Meri Pyari Beheniya Banegi Dulhuniya...

Just wanted to make a quick post about some exciting news. My sister is getting married!!! The engagement was yesterday and the wedding is on August 10th 2006. Her fiance's name is Vipul Dedhania...my sister will be Disha Vipul Dedhania...DVD! He is doing a fellowship and doing medical research. He has a younger brother who got married two months back. That means Disha is a 'Jetani' right of the bat.

Premal and I plan in attending the wedding. We will be leaving in next few days and will stay for 2 weeks. I welcome all of you to come and join us for the joyous occasion.

Before and After

Here are some updates on our plants!

Our veggie garden before and after...



Strawberry plant before and after...

few of photos from the wedding...

Past few weeks...

Past few weeks have been a bit busy. On Saturday, July 15th my cousin Nisha (my mama's daughter) got married. The wedding took place in US, but at many times it had the India feel to it.

One week before:
The guests started to arrive about a week in advance. Couple of days before the big day all guests and family had lunch and dinner at the bride's home in Billerica. Each meal had a different menu. On Thursday evening after dinner, all ladies were in the mendhi mode. Although 'mendhi rasam' was scheduled for Friday night we were all busy putting mendhi on each other.

Friday:
On Friday morning we all compared each others hands to see who had the best color. Of course this is when we started to joke about the darker the color the more love your husband had for you. Friday afternoon was the mandavo ceremony. It was held inside the house in the living room. The ladies sang wedding songs. The evening was supposed to be mendhi rasam as I said before, but it turned out to be a fun dance night. The guys mounted the speakers on the windows and we all danced in the driveway. It was fun.

Satruday:
Saturday morning we had a big responsiblity...we were in charge of bringing the groom and his mother to the mandap. Everyone was all dressed up in their saris. Nisha was looking beautiful. The ceremony was held outside and the temperature was climbing to 90 degrees. The heat was getting too much at times. But ceremony was not too long and soon it was photo session. Saturday evening was the big finale...the reception. Again everyone was dressed to impress. There was garba, slow dancing, and club dancing. All was fun and the food was great too. Soon the guests started to leave and party was over.

One week later:
One would think that things should get back to normal after that. Well... not quite. The out-of-town guests were still here and the personal lunch and dinner arrangements were made. Finally, after a week all the guests had left.

So now things should definately get back to normal, right? Wrong! My mom and sister head out to India. Then a week later we drop off dad to airport so he can catch his flight to India.

Today:
It seems like things are actually slowing down. Dad has reached India. All went well and everyone is doing fine there. They are waiting for us to join them, but that probably won't happen.

Funny Polls (2)...

It is so much fun to create a poll. Thanks to Tools I am stealing his idea. Feel free to pass on this URL to your better haves for everyone's viewing pleasure.

Who will have baby after Julie / Mehul?
	Aarti / Dhanesh
	Avani / Tulan
	Deepa / Premal
	Dolly / Mukesh
	Indu / Vijay
	Julie / Mehul
	Meghana / Raju
	Pintu / Rakesh
	Sital / Sanjay
	Swaroopa / Sukesh
	Zinkle / Sam

Funny Polls (1)...

Who will be married next?
	Ashish
	Disha
	Ekta
	Janki
	Jay
	Mamta
	Nirav

Mumbai Help...

Yesterday was a very sad day for India. Seven bomb blasts in Mumbai in 15 mins time killing 185 people. For what reason? For what purpose? Thay say terrorists planned this. The whole things gets me so angry. These terrorists obviously have no heart and no soul.

Anyway, I saw a link to help people find their loved ones in Mumbai. Not sure how helpful this is but it is worth a post. Link is Mumbai Help.

Around the house...

Seems like after 2 years of owning our home we are slowly growing a 'green thumb'. Last year we planted a few random things. But this year we have gone all out. We have new bushes, tulips, random flowers and other plants for the front of the house. In the backyard we are growing a full-fledge vegetable garden! It includes tomatoes, green chilies, bell peppers, zucchini, cabbage, and eggplant. We also have a mint plant and a strawberry plant. Thanks to my in-laws and all the rain we got this year the plants are doing great. You can see the pics below.

For the longest time I thought growing all these plants was probably a desi thing. But I was wrong. Yesterday, the hubby and I went for a walk around our neighborhood and to our surprise we saw another house with a vegetable garden. The owners were not desi. Their garden was actually bigger and better than ours. They even had some of the same veggies as us. So, I guess it's not a desi thing after all.

If you are really interested and want to see the whole album of the plant photos, click here.

Update...

