DIWALI!!!

It's Diwali... the festival of lights here -- and marks another major mark in adjustment to life here. I've had such a wonderful weekend.

First... a picture from the other week. This is a bouquet of flowers from my grandfather's funeral. "Ba" always loved flowers... and he would have just loved the flowers at his funeral. I took a picture of this bouquet after we brought it back to my Aunt and Uncle's house. The woman who did the flowers had this amazing "eye" - putting all sorts of interesting things together. I liked this one in particular with its red roses and feathers.
If a funeral can be "great" - this one was. Ba loved music - particularly the organ - and we had a wonderful organist who drove out from Cape Cod to play. The last piece was so moving (it's a family favorite) that I think every one of us cried through the entire piece. It was so amazing - I felt like applauding after it was over.
It was my first trip home (back to the States - I never made it to Cape Cod). Wow - it was amazing. It's not that I had forgotten what it was like to go to the grocery store, or to Starbucks or what it was like to be with my family... or to see good friends -- but it was shocking how great it felt. Some of my favorite times were just spent over long dinners and extended cocktail hours... just chatting.
Here is a picture of one of our family dinners. During the week we spent a lot of time together - just chatting. Christmas, Thanksgiving and other family holidays are always great -- and there was something wonderful about the week we all spent together. I suppose that part of it was that we got an entire week - and not just a few nights - to be together. At dinner we'd share stories about Ba... and get laughing about different things that he used to joke about. We were all sad not to have him there with us -- but... in a way... he was.
I'm sitting here on the marble floor in my apartment in Delhi which is now a bit cool - (amazing, yes) as the weather has finally turned. The lore has it the Diwali ushers in a new season... and it has - to an incredible degree. Anyway, I'm sitting here listening to a CD I bought in upstate New York just before Mum and my grandmother, Mimi, and I drove out to Sharon Springs, NY to pick apples -- one of my grandfather's favorite activities. The leaves were turning and there was that cool, crisp bite to the air... the leaves were turning their beautiful fall colors and we drove and drove down the back country roads to go pick apples. This music makes me think of that day.
Right before I left for NY - Steve came to visit me at my home here in Delhi. Steve (known to some readers as "Mr. Mumbai" - came up for a visit to Delhi right before I headed home. Actually, I had to leave him just about 10 hours after he arrived here. But... we definitely made the most of our 10 hours together. I gave him the quick tour of Delhi (which Chad seemed to like)... it involves a couple of quick stops at a few tourist sites a long walk through Lodi Garden... and then to the "Imperial" for a drink. It seems that by the time we reach the Imperial my guests taking part in the tour are just as relieved to get there as I am. It is an oasis -- a cut-off from reality oasis... but isn't that the definition of one? As much as I grow to love Delhi... it is still madness and chaos at every corner (except for inside my apartment... or at a "farm" outside of Delhi... I'll get to that).
So... "Diwali" is the biggest festival of the year and I've been hearing about it since I moved here. Let me tell you... it lived up to every single word I've heard about it since May (when I moved here). I woke up late (and skipped the gym - sorry Mandeep) (I'll get to Mandeep later). I slept in and met my friend Ayesha out at her favorite restaurant... which just so happens to be around the corner from me. Ayesha is an Indian girl that I know through several friends. If you can believe it... I know her through Marina's friend in India... a friend of Marina's friend's older sister. Yes... and Ayesha is just as removed on "her" side of knowing me to. But... the two of us totally hit it off. She took me out on Thursday to this cool bar for a drink... we ended up dancing until 3am. Anyway, I met Ayesha on Diwali afternoon for lunch and we were dining with a group of people I have all met before - a Colombian architect and her husband - also a Colombian architect (both working here for a few months)... her best friend (an Indian guy) and his girlfriend... the daughter of the Ecuadorian ambassador here in Delhi... another Indian girl. I suggested champagne (surprise, surprise) and we had many bottles -- chatting away through the afternoon. After lunch we sat out in the sun in a park near the restaurant and then everyone came back here to my house for another glass of champagne. (The champagne we drank her is courtesy of Nicky's flirting with a flight attendant during his flight to India).
That evening Sanjiv picked me up with his kids and we drove through the neighborhood just looking at all of the Diwali lights. Even the shoe-polisher on the corner around from my house had put candles all around his little shoe-polishing hut (some of which I bought for him as a Diwali gift). (I stopped in for tea with my neighbors as well... after I dropped off Diwali gifts for them). (Even Sibi got ME a Diwali gift... more candles). So... you get the idea - there are candles everywhere. When we got to Sanjiv's house we did a "Puja" (prayer) and then set of fireworks (surprise, surprise - they're legal here) and chatted with various family friends that stopped by to say hello and give THEIR Diwali gifts. (Diwali, by the way, is pronounced - Deh-VALL-ee)
At 10ish Sanjiv's nephew stopped by. I was glad to meet him... as I'm invited to his wedding next week AND the week after (the weddings here are a several week affair). As I'm somewhat removed from the couple getting married (we had never met before)... I'm only invited to THREE wedding events. There are about a dozen of them.
Sanjiv's nephew, Aseem, invited us out to the family "farm". Now... while I've never actually been to one of these Delhi "farms"... I do KNOW of them. It's like living in LA and being invited to some sort of sprawling estate in Bel Air. We got out to the farm and Sanjiv's sister (Aseem's mother) asked if I was hungry for a "snack" because dinner wouldn't be served (per usual) until about 1:30am. (This is COMMON here -- if you're "anyone"... to eat "dinner" as more of an early breakfast). I declined... but did take up the offer of some nice red wine -- something that I love... but have basically put aside as an interest as the import duties are so high on wine... that it makes it almost impossible to afford for a "commoner" like me.
We went out to the tennis courts on thier property to watch the fireworks. The fireworks they launched from their tennis courts were about as good as any municipal fireworks I've seen in the US... it was amazing. I was one of the only Westerners there... it was mostly all Indians... sitting in lawn chairs, having various drinks brought to them by a slew of "attendants"... chatting away - before we went back for dinner at 1:30.
There are so many more things to mention... but I'm afraid I've already carried on too long. We left around 3am (Sanjiv, his wife and two kids - ages 12 and 14) and I think the hosts were offended that we left so "early". They were just getting started playing cards - a big Diwali tradition. When I got home there were still candles burning on all of the rooftops on the terraces and on the street around my home. So, I lighted about 15 or so candles (in essence little oil lamps in earthen containers) on my terrace and on MY roof... and I sat outside until 4am and watched the fireworks going off in every direction around my house.
It's now Sunday night.. and I can still here the crackle of fireworks going off... lighting up bits of the night sky.
Ahhh, there are so many more things to mention... but I've got to wrap it up...
Briefly... I gave up on "Ozone" (the fancy gym near my house) and joined a little dive gym around the corner. (imagine working out in my old studio apartment in LA... old carpet... equipment that has been there since the 70s...) but this gym (no name) is great... a cool vibe. It's run my "Mandeep" a big Punjabi guy who is now my "trainer" - he charges $10/hr and he's going to whip me into shape.
Also... I finally bought a huge old door - yes door - from Rajasthan that I've been eyeing since I got here. It's a bit of a splurge... for some HUGE door... that I'm going to hang on my wall... but I'm excited. It'll be installed tomorrow - along with another carved "panel" for over my dining table... I got an end table too. I'll update the blog with pictures once they're all in place.
Very exciting... I've had just a wonderful, wonderful weekend.
Oh... and I put in my order for a "curta"... a sort of half-dress which is traditional Indian "garb"... I'll need it for the wedding in a few weeks.
xx -S