Originally posted: March 3rd, 2014
What do bloggers do when events occur more rapidly than is possible to blog about? I don’t want to skip over happenings in my blog, but also want to just shut my computer and sleep. Eff it. Here we go!
Last night was day 3 of the wedding, and it was much more laid back and less stressful. Apoorva swapped the sari life for something simpler (but still crazy fancy looking) and I just rocked business cas. with funky shoes. Getting dressed, getting there, finding people, getting home, everything was easier than the previous night. We mingled with the four or five hundred people there, ate, mingled some more, ate, took photos, etc. The decor was soft, warm, and swanky. Giant tents of fancy looking orange and yellow fabrics with cool gold designs on them dotted the outdoor courtyard roughly the size of a soccer field. Excuse me, football field? Cricket pitch? Idk it was large.
Moving on, the food was next level delicious. The dessert table. Don’t even get me started. It’s not like they just offered a crème brûlée. They had a table full of “Assorted Brûlées,” because just one type isn’t enough. Didn’t know until last night there was more than one type, but there was. Strawberry creme brulee is banging. Anyway, they had cakes and tarts and the brulees and everything anyone could ever want short of Graham Slam. It was kinda like how I’ve always imagined Hogwarts dessert arrays were like after huge feasts. All that aside, there was really only one dessert item that I cared about.
GULAB JAMUNS
If you haven’t had one
Sorry I didn’t know how to finish that sentence. Ever since Apoorva and her unhealthy relationship with Tulsi introduced me to GJs nearly 5 years ago, they’ve become a vital part of my existence. Go find them. Eat them. Rejoice with me in their glory. If you want an idea of what they are, think of the best donut you’ve ever had, in golf ball form, soaking in a 4 inch pool of piping hot maple syrup and blessed by angels. I don’t know how else to describe it.
Anyway. Came home. Passed out.
Today was nuts. Saw the Safdarjang’s Tomb (AMAZINGLY BEAUTIFUL!)
Safdarjang’s Tomb: The last flicker in the dying lamp of Mughal architecture in Delhi
Yeah. Palm trees. The last time I can remember seeing palm trees was playing tiger woods golf in like 2001…..not usually a part of my life.
Then it was lunch with Apoorva (+ coworkers), art gallery touring with 2 of her coworkers who thought it more important to show me art that go back to work for the afternoon, and then leaving to meet up with a couple F&M guys Saif and Rafael at Dilli Haat.
Two friends of Apoorva’s from F&M, Saif and Rafael, behind us in a rickshaw in Old Delhi
From there we went on an adventure to Old Delhi to see sweet buildings and whatnot but the Imam was apparently in town and everything was locked down hardcore. Little police barricades and lots of shouting by military personnel meant we weren’t getting into the GIANT mosque, but that we were going straight for the world famous Karim’s. It was a tiny little place tucked away amongst the busiest streets you can imagine. A quiet respite from the chaos of the streets outside that rested our feet and filled our bellies.
Apoorva practically lost her mind at the first taste of her mutton burra kebab. The desire she has for goat meat is unparalleled by anyone. You can see it in her eyes as she eats that the years she’s spent waiting to get back to Karim’s to try this was well worth it. It was good. Roti was on point too. After dinner we were not allowed to leave the restaurant because the streets were full of all the Muslims praying, so we had to wait until prayer was over before we could leave the restaurant. Made our way to the metro and home.
Walking home from Karim’s through old Delhi
We also hung out with Apoorva’s friends, who are awesome. Even more awesome for me though, was getting to witness a marriage proposal. Sort of. Auntie took a phone call from a friend of a cousin or something who was saying something along the lines of:
“We are looking for a beautiful smart young woman for our son/nephew/friend/whatever he was, and thought we’d ask you if Apoorva would marry him? He is a graduate of so and so ivy league, he is an engineer, he is twenty five years of age and on and on…”
“No thanks.”
-That whole thing made my night. Arranged marriage attempt before my very eyes.
Can’t say I’ve ever seen a proposal over the phone. From the dude’s uncle. To the girl’s mom….”
Indians seriously know how to wingman.
