Big Fat Indian Wedding

Its been a full week since I’ve arrived in Delhi and I think I’ve acclimated. At first, I thought I had some super human power in my ability to so quickly adjust to Delhi—its been an easier transition for me to move to India than it was for me to move to Indiana :)  

However, my body back-lashed at me Thursday and Friday and I came down with some combination of delayed-onset jetlag and the dreaded “Delhi belly.” I’ll spare you the juicy details, but will let you know that I’ve mastered the art of the Indian toilet. 

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Just kidding. We have a western toilet. I'm really hoping I haven't given you a mental image now :) 

Although I was feeling a bit under the weather for the past few days, my first weekend in Delhi did NOT disappoint. Friday night was low key and I was feeling extra sleepy. Geeta invited us for dinner at her home, which was wonderful. Her son, Samarpan, who is a student at Ashish, invited one of the teachers and her family over for dinner as well. This teacher also has a son at Ashish, and I will be doing some consultation with one of her students, so it was great to connect with her outside of the center. She’s an outstanding teacher, so I am thrilled at the opportunity to be collaborating with her. The food was outstanding (not surprising—I’ve loved ALL the food here), though I decided to just eat light (no need to test the waters on an already testy tummy), and the company was even better.

Saturday was a very exciting day. In the morning, we were invited to attend a baptism of Geeta’s son, Saday. The service was lovely. We then had lunch, and although there weren’t many vegan options, they had fresh veggies which was exactly what I’ve been craving. Although I’ve loved trying all of the different hot meals, I also miss my typical diet of fresh produce.

The evening, however, was the highlight of my weekend. Geeta’s dad (among the sweetest men I’ve ever met) invited us to a wedding. When we asked if we’d be imposing, he told us there’d be so many people at the wedding, that a few extra people would not make a difference. This made me laugh a little, since we are planning a wedding in my own family this summer, this is quite the contrast of the American mindset of having a reasonable wedding budget! Not sure if my family would be open to having a few extra foreigners join in.

Anyway, I had brought a dress from home to wear to the wedding, but was convinced by Magdalena, Geeta, and Preeta to wear a sari, which is a traditional style of women’s clothing in India. I was a bit apprehensive at first—I’m most comfortable dressing rather modestly, and did not like the idea of showing my mid-section, but Magdalena urged me that this is likely the only time in life that I’d have the opportunity to wear a sari, so I should take advantage of it. I decided that since this trip is all about moving beyond my comfort zone, I might as well dive right in. Geeta was kind enough to lend me one of her beautiful saris. Although it took time before I felt confident, I eventually got comfortable and felt really special wearing something so beautiful.

The wedding was like nothing I’ve ever seen before—I felt like I was at Disney World! Words and pictures will not even begin to explain how incredible it was. The groom’s party was present at the entry of the venue. It involved a huge celebration that included fireworks, drums and horns, LOTS of dancing, and a horse-drawn carriage the carried the king groom. It was like a parade that slowly made its way into the wedding hall.

 The inside the huge hall were lots of fancy decorations, beautifully dressed women, and more food than I’ve ever seen. We were quickly approached by servers who offered all sorts of delicious treats. It was a completely vegetarian wedding—I could get used to these Hindu weddings! There was also an area where all kinds of Indian street foods were being prepared, and my personal favorite was the fresh fruit table—I could live on the mangoes, kiwi, pineapple and watermelon for the rest of my life with no complaints!

Geeta convinced me to try golg appay, a really interesting street snack that involves sticking a golf-ball sized ball of fried dough filled with some kind of liquid. Geeta and Magdalena first provided a tutorial before I gave it a try.

And all that food was just appetizers! We then waited for the king groom to arrive!

And later the queen bride. I can’t imagine all having all of this on your wedding day!

Afterwards, we headed in to the dining area where there was (surprise!) even more food. There was traditional food from all over India and I got to try a little bit of everything (the vegan options, that is). My eyes were far bigger than my stomach so I left feeling uncomfortably full—talk about food baby. I was later told me Preeta’s niece that Indians go to weddings just for the food, and I can’t say I blame them. It was truly incredible.

Sunday was also an exciting day because Magdalena and I had planned to take a trip to a fancy mall in south Delhi. We travelled by metro for about 2 hours and then by bike (in which someone else doing all the pedaling!).

This poor guy was a trooper for hauling us all that way!

The mall was very westernized and super trendy, but it was actually a little bit comforting to be in a familiar setting after a week of adjustment to Indian culture. We tended to “blend in” a little more, with far less stares from others. The highlight was finding a bookstore and finding a quiet and cozy coffee shop to read in.

Looking forward to week 2!