Some flashy wedding!

Yesterday I was taken to one more wedding while in India. I've been to one before, which was fun, but not completely Indian (the couple was French/Indian). This one was and the difference was there as well (although I cannot comment if this was only due to the fact that this couple was Indian/Indian...).

Anyway, to cut a long story short, please see pictures below. It was quite the sight. Out in the open, at a so-called farmhouse, a former or still current house/villa that could have been an actual farm earlier. More on how this works, looks like, and what people can order at their wedding, you can find on this website, which is quite interesting...

So, everything was quite beautifully lit. The cars were taken care off with valet-parking, after which we walked through a palm tree lined entrance towards the big garden. A spectacular column-like roof was built, a professional stage with live bands and performers and of course lots & lots of food and very good drinks. The whisky was great and I tasted the best walnut-pie ever :)

It was not overdone I must say, nothing too "amusement park"-like, quite classy even, although to our Calvinist Dutch standards, it might have been a bit too much.... I had a good time anyhow.

The main area with the stage & video wall at the back

Most women were traditionally dressed in sari's

Nice details

Entrance way to main area

All custom built for the happy couple

The entrance way from the car-park

Lights with yellow roses along the way

Valet parking at the front

An almost Indian wedding....

You who have been following me on twitter and facebook know that I was invited to an Indian/French wedding. Last night was the reception or more formal part of the celebration, the night before it was more informal with the women singing some traditional songs. More on Punjabi wedding traditions here.

Entrance to indoor venue Thursday evening

This wedding, with the girl being French, and a not overly traditional family on the side of the groom, was a more quiet one, as I was told by the people I met. To me though, it was all very interesting, taking a look inside an Indian family, how they dress, behave, what they eat & drink (Indian food, bacardi-coke, Kingfisher beer, Zinzi wine).

Indoor celebration, with traditional Hindi song-singing by the women

The venues where the celebrations were held were really beautiful, especially last night. Out in the open, tables & chairs put on the grass, nice lighting, lots of food and drinks (the alcohol flows only till 22.30/23.00 due to strict laws, but the Indian people like in the rest of the world, keep on serving drinks from under the counter). They could have accomodated hundreds of people there easily.

Entrance to outdoor venue

Friday evening venue, out in the open

Celebrations end also rather early because of this. By midnight most people had left so the party of friends I was introduced to decided to go out. The evening before we actually ended up at some friend's place where the drinking continued. This night the club of choice was Out of the Box. A not too big, just opened and very popular restaurant/bar/nightclub. It was here that the friends and brothers & sisters of the happy couple sat and even I had to say a few words in honor of them. So there I was, a (what seemed to me) semi-invited guest, not knowing any of them, standing amidst their friends wishing them all the best. So that part of the Indian culture as I know it is true, all are very hospitable!

The party I was with, standing on the right my host

Late night/early morning leaving Out of the Box nightclub

So, next step will be a real Punjabi wedding. Can't wait!

Some Words On Booze, Supermarkets And Civilization..

A hot day today again, after all the thunder and rain of last night. It's Saturday, so time to venture out for some new experiences. Not many of them are shocking, but it gives an idea of everyday life for a foreigner like me.

When I walk to the central MG road in Gurgaon, approximately 15 minutes from my place, I pass quite nice houses. Many are being constructed and what immediately attracts the attention are the women who are carrying the bricks on their heads to the site. Not uncommon here, I know, but still, a little weird for me walking by with a bag of groceries, books & DVD's (on the way back that was).

I decided to visit some new malls, the ones where once again it becomes very clear how the world is merging into one big eating & shopping paradise. McDonald's, TGIF, KFC, Pizza Hut, Levi's, Lacoste, Hillfiger, Adidas, Canon, Nokia, Blackberry etc. etc. etc.

Funny how we measure civilization....

Of course, I do not have big problems with that, because I went to TGIF for a chickenburger, a Mojito (alcoholic one this time) and a brownie/ice-cream. Hmmmmmmm. For this I paid 25 EUR. One of the more expensive lunches to be honest. Would I have chosen an Indian one it would have been 4 times less (and maybe also more healthy).

Wine, unfortunately, is an expensive item in India. Comparable what it used to be in Russia up untill a couple of years ago. At TGIF you pay an approximate 40 EUR for an imported bottle. And to my big surprise, minors up untill 25 (!) cannot consume alcohol here. Now, India has a double standard concerning alcohol anyway. In many restaurants they don't serve it and supermarkets do not sell it. So where do you buy your favorite beers, wines, whiskeys and what more? Right, at specialized shops that are spread out along the main roads. In Delhi they close at 22pm, in Gurgaon a little later, but then again, you can actually buy whatever you want 24/7. Even when the shop seems completely closed, a tiny little window, just enough for a bottle to pass through, is always open.

Wine menu TGIF

In the evenings and during the night, you can see cars standing near these shops, people lining up to buy their drinks. And then they drive... With families living together in one house and mothers, fathers, wives being not to keen to see their kids and husbands drink, where else can the latter go?

A licquor shop

 Anyway, today I bought myself a nice bottle of wine for 17 EUR. With which they did not allow me to go inside the mall, so I brought it back to the place I bought it from to pick it up later.

The supermarket is actually nothing special, so just see for yourself if you recognize all the vegetables and other stuff they sell there.