A Big Fat Indian Wedding

Hello folks, thanks for joining me today. I've just got back from the US of A early this morning after a hectic week, visiting with friends and attending a wedding. 
We used the wedding of the daughter of a class fellow from medical school as an excuse to have a mini reunion and around ten of us got together with as many partners as would brave the occasion. I took the opportunity to visit with an old friend who lives in Boston and take a look around the area.

The wedding

An Indian wedding is a crazy affair, full of colour and chaos, bright silks, and intricate jewellery. The wedding happens in a large hall under a covered structure with pillars, and the main protagonists, their parents and the priest concern themselves with the business at hand. Rites and rituals, the chanting of Vedic mantras and the marriage ceremony happens while the rest of the people at the wedding carry on regardless, chatting, preening, taking pictures and meeting up with friends. Children run around playing tag, mothers sit back and relax, in the knowledge that the kids are otherwise engaged, food and drink is served all day and general mayhem ensues. The coming together of two people in marriage is equally matched in importance by the unifying of the two families involved – and Indian families are rather big and everyone wants to be involved.  

---

 The poor photographer at this wedding was an American chap who simply had no understanding of what he had taken on when he agreed to photograph an Indian wedding. He kept being run over by tides of humanity - I heard him muttering under his breath 'Oh dear, oh dear' he said, 'what confusion', over and over, like a personal mantra. I couldn't help feeling sorry for him, his plight compounded by the fact that we all fancied ourselves as photographers and there were hundreds of flashes going off and people darting in front of him to get a good click while he was trying to get a decent picture of a moving target. 

---

Here I have a few pictures for you - this is what Indian women wear to weddings. Baubles on Christmas trees would have a hard job to win a contest with us!

The bride arrives at the reception in a rickshaw

The bride (in green) and her sister

Five old friends meet after 30 years!

A couple of days were spent exploring Boston, Harvard common and taking a look at Harvard Medical School where my friend is now on the faculty. I had a photograph taken on the steps - which is as far as I will ever get to Harvard Medical School. As my friend is a faculty member, she persuaded the security bloke to allow me to walk around inside for a short while, but he was so uncomfortable, I decided to put him out of his misery and left soon after - Oh well, one can but try!

In my friend's office - yes, she has a sense of humour!

Clarice

I made this necklace before I went on holiday but didn't have the time to post it. It is made of polymer clay leaves and flowers from canes I made in brilliant blues and greens on a wire frame, decorated with crystal butterflies. I decided to name the necklace after Clarice Cliff, the much-celebrated artist who painted for Wedgwood in the early 1900's. Her ceramic pieces are brightly coloured, one of a kind, and fetch a pretty penny when sold at auction today. I love the colours she used in her pottery - this necklace is dedicated to her in the fond hope that Caprilicious will one day follow in her footsteps. The necklace is open at the front and so fully adjustable.

Before I go, I have to show you the latest addition to my garden - I saw it standing outside a florist one weekend when I went in to work and had to have it - after all my favourite bird is the peacock.

---

Thanks for joining me - I shall sign off now, have a fabulous week and I shall be back here next Friday, see you then
xx