Indian Wedding

I am blessed.
No two ways about it.
I've experienced two miraculous months in India. Everywhere I go (that's a LOT of places) miracles. Before I left South Africa I decided that I'd fly home from Bangalore, so that I could attend the Art of Living course here and randomly picked the 2nd of Feb as my departure date.
As it so happens, the wedding of the year is taking place right here on the 1st.
The celebrations began two days ago. By dint of being foreign I'm invited to all the marvelous goings on. Last night I got my hands henna-ed along with the spectacular family and guests of the bride and groom. The groom is no other than Guru-ji's nephew, so this really is an occassion.
With beautiful paisley designs on our palms we feasted on the crazy taste sensations of sweet-spicy Indian snacks (pani puri, bhel moodhi, tikiya chola, kulfi and jaman all washed down with tender coconut water sipped straight from the coconut) while shaking our shoulders to the music in the moonlight.
It's just too wonderful.
We'll be feasting today and then there'll be a huge Engagement Party this afternoon.
Tomorrow morning is the ceremony itself and I've bought a very pretty silk sari that I'll need a lot of help getting on. It's basically one very long piece of fabric. Magda, my Polish roommate, has taken it to Bangalore to get a blouse made, you know the tight little mid-riff exposing tops that are this white tummied girl's horror. My Russian roommates, Yula who speaks a little English with a fabulous thick accent and Valla who speaks to me in Russian...loudly ;), tried to wrap me up in the sari yesterday to comic ends.
Fortunately there are plenty of 'aunties' around to lend a hand.