September: Ganesh Festival, A'bad, etc.

September in Mumbai means Ganesh Chathurthi and 10 days of celebrations around the worship of the elephant God who removes obstacles.  To be frank, I had never heard of this holiday before arriving in Mumbai.  Sure, I grew up praying to Ganesh before starting anything new, but I had no idea there was an entire annual holiday that is celebrated with such fanfare.  I take so much of life in Mumbai for granted, perhaps because I grew up seeing a lot of it, that I have to remind myself to take my camera with me to capture some of these interesting moments.  Until I do a better job at this, go to Google images and type "Ganesh Chathurthi Mumbai 2013" - that will give you an idea of what it's like.  It was really neat to take part in the celebrations by going to see and pray at the HUGE idols that were around every street corner (sponsored by building associations, corporations, politicians, you name it), or the smaller idols in people's homes.  The festival culminates in long street parades with immersion of the idols in a body of water.  The holiday was never celebrated in Gujarat, which is why I had never heard of it, but people have embraced it there too in the past few years.  This was something new, different and fun for us, and while we enjoyed it, I have to admit that the (extra) crowds, traffic and noise that are part of the festival season are something I can do without.

In the middle of the month, I also traveled to Ahmedabad for work purposes.  (One day soon I will travel to a different destination!)  I was excited about helping organize some work activities in the city where I was born.  I mean, really, where else is it possible but in the United States for an immigrant like myself to represent the country as its diplomat?  It was great to use my language skills and cultural knowledge to further U.S. diplomacy.  S did not necessarily understand why I was away for 3 days, and was sad and teary-eyed when we spoke on the phone... maybe for Mommy's benefit, I sometimes wonder.  However, he is absolutely no worse for the wear and within a day or so, he had completely forgotten I was ever gone.  

The rest of September was a blur.  S was off from school for a week and a half; I called it his Fall Break even though there is no Fall here.  We passed around some type of cold/virus within the family, but thankfully none of us had it very long.  We focused on some interior decorating in the house (something I'm not sure I have ever spent much time or energy on) in order to get it ready for my parents and relatives who will be visiting in October, and because it will be Diwali, and because we can.  October will be busy.  Stay tuned...

Xmas 2011

Growing up in the U.S. since the age of 10 meant Xmas mornings at our house looked very similar to many other homes in the West... getting up very early and opening lots of presents!  My brother and I never did believe in Santa, having grown up in India with different traditions during the time when most kids believe in him, nor do we have a single picture with the bearded man (at least I don't think so).  It only struck me as odd once I was an adult that we celebrate Xmas and only because I started getting questions from others about whether we did and puzzled looks from some (due to my Eastern heritage) when I told them yes.  I should clarify and say we certainly celebrate the present-giving-family-time-decorating-the-house aspects of the holiday.  Xmas as a married woman wasn't that different in terms of aforementioned traditions... heck, I got a lot more presents due to having two sides of the family, although both sets of parents always "threatened" to tone down the Xmas-time giving!  Xmas as a parent however is VERY different.  And like so many other aspects of my life, I don't know how much changed due to becoming a mother versus due to joining the Foreign Service.  Both last year and this year, we received a gift or two from each set of parents and mostly gift cards at that.  It's hard to buy for someone far away, and well, we are definitely trying to accumulate less (and purge more) so we don't need anything.  Heck, M and I didn't even get each other presents this time.  We tend to buy what we need/want when we need/want it, and we have a couple of ideas of big-ish (yes, I made up that word... to mean not big like TV big, but not small, like sweater small) ticket items that we are pondering and may order in January.  However, the best part of Xmas this year, and probably going forward, is seeing the delight on S's face as he opened his various presents.  I do hope to keep in check how much he gets every Xmas (kids don't need a lot of stuff, but sadly it takes effort to keep the stuff out of your home), and I think this year was fairly reasonable.  He's at that age where he's ready for the next set of toys from a development perspective.  Sure, the grandparents got him an extra thing or two, but I'm rather happy with his new trike, Legos, and a little barn set.  M and I also have taken to heart just how fortunate we are, and we embrace the notion of "to whom much is given, much is required," which means we have become a lot more focused on giving.  Who knew in all those years when I was so happy to receive, that the day would come when I would be so happy to give (to S, to others, and to the community) and simply to watch my child receive?

Dooflicky & Thanksgiving, 2011

I am starting to realize that holidays (local and U.S.) in this Foreign Service life serve as not only a countdown (how many more ____ holiday will I celebrate at this Post?), they are also an indicator of how settled you are in your current home.  Dooflicky is the name of the annual Barbadian Independence Day celebration held at the Embassy.  Last year it took place about two weeks after we arrived here.  While we had fun, it was definitely a blur of meeting new people, being introduced to Barbadian culture via its foods and music, and meeting the needs of our then 4 month old child.  This year, we were encouraging newcomers to attend because we knew what to expect and how much fun it was and wanted them to experience it too.  We had even more fun than last year and it was a social gathering of people we knew and with whom we spend time regularly.  Even S recognizes many of the faces at this point, and he had a good time dancing to the music and running around the courtyard. 

