday but you will have to wait until the wedding to see them. However, here is a peek at the fitting trial. |
14/July/09: Loving the Gate
So the last week was crazy. Giving a down payment for our new house was much easier than bringing down all the 'stuff' from 4th floor to the new house. Madhu, our man Friday, took the contract and showed great enthusiasm and alacrity in making the move quick and relatively painless. The house is big and roomy. This is the most space I have ever inhabited. The walls are recolored, the kitchen semi functional, the beds are re-assembled. The new house has plenty of space for Nicole to move all that she wants to. I am still amazed at how the provision for this new house came so suddenly and even while we were forming the prayer about it. Our new landlords are respecting and friendly and have accomodated to our needs. We will look forward to forming a friendly relationship with them. The house has undergone several structural adjustments to accommodate for Vaastu, a traditional Hindu system of design based on directional alignments, This implies that the entrance to the house is actually from the back side of the house. So the front yard is actually the back yard and vice-versa. However, this front yard (which is actually the backyard) did not have any main gate from the street, so the street entrance was from our back side... yes, confusing. However, the new landlord graciously made a new gate at the back entrance to our new house. So our front gate is really at the front. While meditating on how to form a prayer for this new dwelling, my eyes went to the portion in Psalm 87 where the writer says that God loves the gate of zion, more than all the other dwellings. Making this as the prayer was purely the grace of God. I am grateful that he allows me to form such a bold prayer for this new house (even though mine is probably an out of context metaphor from scripture). So needless to say, I [we] look forward to your entering through this front gate. Come soon! Hot tea and samosas await.  |
7/July/2009 Preparing preparing preparing...
Life these days is all about preparing myself and those associated with me expect and engage with change in my life - me being married. But how do you prepare for something that is so personal that you don't want to necessarily believe in data and statistics? The phase of preparation has made me into more of a listener. Listening and gleaning from others, listening to my circumstances, my resources (or lack thereof) and hoping to listen to God as well. Preparation is also about making tangible changes in life. Such as renting a new house and getting it repainted and having the land lord construct a new gate. So yesterday went in arranging to get the paint and painters to start work on repainting the walls. The red wall changed into a yellowish creme. Bright is better... Looking forward to my bride's homecoming and guests too. :-)
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Thanks for the Lemonade! 01/July/2009
"So go ahead and ask her... for happy ever after" is the song that echoed in my heart as I drove back from dinner at friends' home. The day ended well as it allowed me to pause and experience people again. While we were in Goa, Nicole asked me a question about whether I knew and experienced JOY. It was then it hit me that while I have always known and experienced tremendous peace even in midst of strange times of my life, I had never really learnt to be in joy. I was also reminded of CS Lewis' book "till we have faces" where the main character after leaving her castle and observing nature's beauty for the first time, taste's life and is torn between enjoying and melancholy and finally askes herself, "why must my heart not dance". Experiencing people enjoying kids, husbands, mangoes and fiance's more than just teach me, it washes me in joy. I am glad to be surprised by it! Yes, we're gonna need another straw! |
28/June/2009: New habitat...
20/June/2009: the sari saga!
Getting into sari shopping for the brides' maid is an interesting crash course in understanding female dressing thouts. Most women shop sari by material, color, design and blouse material, in that order. Also, Sari's too have a traditional to a modern look. Some saris are in exquisite silk that is finely embroidered while others are having a print of a newspaper on them as well. Needless to say, it is a passionate approach to style and feminine look. Yes, women indeed look amazing wearing one but it is a huge effort on their behalf to wear something that is draped around. In selecting the bride maide's sari, I went through the same process of taking pictures for Nicole's review and approval. Here are some of the shots.
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Invites - getting print work done
If selecting the type of greeting is an adventure, getting the prints made on the cards is another. Most time today was spent at the print shop waiting for the first print out of the invites to come out. What an adventure it was. I realized that I did not notice a spelling mistake and so I had to redo the screen print plates (see photos). This took additional 45 mintues, which I used to walk around the busy market. Finally it was a joy to see the first wedding invite come to life. See video.
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