Glimpses of India

I'm back!!! Coming home from vacation is always bittersweet. In this case, it is more bitter than sweet. I love India. I love the people, the spirit of life, the culture....and it just feels like home to me. I can easily see past the dirt, the crowds, and the traffic (for those in LA, traffic on the 405 is nothing compared to Mumbai traffic), and see myself living in a country that has so much love and passion for life. Even though this trip was a crazy one and not at all relaxing, I loved every minute and wish I was still there.

The purpose of my travel was twofold: 1 - to attend my cousin's wedding in Mumbai, and 2 - to do my wedding shopping. A lot of people have asked my why I would travel halfway around the world to shop for my wedding and it's not as crazy as you would think. I am having a traditional Hindu wedding, and that includes about 4-5 different ceremonies that take place over several days. Accordingly, my family and I need outfits for each function, and buying an Indian outfit is no easy fit. It requires selecting the outfit, going back for fittings, getting matching jewelry, bangles, shoes, and other accessories if required. Also, there are several items required for the ceremony that have to be purchased in India. Now, I could have gotten all this stuff here in the US, but to be frank, the selection is no where near what I could get in India, and the prices in the States are so ridiculous, that even when you add in the cost of airfare for flying to India, it's still cheaper for me to go there and buy the outfits than for me to purchase stuff in the States. Also, since I was already going to India for my cousin's wedding, it made sense to get my shopping done at the same time.

Since I just got back this past Sunday, and went back to work Monday, I have been exhausted and jet-lagged. Within the next few days I promise to return to my regularly scheduled beauty posting, but in the meantime, here are a few glimpses of me during my cousin's wedding:

This is me with my two beautiful neices who are 4 and a half (she specifically added the "half" when I asked her how old she was....sooo cute!) and 3 years old.

Me in my blue and pink saree at the Sangeet event, which is a dance and music party.

Me giving a speech during the Sangeet.

Oh, and since I didn't get to say this previously, Happy New Year! I hope 2010 is full of happiness, good health and prosperity for you and your families! Cheers!