Preena and Byron's Indian Wedding

The bride getting all hennaed up.
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So, we packed up our stuff from our $11 palace in Siem Reap and hopped onto a decrepit old Bhutan Air plane that looked as if there was no possible way it was going to get us (alive) to Bangkok. What a lovely birthday present for my Mom, her daughter downed in a shoddy airplane in Southeast Asia. Somehow we were able to make it to Bangkok, where we were greeted with the reality that it is virtually impossible to buy tickets from the airport, literally impossible to buy them from Air India. Air India was actually the only counter not open, so we resorted to buying tickets from a random guy who works at the airport and preys on people like us, who think you'll get a better deal buying the airline ticket directly from the airport (how naive we are). He sent a guy into town to go buy our tickets from a travel agency and made a considerable profit off us, who had no choice but to buy from him. But we got on the flight, which is what really matters, and were soon en route to Mumbai (Bombay), India.

Not the bride, getting her henna done.
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We arrived safe (and exhausted) in Mumbai at around 10:30 PM. We were greeted by a DRIVER who whisked us away to the JW Marriott on Juhu Beach. This was the classic story of "rags to riches." From flooded $11 rooms to beautiful oceanfront luxury... all thanks to Kevin's parents, Joe and Joan. And where were Joe and Joan while we were relaxing in our marshmallow bed? They were supposed to have arrived at the same time as us, but there was a medical emergency on their plane, so they had to land in Dubai for a few hours. When they finally arrived (jet lagged and exhausted, yet surprisingly peppy), we were so excited to see them! We realized just how long we've been traveling as soon as we saw them.

We were there to crash their enegagement night and, here we go again, crashing their honeymoon too!

Kevin, the only guy getting his done. (Of course)
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Kevin and Joe had a busy day of business meetings early the next morning, so Joan and I decided to venture out into the streets of Mumbai for possibly a bite to eat. The traffic "rules" are so different in every country we go, so it is impossible to guage whether one is in a country (such as Vietnam) where it is standard practice to just throw your body out into the traffic and hope for the best as the cars, motorbikes and tuk-tuks swerve violently (yet graciously) around you. I think we realized (pretty quickly) that avoiding running over pedestrians isn't exactly Indian driver's #1 priority. Back to the Marriott it was, where we found that spending a full day relaxing in the luxury of a 5 Star Hotel's restaurant, pool and spa while the city bustles like crazy all around us,actually isn't overrated. It's not overrated at all.

Finished product. It looks great... for about 5 days.
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Mumbai is a really interesting city. It's actually the #1 film-making city in the world. Forget Hollywood, come to Bollywood. There is such irony in the city too, as you will see the poorest slums for miles. A group of men will be laying on the sidewalk in a pile of trash scattered with starving dogs, amongst excrement and filth... under the shade of a monstrous billboard screaming, "Be a Millionaire!" "Be A Glamour Girl!" Oh, the irony...

We had the best meal that I have to mention before I start on Goa. The four of us met with one of Joe's clients at the restaurant at the Taj Hotel in Mumbai, one of the poshest hotels in the city. Once at the table, I declared, "Oh this is great. My first Indian meal in India with new Indian friends," which causes a bit of a stir as the restaurant we were at was actually a Lebanese restaurant. And, let me tell you, that Lebanese cuisine is delectable. This restaurant is a must-go while in Mumbai, and if you're lucky, you just might spot a beautiful Bollywood star dining next to you.

Kevin and the Groom, Byron.
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It was an early one the next morning, the four of us hopping on a plane at 6 AM en route to the beach paradise of Goa. Another early morning, like sunrise at Angkor Wat, although this time I spared you the pictures of us with cracked out eyes and phony smiles at 4:30 AM. The problem was, we were all so exhausted by the time we reached the hotel in Goa, that it wasn't fun in the sun, but straight to bed again. But we were up again by late afternoon, so we could check out the beach and the whole property at Taj Holiday Village. And what a beautiful property it was. We all had our own little cottages on the beach, with personal little gardens in our yard complete with hammocks swinging lazily in the Indian breeze. Not too shabby.

