Day One and counting

This morning at about 1:15, we arrived at the guest house where we are staying for the next few days. It is located in a complex known as Essel Towers. There are several rooms here and a central kitchen, dining area and living room. At that hour, a bed looked comfortable, until we realized there was NO HEAT!!! The buildings here are not centrally heated and there is no insulation in the walls, so that coupled with loose-fitting windows and doors, one could refer to one's room as a bit of a refrigeration unit! As I said, any bed at that hour, following a fourteen hour flight and then dinner at Sanjiv's home with friends and family, looked welcoming. After layering on a couple of shirts and climbing under the duvet and a bedspread, I settled down like a fish under a plank and slept with many interruptions until about 6:30.

We had morning tea followed by toast, jam, juice and scrambled eggs. Our driver, Rakesh, was waiting outside to drive us to the home of Vikram and Sonia Sahny. They are friends from previous trips of mine, and Vikram serves currently as president of the Rotary Club of Delhi-Megapolis. Sonia kindly offered to step in on Heather's behalf and have a saree and a salwar kameez made for her before we arrived in India, depending upon measurements sent along via Email. The two garments are beautiful and I know Heather will look amazing waring them, as well as some jewelry and bangles Sonia willingly let her borrow. A few minor alterations needed to be done and then we were driven back to Sanjiv's complex, where we met even more relatives who had come from long distances to join in a traditional luncheon, as well as the rehearsal which followed. Aunts, cousins, uncles and friends all gather together to create a skit presentation for the bridal couple, and Heather joined right in with the rest of the women. Heather also had her hands and wrists decorated with henna - a temporary tattoo, as did most of the other women and girls at today's luncheon. After running a few crucial errands, we all returned to Sanjiv's home tonight and enjoyed drinks, dinner and wonderful fellowship, meeting old friends and making new ones. JT and Heather seem to be adapting well to the crazy thing known as INDIA TIME, as well as assimilating into the family. Since it is now nearly 2:00 a.m., I am going to call it a day and try to warm up and sleep until the next event tomorrow morning!