Diwali ki Badhiyaan

I'm back, back and back. I have Netflix in the background, caffeine in me and the laundry done. Take that jet lag (I don't think I get jet lag but it is a good substitute word for my regular tiredness for a week). It was an exciting trip and eventually it flew fast. I met friends and family. The wedding was so, so much fun. I danced my heart out and simply couldn't get enough. It was full of love, laughter, jokes, sunshine, music and booze. All great ingredients for any celebration. It also helps that I have lost my shyness and can enjoy the moment.



I finally got the hair cut and color I had been talking about for 6 months (it took less time at the salon compared to how much I spoke about it). Took Turkish Airlines and it was...fine. I probably wouldn't take it again, especially after they ran out of chicken meals and were like why can't you eat beef and I had to throw a little tantrum and remind them they had cheese sandwiches on the menu for later, which they could give me now. To be fair, they came by a few times afterwards to check on me but I had to do all this explaining and negotiating, which sours the experience. It didn't help that folks were looking at me. It is a good thing that I have developed a thick skin with all this traveling plus know that I am generally a nice and accommodating person, but have no interest in being a pushover. I finally got two cheese sandwiches and other assorted stuff. Personally I think it is a stupid idea to not have any vegetarian options in a flight and to plan so badly as to run out of the one of two non-vegetarian options, but that is just me. Also, staff should probably not ask why won't you eat the beef (it isn't a religious thing for me, but it isn't really their business).

Happy Diwali folks (anytime people asked me why I was leaving before Diwali, I said my mother makes us sing arati. That usually finished that line of questioning). These decorations are from T3. Having stupidly booked a 6.45 am flight, I was at the airport at 3 am. Without internet. This is how I entertained myself. Plus a Femina and a Vogue and a coffee and looking at the potty brown carpet and still hating on it.

This is the article that made me decide not to pick up a newspaper the entire trip! Ughhhh.

Fancy hairstyle for one of the wedding functions. It did not last long and I could not help but bend my head to the right, feeling an imaginary gravitational pull. This was the first time I got my hair and makeup done and I must say I felt good.

This was the trip in which I asked a girl in the Delhi Metro, making faces at me and trying to squeeze herself between seats if she wanted to sit in my lap (it sounds much better and worse in Hindi. I may have punctuated it with bevakoof (stupid))? I was being sarcastic and it was crude and childish but oh so satisfying.  

The most bizarre window display I have seen in a while (from Khan Market). The fuck are those hanging babies?

Jugaad at home. Clearly we need new playing cards.

The wedding venue. It was gorgeous. 

Good old decorations.

The trip is over. Re-entering on a F1/OPT is mildly tricky and it is the first time I was led to a little waiting room while they checked on something. One man was having a complete meltdown and it was really counterproductive (he yelled, clapped at them, and asked them if they were going to put him in handcuffs. I have no idea how long he (and his family) were there but I do know that this was not going to help. I was glad to be out quickly. Of course my phone wasn't working (it was one of those days, it just was). I hopped in a cab, came home and decided I am not leaving my room for a while.