Ok, so vacation ended a long time back. Sorry for not updating earlier. We had a blast. We went to Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Powell, Zion National Park, and of course Vegas. We also had a nice surprise at our stop over in Salt Lake City. It's hard to pick a favorite out of these places. Grand Canyon was wonderful, definitely wish we had more time to do some hiking there. Sedona was gorgeous....the architecture was beautiful. We went to a chapel which was so clamming and peaceful. Lake Powell was nice too. Went to a damn and Horseshoe Canyon....both worth seeing. Vegas was nice, but not really my scene as I don't like gambling and I don't like cards. But it was worth going at least once. The hotels were amazing, the lights, the decor, the attractions were all great. We had a 4 hour stop over in Salt Lake City so we took a tour of the city. To our surprise it turned out to be a very beautiful place. Weather was mostly in our favor so everything turned out great. See our snaps: Grand Canyon, Sedona, Lake Powell, Zion, Vegas, Salt Lake City.

So what's going on now?...well seems like a lot of things. First is that the in-laws are going back to India in a week. I can't believe it has been more than 2 months already. Seems like just yesterday Premal and I were making the house ready for them. And now it won't be the same without them. Its sad to see them go, but I won't miss the frequent trips to the grocery store or the shopping malls.

Second, work has been a little crazy. I have many projects going on right now. Some are more interesting than others. I'm going on my first training...pretty excited about that.

That's all for now.

Vacation Time

Sorry for not writing an entry for awhile. Life has been very busy recently. In-laws are in town and work has been crazy. But the good news is that this Saturday I am going on vacation! Whole family is going together to visit Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. I have never seen either so I am looking forward to it. I'm not sure which one will be better. Grand Canyon has the nature aspect and Vegas is totally opposite where everything is man-made. Grand Canyon will also be a bit cooler where Vegas will be in the 80s. I'll give all the wonderful details when I get back.

While I will be on vacation a major move is happening in our office building. Our whole group will be moving from 2nd floor to the 1st floor. I will get a window office again! But before I go not only do I have to wrap up my work I also have to wrap up my office. Coming back is gonna be killer. I will be tired and running on few hours of sleep, on top of that I will be getting back to a packed office. It's sad that I am already worried about getting back even before I go.

Spring or summer?

Spring is here! And I don't mean the one on the calendar, I'm talking about the real spring. At least it feels like it today.

I went out for lunch, got in my car and it was hot and stuffy. I can't remember the last time I felt that. In mid-summer I hate that feeling, but today it was welcomed. I had to roll down the windows and it felt absolutely great! People were running, going for walks, and sitting outside.

Tomorrow is supposed to be even warmer than today. It will be nearly 70 degrees! But wait...maybe that's too hot too fast. Spring temperatures are around 60s and we are talking about 70s here. Is spring only today? If so, it looks like I'm gonna miss it. (And I was so looking forward to seeing the tulips come up this year.)

My in-laws are coming from India for a visit in the 2nd week of April. I told them a week back that it is very cold here. But, if the temperatures keep up then by the time they get here it will be summer weather and they will think I my definition of cold is crazy.

Well, what can you expect...it's New England weather....if its hot and humid today, don't be surprised if its snowing tomorrow.

Mad Hair Day

Recently, I went for a haircut. Oh, the horror. I really hate going for one, but my hair was getting really long. So it was time.

It is such a big risk everytime. I told the lady I wanted just couple of inches off the back and then some long layers. Well, her 'couple of inches' and my 'couple of inches' are very different apparently. She cut way more than I wanted and there was nothing I could do about it. Seriously, what could I do? She can't glue it back on....she can't redo the whole thing. I am basically stuck with what she has done.

Wish there was some rule that if the hair stylist makes an error with your hair, you should be able to cut their hair. That would be great.

Birthdays...

Month of March is a big Birthday month. I have so much family and so many friends who's birthdays are in March. Consider this a shout out to all those birthdays...

March 1 - Bhartimasi

March 3 - Sital

March 7 - Dad

March 8 - Anvibhabhi

March 9 - Soni

March 10 - Jagdishmasa

March 12 - Mummy

March 19 - Kishoremama

March 19 - Rakeshjijaji

March 21 - Diptibhabhi

March 21 - Charu

March 24 - Amita

March 27 - Pintu

March 29 - Daddy

Happy Birthday to all!

Indian Women

It is safe to say that for many Indian women their career is not their top priority. Especially, a woman that is married and has children. For her, her family is top priority. In many cases their husbands' are earning enough and there is no need for her to work.

But, it is always nice to hear when a fellow 'desi' woman is striving in her career. It gives a sense of hope that you can have it all and it can be done.

Today, I guide you to read a very interesting blog entry from Curry Youth .
It talks about a recent, special publication of Business Today Magazine dedicated to Powerful Woman of India.

