Understatement is not my forte

Fortunately, Indian weddings are not a time for understatement. In the days preceding my friend G's wedding, Fauxhawk and I ran around Mumbai shopping for suitable adornments to go with our Indian wedding ensembles.

"You must wear jewelry if you want to look Indian - earrings, necklaces, bangles, and a bindi between your eyes," my friend ordered. And I was happy to comply. Who am I to protest?

We found an Aladdin's cave of treasures, full of jewels fit for an Indian princess. My heart raced. Then it stopped. I nearly fainted with delight.

Would this do?



Or this?



Just to be safe - to be very, very safe, I took them both. Thank heavens for costume jewelry.

G. invited us to her house for her mehndi ceremony, during which the women of her gathered to have their hands painted with henna. The bride's hands, arms and feet were painted with intricate patterns by two women over the course of four hours.



One by one, we all had our hands painted, while aunts and cousins sang songs in Tamil and performed impromptu dances. I watched as the women deftly covered my hands with henna - the work below took a mere ten minutes to complete.



After about two hours, the henna was dry and ready to be rubbed off. The design emerged and darkened over time.



A few days later, one of G's aunties tells me that the color of the mehndi itself is revealing. She looks at my palms and tells me that the color is so dark that it means I'll be affectionate to my husband.

In the next installment, I laugh (affectionately/maniacally) at Fauxhawk for twelve hours straight as he grimly contemplates the unveiling of his Ghandi outfit.

Happy New Year, peoples. I'm sorry I've been a bit MIA on the blogging front.