We learnt new skills in the intermediate level. Keri and Jeroen, who shop in the same place as we do, achieved family bling coordination!
I learnt how to put on my own sari. It is not straightforward to drape yourself in 6 meters of fabric, and I thank Ami, my tutor.
Chianoo learned how to bejewel her upper ear, not traditionally part of her culture.
And we got a little more adventurous in our eating. Did you know that Bombay duck is a fish? Luckily we didn't see its
wiki picture ahead of time.
In any case, Indian food is the best food in the world, even with the species confusion.
Being at Intermediate level, Barry and I decided to adopt local custom and perform a dance. This was a BIG CHALLENGE for two main reasons:
1) I can't move my arms and legs at the same time.
2) Bollywood dancing involves much shoulder shaking. Mine can only shrug.
3) Barry somehow got through his education, including piano lessons and an alleged GnR cover band, without realizing that music has bars, and a count.
So, we practiced and adapted moves around these issues. Since I'm not advanced, I wore running shoes.
The most important thing is to keep smiling even if you screw up.
Early indications show that we mainly moved at the same time.
We're told that subjecting yourself to embarrassment (in our case for 1 minute and 52 seconds) shows respect for the happy couple. Others also performed, but I was too nervous/relieved to capture it.
The bride said "I know how hard it is for you Canadians". That's ok, we're better at canoeing.
I have not yet achieved the advanced skill of moving vehicle photography, despite years of practice.
Above, I learnt about the Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS), a discipline based on the concept of the four humours: Phlegm, Blood, Yellow and Black bile. Below, I found out how to buy a Morgue freezer, but wondered to how many passers-by that was relevant.
Shazé is against Christmas trees, perhaps for environmental reasons.
And I failed completely to get a picture of the goat I saw on a car, but it looked like this:
Ultimately, all of us Intermediate level guests were honoured to attend and improve our Indian wedding skills.
We recognize that when you look to adopt things from another culture, it's an imperfect effort. Here is our goodbye from the Sofitel.
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