3 weeks after the fact, I am taking the time to write about my wonderful trip to India. The preparation from the trip was hectic to say the least. Denis left on Nov.13th and that week both boys had the stomach flu. So I washed all of the bedding in the house about 3 times, the couch slip covers, every item of clothing a few times, scrubbed the bathrooms several times- all this while I was supposed to be packing and preparing the house for my in-laws to come. The day they came was eventful. Xavier broke a bottle of white wine in the kitchen while the police were knocking on my door saying the woman next door came home that morning around 11 am to surprise a burglar in her house and Denis's mom was vaccumming up her neck scarf in the vaccuum cleaner. Despite all of these events, I made it the next morning on my flights from Geneva to Zurich, then from Zurich to Delhi and Delhi to Ahmedabad.
Travelling by oneself is extremely easy compared to traveling with 2 toddlers. I mean ridiculously easy. What to do? Sleep, drink wine, watch a movie? It had been a long time since I had been faced with those choices. As luck would have it, I met a charming guy on the plane- well we had both given up our preferred seats so that family members could sit together, so perhaps our meeting was good karma. Rahul had studied in Boston and was going back to Delhi after over a year of not seeing his family. He taught me how to say, "hello little one" to Molly's fiance since Priyanshu was born 1 day before me. I thought spouting this out in Hindi would win him over right off the bat. With Rahul's help I made my connection in Delhi after being asked if I had starred in a Hindi film (there weren't many white women my age in the domestic part of the Delhi airport).
Molly, Priyanshu, and Mr. Sharma picked me up in Ahmedabad. I had heard the stories from Jackie, Aisling, mom, Molly, and Jonathan, but seeing a single lane of traffic occupied by a camel, a bicycle, a motorcycle, a cow, and a car all at once was just... craziness. When we arrived at the Sharma residence in Ghandinagar, I received a warm welcome and immediately saw that Molly was in good hands. Priyanshu (chicky) and his sister (sweety), his parents, his nephew, his best friend Miku, everyone was so warm. Mom and Jonathan arrived later that night. The food was excellent, a little spicy morning, noon, and night for our western tummies, but really good. Besides being able to participate and observe the numerous ceremonies for the wedding, it was also really good to catch up with mom, Jonathan, and Molly. Mom, Jonathan, and I played rummy 500 in our down time when we weren't being beckoned by the neighborhood paparazzi. The trip was spicy, warm, and fun.