'Tis the baby season...

If there is such a thing as 'Baby Season', then it is going on now. I know a total of 6 people that I encounter in my everyday life that are currently pregnant. I won't mention names, but I am gonna list them just for fun. I will go according to due date.

1. Woman at work. Though I am not too close to her, I see her all the time. She is due this Monday, the 27th.
2. Friend at samaj. She is a tiny little thing. My prediction is that she will have a girl. She is due early March.
3. Friend at samaj. She has become tiny during her pregnancy. My guess is she will have a boy. She is due late March.
4. Friend from college. We studied the same major. Her baby shower is coming up. She is having a girl. Think she is due in April.
5. Woman at work. She is friends with the earlier woman I mentioned from work. She is having a boy. She is due in June.
6. Friend at work. She has not told anyone about her pregnancy yet. She is due in August.

But, wait...I'm not done. As if the above isn't bad enough...I know another 4, yes 4, women that are trying.

So, of course with all this going on around me I can't help but wonder about my life. Am I gonna miss the boat if I don't jump on?....Naaaa...after some thought, I decided I don't mind being the only one on the boat when the time comes. Plus, I want to see how all these people handle being moms. Maybe I can learn a thing or two for when it is my turn.

Happy Valentine's Day Sweety...

Today's entry is dedicated to my sweetheart...

I know it may sound sappy, but I love him very much. He makes this thing called life a better place to be in. He is my Valentine all year around. He knows me so well and still wants to be with me. He is a great guy and a wonderful husband. I can't imagine my life without him.

Snow Bored...

Let it snow....let it snow...let it snow...(but not ALL day).
It started snowing here last night while I was sleeping. I woke up and looked out the window and the world was covered in a beautiful sheet of white and it was still snowing. Something about seeing mother nature do her thing put me in a good mood. I was hoping after breakfast it would stop snowing so that I could go out and enjoy it. Unfortunately, it didn't. Infact, it is now 6:00pm and it is STILL SNOWING!!

We haven't had too much snow this year so I was looking forward to this storm, but enough already. I have been stuck in the house all day and it is getting boring now. Earlier, I thought that maybe a walk in the snow would be fun, but it is too cold and windy. Going for a drive is out of the question. All the roads are a mess. So I have no choice, but stay inside with nothing to do. I am almost looking forward to work tomorrow...well almost.

So, after this experience I have decided that a snow storm might be better on the weekday. Especially, if the weather is so bad that you can't get to work. Just the thrill of not having to go to work on a day you would normally, can get you through the day.

Do you SU DOKU?

SU DOKU...a Japanese name that means "the digits must remain single". A game from Japan. It was first published in US in 1979. But I guess no one really liked it then.

My first encounter of this game was on a flight where I saw it in a magazine. My hubby and sister were with me and they explained the rules to me and I was hooked. Next day at work I asked if anyone had heard of it. Turns out I was the only one living under a rock. It has been popular internationally for the past year.

Recently, I have been noticing it everywhere. Most papers run it, magazines run it, bookstores have whole sections dedicated to it, its online everywhere....and who knows where else it is. And why shouldn't it be. You don't need to know how to read, or write or even how to add. It' s a puzzle that almost anyone can do.

Click here for a link to SU DOKU...or just do a search for it...you will get hundreds of hits. Happy SU DOKU - ing.

License to have babies

I read about this story few days ago and I just couldn't believe it. This baby was born premature and was kept in the hospital until she was healthy. When she was finally released the mother took her home, put her in a plastic bag, drove to the river and dropped her in. Luckily, she was rescued and is doing fine now. You can read the whole story here.

Why would anyone do such a thing? There is no reason for it. I feel sad when I think of all those couples who want a baby so badly, but are having trouble conceiving. And here is a mother who was able to give birth to this baby and just throws her in the river!?

Sometimes I think you should have a license to have babies. Really. There should be some interview process that checks your mental health. If you pass only then you can have babies.

Where does the time go?

Today was just another day. I woke up, got ready for work, drove in the crazy traffic and finally got to work. I continued my daily ritual at work which is to get coffee, check email, then read today's new Dilbert. I have a daily desk calendar which I have gotten so used to reading every morning. Thanks to Deesh, who gave it to me for my birthday, I am now totally hooked. So, today while I tore off yesterday's date and read today's I was a little shocked....it's Feb 1st!!! Where did January go?

It's not like a lot happened last month either. It was a nice relaxing month. No crazy schedules on the weekends, got to sleep in late, no major parties....and still it went by fast. At this rate we will be seeing 2007 soon.

Oh well, what can you do? Today actually happens to be our Accord's 3rd birthday.