Wedding #3

You may find this hard to believe after my last post, but last night I got all dolled up and attended the wedding of the wealthiest man in Ramjula! (Swati had told me the previous wedding was that of the wealthiest man, but she corrected that statement for this one.) So, the first wedding: I heard but didn't see, the 2nd: I watched the evening "parade" where the groom rides through town on horseback with a crowd and a marching band, and the 3rd: fully immersed as a guest! Since my dizziness and hot spells at internet two nights ago, I've been feeling great! Meds are working their magic. Swati had told me about this wedding a few days ago, and asked me to join her and her family who would be attending.  When I got sick, I was very disappointed that I probably wouldn't be able to go, but my trip to the hospital and ingestion of antibiotics allowed me to take part in this amazing event.

Went to Oasis for more Kichri at lunch yesterday (which they made specifically for me, it's not on the menu) and it was absolutely delicious. If only all medicine could be that pleasant to take! I had my last Hindi lesson in the morning and relaxed in the afternoon. Drank lots of water, ate only what I was supposed to, and felt great. I was meeting Swati at her place at 7:30, so in the couple hours that preceded, I treated myself to my very own little spa. Had a great soapy shower, put on my nicest clothes (Swati had offered to lend me a sari or Indian dress for the event, but I tried them on after class that morning and, well, she is minuscule, no fit), fixed my hair, and even put on a dab of make-up. Then I listened to the classic love songs of Charles Aznavour as I painted my toenails a bright orangy-pink (thanks for the polish, Sabrina!). I walked over to Swati's and chatted with her as she got ready. She looked stunning in her fancy sari. Amit and Arnav headed out to catch the Barat (groom on horse parade with band), while Swati and I put the finishing touches on our appearance. Then we went out to join the boys at the corner, saw the Barat just as it was coming through, but then, instead of following the slow procession around town, we headed straight for the gigantic outdoor tent set up for the reception. I have never seen so much (free!) food in my life!!! (Grand-maman aurait ete au septieme ciel!) I was a little conflicted about eating any of it given my situation and diet, but I'm afraid I was unable to resist. I was feeling great and it all looked sooooo delicious. And so many things I had never tried before! Glad I indulged (though I didn't overdo it) - still feeling fine today. We arrived around 9pm, and a couple hours later, Swati took little cold and tired Arnav home. The bride hadn't arrived yet (typical) and I was determined to see her, so Swati told me to stay with Amit. Shortly after, the bride finally made her entrance. Wow! Stunning as expected. (Though she never once smiled, something I had also noticed when going through Swati's wedding photos. Swati told me that was normal because the brides are very nervous and stressed on their wedding night.) I watched as she approached her seated husband-to-be, and as they both stood and put a garland around each others necks (equivalent to our exchanging of rings). Took some great pics and vids, then made my way home around midnight. Couldn't believe how awake I was, after barely being able to sit up the night before. My guesthouse is just a few minutes walk from the tent, so I didn't even attempt trying to sleep right away, given the very loud Indian dance music blaring from the speakers (btw, only males go onto the dance floor at Indian weddings... it's quite funny to see). I was pleasantly surprised when the music stopped a short half hour later. I read a bit, then turned the light out and went to sleep. Or at least tried to. I was still pumped with excitement from the wedding and the loud music, and sleep was nowhere near. Tried a few mediation techniques for sleep, but still no success. Around 2am, I pulled out my headlamp for a bit of reading. Tried falling asleep again around 2:30, and just as I was sensing some progress, the friggin' marching band got back into full swing! It went on for about 3 hours, along with very loud constantly barking dogs. Somehow, I actually slept on and off for those 3 hours, but was awake again around 6 when things fell silent again. But then, of course, the sun would be making an appearance in the next hour or so. Needless to say, my eyelids are little heavy today, but amazingly, even after pushing my luck with the wedding buffet, my health is still intact :)

Only two more days in Rishikesh... new adventures await elsewhere...

I'll end today with a passage from my 2am read from Practicing the Power of Now - Essential Teachings, Meditations and Exercises from The Power of Now (by Eckhart Tolle)

"Power over others is weakness disguised as strength. True power is within, and it is available to you now."
Take that and run with it!!!