Thanksgiving also had a different feel in its second time here.  Due to our food preferences and allergies, M and I tend to have a low-key Thanksgiving celebration when left to our own devices... we tend to make Indian food, actually, and that's what we did last year!  We know so many more people now, and were appreciative of being included in a friend/neighbor's celebration.  We contributed a green bean casserole and had a lovely evening pigging out with new friends. 

These holidays also serve as a countdown though.  Last year, we knew we would be here for these events in 2011.  Now that November 2011 has come and gone, we don't really know whether we will be here next year for these same holidays.  Our departure date won't be set for some time to come, but we can't be certain whether it will be Nov 1 or Nov 30 or somewhere in between.  Going forward, we either have to go to the event/happening or forgo it entirely since we can't rely anymore on the fallback of "we'll go next year."

Reflecting on 2010

One year ago today, I was at the end of my first trimester of pregnancy, and we attended a New Year's Eve party with many of our closest friends in CLT. Three women, with whom I've been friends since we were 13-14 years old, were also expecting. Going through pregnancy and preparing for the arrival of our babies with 3 close friends was a unique and fun experience, to say the least! I was also "holding my breath" to successfully finish the process and be offered a position with the State Department. In March, I got the email I had been waiting for and accepted my dream job... I was going to be a Foreign Service Officer! M and I celebrated 7 years of marriage with a weekend trip to Wilmington, NC in April. Also in April, I resigned from my 8-year career in banking, and moved to the Washington, DC area in May to begin orientation and training for the new job. We enjoyed a couple of months of urban living (walking to nearby places to eat, taking the Metro, checking out historic sites) as much as one can in the heat of the summer and while 8-9 months pregnant! We welcomed our precious baby boy S in July, and spent the next 8 weeks in a sleepless blur of diapers and feedings. S was the last to arrive among his friends, the babies of my friends who were also expecting, as they were all born within 32 days of each other! Oh, and less than 1 week after S's birth, I celebrated my 30th birthday, if one can call remembering what day it was as celebrating! I returned to work (=more training) in September, and we moved to our first post of Bridgetown, Barbados in late October/early November. The last 2 months have been a mix of settling into our new home and catching our breath.

For both M and me, 2010 will be a year we will never forget. And here is hoping for a much calmer 2011!

A New Year/New Decade

What a difference a decade makes?! In looking forward to a New Year, I had pretty much forgotten about the new decade aspect of it. A friend of mine reminded me of it by posing an interesting question on NYE - where were you a decade ago? It immediately hit me where I was... on 12/31/1999, I was flying back from Spain to Charlotte. I landed here sometime late that evening, and due to the traveling and jet lag, I do believe I was asleep at midnight! I had spent the previous semester studying abroad in Seville, Spain and spent quite a few weekends traveling around the Iberian Peninsula. After the semester was over, I spent 2 weeks traveling around northern Spain (Bilbao, San Sebastian, Barcelona). I still look back at this time as some type of Golden Era in my life, full of new people, new experiences, and a coming into my own. I simply cannot believe that an entire decade has passed by and I haven't made it back to Spain. Then again, I "console" myself by remembering that I have been rather blessed in all the places I have been able to visit since then. In that time between flying home on 12/31/99 and 12/31/09, I: earned a Bachelor's degree and a Master's degree, married my high school sweetheart, got my first pet, enjoyed the company of wonderful lifelong friends who are like family, have wonderful relationships with family, have a career in banking, and most importantly... I have hope for the future, and excitement for all the change it will bring (expected and unexpected). 2010 is going to be a terrific year, and the start of an even better decade than the last!

August travels, so far

A picture really is worth a thousand words... take a look at my pics from the past 2 wknds, and you'll get more of an idea of the fun times we had, first with family and then with friends, than I could ever try to explain here.

We spent the evening of August 7 and all of 8 in the Columbia, SC area (Lexington to be exact), visiting with family and celebrating the holiday of Raksha Bandhan. All of us present had not been together in quite a while, and it was a nice day full of food and laughter.

The weekend of Aug 13-16: M and I drove to Cincinnati, with our friends A&RS, to attend the wedding of our friends S&S. It was a wonderful 3 day celebration, with plenty of good food, good company and good times! Highlights from the festivities include: 1) the couple's first dance with song sung by the bride's father accompanied by guitar played by the groom's brother-in-law, 2) a photo booth from which the picture strip served as a memento for us, while the bride & groom got a copy of it in a scrapbook, 3) the bride being carried out like a princess by her uncles. Now we're recovering from 3 late nights, and not looking forward to unpacking!

