Living in India Page 11

Night out at Shalom with friends

mint shisha

I've recently reconnected with an old friend from my more youthful days and he sent me this photo.  I don't have a lot of photos of me from this time and it's so strange to look back

American Women's Association cocktail party 10/19/06

Diwali October 21 2006

my rangoli and diyaaltar for Lakshmi and Ganesh

our yard cats, the big one is the baby, the black one is the mom, they're sweet and were frankly puzzled at why I was painting on the ground

Diwali firework mayhem

together with our friends from around the corner we let off some Diwali fireworks of our own

we light up a line of fountains, so pretty!another one down the street

a couple on a scooter swerves around the fountain, and keeps swerving around fireworks all down the street

Mike in actionMike Nick and Kumar lighting things on fire

one of our guards assistsNick and Manjula watchManju with a torch

bottle rockets on the roof

I have developed a deep appreciation for the embroidered mirrorwork of the state of Gujarat, many of the pieces available once formed part of someone's dowry having been sewn for them by their mothers or themselves. Many pieces are 30 or 40 years old or more.  When times are tough these pieces are sold.  The work is exquisite.  You can tell when you get a really beautiful high quality piece.  Especially if a piece has detailed mirror embroidery from top to bottom rather than just as a border or sparsely spaced and the cotton is good solid cotton and you can flip it over and see that each stitch has been done painstakingly by hand.  Here are two pieces that I just bought.  They are a top which ties in the back traditionally and a skirt.  The colors are beautiful and rich and the stitching is so so careful.  You would almost think it had to be done by machine for it to be so well done until you turn it over and see that it has been handstitched.

details of topsleeve

details of the skirt

Halloween 2006

Beth and EmmaMike looking hot

Then, the next Friday, Risha's Halloween party which was loads of fun - Mike re...vamped...ahahah..haha...his costume of the week before, I switched to gin sodden 17th century street walking wench

Risha getting the music together with only her Madonna legwarmers on so far

that's right, gin sodden wench hereand my date, the sucker..ahahh..ahahahaha

the girls kick off the night with a shot of Cuervo only Risha's glass is empty!

Emma as Venus, Goddess of lurvethe man in Risha's garden

Liz got my vote for best costume, she went in to change and came back in this cute skirt, top and shoes and we were all wondering, "What is she?"  Then, we noticed the chest hair.

  this is Manavi noticing the chest hair, Manavi dressed as a pregnant woman, which she is

Harpreet made a prettier Frida Kahlo than Frida did

Kali was penned in the inner porch and was disconsolate that she could not attend except through the glass

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