The Men's Side of the table.
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Our friends, Byron and Preena (who also live in Miami) just got married on April 1st in Miami. As her roots are Indian, they decided, hey, why not have two weddings? One in the states, one in India, so her family could come. So, they packed up their saris and spicy tongues and headed for a honeymoon/second wedding in India. And, of course, as we had missed their American wedding, we couldn't pass up the opportunity for this one in such an exotic locale! After a few hours of rest, it was mehndi time. Preena had a nice little setup in her cottage with traditonal Indian food and a mother and daughter who do mehndi (henna tattoos). It's like a tattoo, but last for only two weeks. Although it does start to look a little horrendous after a week or so, and it's pretty impossible to get off at that point. Almost all of the girls got some sort of henna on their hands and arms. It is tradition that the bride gets her full hands, arms and feet done before the wedding, so Preena was pretty much covered in the stuff. It looked very beautiful, especially the feet; just a sequence of twists and turns and flowers that this young mehndi girl stroked out in minutes. (Sorry, Preena, I'm not sure if I'll be getting all of the Indian tradition information correct, even after Preety and Nupi's quizzes! but I'll keep trying!) The guys don't "traditionally" get henna, but Kevin, being the adventurous guy he is, didn't want to be left out and got a design on his arm, although he did ask if he could get it on his face, like Mike . Needless to say, that didn't fly withe the mehndi girl.

And the Lovely Ladies.
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The next day was full of relaxing by the beach, while the final preparations were being made for the wedding ceremony. The girls were getting dressed in their saris and other sorts of beautiful Indian dresses, which, as I found out, were a lot harder to figure how to put on than I originally thought. You definitely need someone there with you to help wrap, tie, etc. you up. But the final product... let me tell you, these women looked so gorgeous, with Preena the most beautiful and elegant of them all. We reached the wedding site in the late afternoon, about an hour before sundown, so it was enchanting seeing the beach setup with that afternoon glow. The band was playing softly on a blanket on the sand, sounds carrying along the warm Goan breeze.

Goan beach.
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The wedding was full of Sikh rituals (although it wa supposed to be a Hindu ceremony), but, hey, we didn't realize the difference and Byron and Preena seemed to be going along with it just fine, being as easy-going as they are. It was so interesting to sit there and take in all of the traditions that we would never have experienced if not for this wedding. At one point, Byron's sister was supposed to play a part in the ceremony, so looking around, I guess I was most suitable to fit the part of Byron's sister, so I got up there and tied the knot (literally) between Preena's sari and Byron's scarf , representing them always being bound to one another in love...I think. But then, I had to untie the knot after tying it as tight as humanly possible (so their love would never end), so that was a bit of a struggle.I hope I didn't curse anything! Ha ha. I wasn't the only one to play a part in the ceremony, as Preena's dad, Dr. Jowhal, was involved throughout and Kevin's dad, Joe got up to represent Byron's father where Preena had to sit on his lap and repeat traditional vows. It was priceless to see Joe's expression!

Joe and Joan - and great noodles at a beachside restaurant.
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The wedding was so peaceful and spiritual and gathered quite a crowd of spectators. We think that the locals must have thought it was some Bollywood movie or something. There was one Indian guy who actually videotaped the entire ceremony, as well as the picture taking and festivities following it. Young children were dancing along the outskirts as the wedding party danced the night away on the floor in their intricately embroidered saris and Indian dresses. It was all a ton of fun. And the food. Oh, the food... There's nothing better than eating true Indian dishes picked and made by locals. I'm now addicted to garlic nan, chicken tikka and fresh lime sodas (thanks to Preety, Preena's sister, and Nupi, Preena's cousin who drink it religiously).

Dr. Jowhal - the proud father - about to walk his daughter down the aisle... er.. red carpet on the sand.
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All our best to Preena and Byron. We were there to crash your engagement night and, here we go again, crashing your honeymoon too! We were a little down about not being able to make it to their wedding in Miami, but this definitely made up for it, seeing two of our great friends getting married on the stunning sands of Goa. We feel so lucky to have been a part of it. <3