Fun July 4th wknd

M's family (parents, bro & 8 year old nephew) came into town on Thurs night, and we've had the best time with them this weekend. We went to the Carolina Raptor Center on Fri afternoon, and then went to Pops in the Park in the evening for a picnic, great music and beautiful fireworks. Most of Sat was spent with my extended family at my parents' house. We enjoyed Tex-Mex food (hard to have the typical July 4th BBQ with a mostly vegetarian crowd), drinks, impromptu badminton matches, a birthday celebration for 2 July 5th birthdays, a lot of laughs, and capped the evening with the Carowinds fireworks display. It was a fun day, and what I consider to be a terrific way to celebrate America! Sun was a bit more chill since we're all a little tired. We enjoyed a game of miniature golf at Frank Liske Park in Concord (what a steal @ $2/game/person!) and wandered around Bass Pro Shop at Concord Mills. I felt like a did a lot of chopping vegetables and cooking all weekend, but I also realized some things that have been at the fringes of my mind as of late: that I really like to cook for my family; I love to try new recipes; cooking uses a different part of my brain than what is typically used, and while it can be a lot of work, it's also oddly relaxing and very satisfying. I think I need a weekend to rest from this weekend, but I haven't had such a fun few days at home with some of my favorite people in a long time!

Correction

After posting about my previous New Year's Eves, I realized that I actually spent the one in '00 in India, with the same family with whom I spent the one in '07 (sans Michael in '00). It's amazing how these important memories get jumbled up. My parents and bro and I went to NYC to watch the fireworks over a July 4th weekend, in either '99 or '00 (can't recall). I am definitely going to start keeping better track of this stuff!

New Year's Eve

I like how there are built-in times when we can't help but reflect on the past and anticipate the future. New Year's Eve is one of these days, and on 12/31/08, I found myself thinking about where, as in actual location (not figuratively), I was on previous NYEs. Here is a brief listing:

pre-'99: typically at home watching Dick Clark, or in Uptown Charlotte at the old First Night celebrations.
'99: I flew home that evening from study-abroad + travels in Spain, and was asleep at midnight!
'00: I was in NYC, somewhere overlooking Hudson Bay, watching fireworks with parents and bro.
'01-'04: these years are a blur, and M can't recall either; were we out with friends in Uptown Charlotte or did we stay home?
'05: M & I were in NYC with cousins; we have fond memories of walking ~40+ blocks in 20 degree weather, going to see the tree and skaters at Rockefeller Center, walking by St Patrick's Cathedral, seeing the snowflakes light up on the Saks (?) building. Had a wonderful Italian meal at some little restaurant in the Village, and then ended up at some jazz club. We then had the best kati roll around 2 or 3a!
'06: we were in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale area to celebrate my recent MBA graduation.
'07: we were in India, at a party at my Uncle's house, surrounded by lots of family, & good food!
'08: we were in Charlotte, at friends' house and then out in Uptown with friends and cousins.

I'm a little sad that I can't remember where we were/what we did for a 4 year period. I'm realizing as I get older that while these memories are special at the time, I am fortunate enough to have lots of good ones and some of them got lost in the brain shuffle. I am trying to do a better job of capturing memories via pictures, writing in a journal or this blog, etc.

A little peace

I've been stressed for the past few days. It seemed we'd gotten a bit in over our heads with things to do. We decided to have the carpet cleaned in the whole house... have you ever had to do that? There's a lot of work involved with moving everything out of the way! And then, you have to put it all back! It made me realize that we're definitely getting professionals to help us move!

Then, there was all the prepping to be done for M's parents' visit for Thanksgiving: putting the house back together, cleaning, grocery shopping, planning meals, etc. And, we're also exchanging X-mas presents during this weekend since we're going to be gone. All of that was a lot of pressure, which I must admit I was putting on myself.

M was awesome, and it really was a team effort to get things done. And now that his parents have arrived, and T-giving is almost here (tomorrow), I'm not so stressed anymore. Not sure where this new-found peace is coming from, but for now, I'm going to trust that things will fall into place.

P.S. Did you notice that somewhere in all this, there was no mention of preparations for the trip? Let me not focus on that very long, because it too shall fall into place!

Diwali & New Year

I miss celebrating Diwali and the New Year in India. It's just not the same here. I haven't given this much thought in previous years, but since I'm going to be in India in about 4 weeks, it's on my mind.

Diwali (aka Festival of Lights) and the Indian New Year (based on the lunar calendar for those who may not know) are tomorrow and Saturday, respectively. We may go to the temple tomorrow evening and get to enjoy the festivities and fireworks, and socialize. We're definitely going on Saturday morning for the prayer, and then it's a tradition to go to my Aunt's house right after, and then on to my parents. We eat a lot of food that we typically don't eat that early in the morning and we celebrate. We also get on the phone with relatives near and far to wish them Happy Diwali & New Year! That's about the extent of it.

Can you imagine if X-mas were to go down like that, in the same quiet, nondescript manner? I'm not saying that I want the commercialization that surely accompanies Diwali in India these days. I just miss the excitement building up, miss all the food being made (I must confess that I don't know how to make any of the things we eat during these holidays, but my Mom makes it and shares!), the candles that are lit everywhere, etc.

I will have to consider going to India in the future during this time just so I can remember what it's like to celebrate these holidays in a country where they mean something to the majority of the people. I'll have to ask M if he feels the same about spending X-mas in India this year. The difference is that the commercialization of X-mas reached India even when I was last there in 2000, so I don't want to think about how bad it is now... so although it won't be the same for him in terms of having his family around and doing the traditions he's used to, I wonder if it's better than having an important holiday go unnoticed.