Wow it’s been a while since I have written! Life has been super busy for the last six months! I was happy to start a new year with new goals, a new attitude and new adventures. My first adventure of 2018 took me all the way to the southern region of India! One of my dear friends from MBA school invited me to his wedding and since I am an expert wedding attendee [always a bridesmaid, never a bride…], how could I say no? It was great because our other friend from grad school ended up moving back home to India so I had a great tour guide during my stay.
Getting there… holy moly that is a long flight! I had to drive two hours from Birmingham to Atlanta. Leg One was 9 hours to Heathrow, followed by another 10 hour flight Bangalore. I left Atlanta at 9pm Friday night and arrived in India on Sunday at 5am. Oh, and then of course my luggage decided to have an extended stay in London so it took an additional day to arrive. But have no fear, my friend Mohan knew just where to take me shopping so I could get some authentic Indian duds! My first impression of India was 1) SO. MANY. PEOPLE. 2) I would NEVER drive there myself. The traffic there was completely illogical and insane.
During my time over there I saw a couple of temples and a really cool light show at a palace in Mysore. Pro Tip: If you plan on visiting any temples in India, make sure you bring an extra pair of socks! Shoes are not allowed to be worn in the temples and those stones are hot, hot, hot on your bare feet! Ouch! It was so interesting seeing all the craftsmanship and details that went into building and decorating these temples and palaces. The people of India really know how to put on the dog, as we like to say in the South! Most people ask if I got to see the Taj Mahal but unfortunately, that is at the very northern tip of India and I just didn’t have enough time to make it up there… so I am saving that for when I go to Nepal (date is to be determined).
The next question I get about my travels to India are about the food and how amazing was it? Did I eat lots of curry? Well…. sadly, the taste of India is lost on me because I avoid anything remotely spicy. I know, I know, and I call myself a Texan… BUT, I did have delicious pan which is Indian bread and a lot of sweets. My friend Mohan knew of my eating restrictions and tried very hard to find continental restaurants for us to eat at. The first night we found this hole in the wall gem that had a super cool vibe and was playing 90s rock (my favorite) and I order their pizza. What the menu failed to disclose was that their sauce was made from chili powder and I nearly died! So lots of McDonald’s breakfasts thereafter! They don’t eat beef or pork (or very little pork – I did find a place that had a ham and cheese sandwich that totally made my day!) but I found the vegetarian breakfast sandwich McD’s to be delicious! They should totally bring that to the States! [It was basically a corn and spinach patty with egg and cheese.]
A couple of days before the wedding we took an internal flight to my friend’s hometown in Rajahmundry which sits on the eastern seaboard of India. His family was so nice and welcoming. Their home was gorgeous – more marble than I have ever seen in one house – even the driveway was marble! We stopped to see a new temple that his father was building in the town and also saw some fire ceremonies on the river which was really cool.
Now the wedding was something very, very different than what we typically experience in the U.S. It lasts several days and with many outfit changes (I could really get on board with that tradition!). I was there for the reception and the marital ceremony. For the reception, I was gifted a sari from my friend and his wife and it was gorgeous! Tying a sari on the other hand was nearly impossible, despite the multiple Youtube videos I watched. But I did my best attempt and went to the reception only to be whisked away to a private room by the groom’s family and redressed, re-makeuped and fix my hair (they have a very specific look they wanted and clearly I had not pulled that off well! haha). The clothes that the Indian women wear was probably my favorite part. So many colors, so many intricate details, it was just amazing.
The following morning we got up early to attend the reception which started at 7 a.m.!!! I wore a traditional Indian Lehenga dress that I had purchased at an Indian shop here in Alabama. I did not pay well enough attention on how to wear the pallu (or shall) so I totally botched that but oh well… I was that American! Their ceremonies are much longer than a typical U.S. wedding. Lots of tradition and coconuts! But so very cool to experience and I was honored to be a part of their day.
The last days in India were spent shopping at a farmer’s market, a mall and what I would consider similar to be the “chinatown” equivalent. I managed to pick up some beautiful silks for my family and friends, a drum, a rug for my kitchen and some other trinkets.
While we covered a lot of ground in the short time I was there, I know that that there is so much more of the country to some day see. I am grateful I had this opportunity to go and see my friends, be a part of their wedding and learn more about their country and their culture that I had heard so much about when we were all in school together! I will be honest, India was not initially at the top of my Living List but knowing what I know now, I would totally recommend it!
