The best inaugural event!

No, not the inauguration of President Barack Obama--we missed that one, unfortunately. We fled the frozen, jam-packed, war-zone-like city of Washington over inaugural weekend in order to attend another big event in another city important to our colonial heritage--Kayur and Claire's London wedding.

It was a quick trip across the ocean (less than four days for me), and we are both still very sleepy. But we are so glad that we got to share in the joyous occasion! Claire looked absolutely stunning, Kay looked thrilled to be marrying her, the R. family was ecstatic to be inheriting such a wonderful daughter (or sister or cousin)-in-law, and the food and drink were bubbling over for the occasion.

A quick run-down of the details, and an explanation of why the best inaugural party was the one celebrating the inauguration of Kayur and Claire's married life together:

The venue: For the site of their nuptuals and subsequent party, Kayur and Claire selected an adorable seventeenth century hotel in a cute rural area outside of London. It was a beautiful hotel that exuded old English charm, and it seemed tailor-made for their event. The "registry" occurred in one beautiful old-fashioned parlor room; we moved seamlessly to another room for cocktails and "starters," a larger room for a scrumptious meal, and finally another room for dancing and drinking. We stayed the night at the hotel in a charming cottage on the grounds, and I discovered the inspiration for my future home.

Stokes Place

(Although London has a reputation for miserable winters, I can guarantee that it was not half as cold as the National Mall. Wedding 1, Inauguration 0.)

The ceremony: The happy couple were married in a very official British ceremony called a "registry." One of the highlights (other than the obvious happy result): Ankur gave an inspired reading of Percy B. Shelley's poem, Love's Philosophy. Or, I should say, almost Percy B. Shelley's poem. Two of the words had to be altered in order to avoid mentioning "heaven," as that apparently was too "religious" for the Crown.



(There was definitely no Rick Warren reading an inaugural prayer. Wedding 2, Inauguration 0.)

The fashion: In an inspired gesture towards blending the East and the West, Claire wore a gorgeous strapless sheath-style white gown constructed from a white and gold sari. She looked absolutely fabulous.



(The dress was also perfectly symmetrical--the essence of beauty--with no uncomfortable fidgeting every time she moved. Wedding 3, Inauguration 0.)

The food: In another expert nod towards cultural harmony, the lovely couple selected the best of both culinary worlds. The guests enjoyed a scrumptious indian meal, served family-style on each table, followed by English wedding cake and lemon tarts. Indian "savories," English "sweets" -- the perfect combination.

(And it sure beats wild game and root vegetables. Wedding 4, Inauguration 0.)

The entertainment: The speeches and toasts were hilarious. The DJ was excellent. The dancing was exuberant. The alcohol was copious. But the biggest entertainment of the night for me was my adorable little baby cousin-in-law Carys, who I got to carry, dance with, and play with for the majority of the evening. It was much fun and an excellent workout--my arms were unbelievably sore the next day!



(We got to stay at one great party, rather than dance the exact same dance at 12. Wedding 5, Inauguration 0.)

The result: The beginning of a wonderful, happy, and long-lasting marriage!

(This was a close one--I am a big fan of the regime change in Washington as well. But ultimately I have to go with the wonderful new addition to family--Wedding 6, Inauguration 0.)

In sum, a good time was had by all. It also brought back very fond memories of our own wedding a year and a half earlier. To all who made it possible--thank you for a fantastic trip!

A Snapshot

Two mzungu lawyer sister-in-laws are sitting on a couch, adorned with much gold jewelry and red dots on their foreheads, drinking indian tea and eating chevro. One turns to the other and says: "when you dreamed about being an old married woman, is this what you pictured?" They laugh, and together appreciate their wonderfully unpredictable lives.

Happy Birthday Ankur!

On this day in history, many years ago, my best friend and soulmate was brought into the world. To celebrate the momentous occasion, we 1) went to McDonald's for lunch (his request); 2) went to Whole Foods and explored (also his request), and 3) had a little get-together at our favorite local Thai place, followed by cake and Rock Band at home (a surprise). And so many people called and emailed and facebooked--it was a really nice, low-key day spent reconnecting with people.

Playing Tourists

Happy New Year! Thanks to the office entirely emptying out for the holiday, I got a rare treat--I did not have to do a single six-minute increment of work on Sunday! It was fantastic. In order to properly take advantage of the occasion, the husband and I decided to venture out and experience DC as it is meant to be experienced--as tourists.

We started our adventures by walking down to the scene of all the action lately--the Hay Adams hotel. We were two of the many, many curious Americans hoping to catch a glimpse the Obama family as they (along with so many other Americans) await the vacancy of their future home. We felt completely ridiculous standing there and gawking, waiting for the chance to wave at our future first family, but there was something really neat about the palpable excitement in the air, and we couldn't bring ourselves to walk away.

And our time spent standing out in the cold looking and feeling like idiots was rewarded--we got our second DC celebrity sighting! The Obama women exited the hotel, through the Secret Service tent, in a big black SUV with tinted windows, and surrounded by police cars and other vehicles. As they were driving away, Mrs. Obama looked out the window and waved at us! Some might see it as inappropriate or undistinguished, but I thought the fact that Michelle Obama waved at us through the dark windows had some nice symbolic value--she did not see the American public waiting outside her temporary home as a source of inconvenience or annoyance to be avoided, but instead as people whom she could help cheer and serve. Change is coming! =)

After the wave, we continued our walk down to the White House, where we saw the giant stage and massive rows of bleachers being constructed for the inauguration. We stopped to buy a couple of Obama T-shirts from a street vendor (hey, we were tourists!) and have a delicious lunch at Cosi. Then we headed further down to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum, where we saw reconstructed dinosaur skeletons, fossils, the Hope Diamond, a really cool video about the ocean and its creatures, and a lot of other really cool, really old stuff. After all that walking our feet couldn't take it anymore, so we metro'ed most of the way back to our apartment.

It was really nice to be able to take advantage of some of the amazing and unique (and free!) resources of the city in which we live. I still miss "home," but DC is a great place to visit!

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