LOVE TIP  – Thursday February 9, 2012

Greetings to you most special LOVELIES,

So much Learning and Discovering and Adventures!!!…….there’s so much that I want to share with you all….so many new experiences….and as well there is sooooooooooo much to do and see that finding the time to write is a such a S-T-R-E-T-C-H….My writing is both because I want to connect with You all and share this experience with you AND as well I want to write for me to capture as much of it as I can!! I get to the end of the day and list in my diary what we have done and there is so much that I can hardly remember it all…. what incredibly rich and full days of NEW experiences!

Since we have arrived our focus has mainly been on S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G and then again even more S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G for all the many parts to Zoe and Gaurav’s amazing wedding next Thursday. And it hasn’t just been about shopping – it has been about learning about all the amazing and fascinating rituals and ceremonies to the Indian wedding….as well as such a cultural experience interacting with the Indian people in the shops……

And as it is ‘THE MARRIAGE SEASON’ here in India there are lots of others out and about either shopping for weddings or actually being married in the many ‘Marriage Palaces’ that abound on everyday of the week.

So after our warm Greetings and with our feet having just touched the ground we were whisked away from the airport to begin our S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G…. We were lucky to have Gaurav’s elder sister Rachna to escort and guide us in the wonderful adventure of  buying material for my wedding outfits as mother of the bride.

OK so let me take you S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G with us. Be prepared for a colourful cultural experience…..Entering the shop one usually takes off their shoes and leaves them at the door…..Enter into amazing rooms with walls of floor to ceiling colour of such richness and variety…….of all type of amazing fabrics……

Shoes are removed as the floor is covered in mattresses which the guys sit on – and interestingly those who display and sell the material were always guys…. Generally you as the customer sit on the floor on the mattresses in front of them while they select packets of material to show you in the selection of colours and designs that you choose…and incidentally it seems whole families go shopping together and often there were groups of people sitting choosing together….and they keep throwing the fabrics on top of the last one shown so there can be quite a pile in front of you and all around you…….

This particular shop was a bit different in that they sat on the mattresses and we sat on chairs at the edge…..I was looking for material to be made into a SALWAR KAMEEZ….which is a traditional dress worn by both women and men. The salwar are loose pyjama-like trousers and the legs are wide at the top and narrow at the ankle. The kameez is a long shirt or tunic. The side seams are left open below the waist-line which gives the wearer greater freedom of movement. A long scarf or shawl called a dupatta is also included which can be draped in many amazing different styles around the shoulders, neck or head.

There are so many variations in the type of fabric, colour and the level of embroidery and decoration……making the salwar kameez formal, casual, dressy, or plain everyday wear…….The design is printed and/or embroidered on the material. What a delightful experience I had with many different styles and colours being draped around me by the expert hands of these young guys….then you choose which ones you like on you….

 

After you choose your fabric it is then taken to a tailor or some of the shops have their own tailors…

These two designs I am having made up.

 

Shelton had such a great time ‘hanging out’ with us as we choose our garments……and was especially delighted he is getting to dress up as well. His garment is called a KURTA which is a loose shirt falling either just above or somewhere below the knees of the wearer, and is

worn by both men and women. They are traditionally worn with loose-fitting pyjama-type pants or they can be worn over any pants…..Add a highly decorative scarf and a turban for  a touch of elegance and ‘royalty’ to the outfit. He and all the guys will look very gorgeous! 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh what Fun!….and we had so much laughter and playfulness dressing up and choosing….

Zoe will be wearing a bridal LENGHA which is highly embroidered with rich brocade…..it feels so utterly glamorous and gorgeous……..but then you’ll have to wait to THE  DAY’ to see pictures of her outfit …. Lengha’s comprise a long usually highly embroidered/brocaded skirt with a separate blouse and a shawl which is again is richly embellished with sparkling glittery sequins and beads and the like……..Her sister Freea is also wearing a lengha – and here she is trying one on….. which gives you an idea of what I am talking about…..

For Zoe there is an amazing array of jewellery that is also part of the full outfit…..I’ll be sharing  more on that later…

We are so excited about how everyone is going to look…and really soaking in the whole experience of going shopping for everyone’s finery…..how special it is that the S-H-O-P-P-I-N-G itself has turned into a not-to-be-missed wonderful event! How entirely fantastic that we are getting so much pleasure out of the preparations…..By the way I can’t forget mentioning SARIS which are the other garment some of the other ladies in our group will be wearing…..What a spectacular dress-up event we are looking forward to!….As we are having so much fun and delight we can hardly contain ourselves thinking about how things are going to get a whole lot better on the wedding day……

Much LOVE and BLESSINGS and with excited anticipation, SUSIE

“Life is ten percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it.” ~Lou Holtz

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched…. They must be felt with the heart… ~ Heklen Keller