Sky's the Limit

Sometimes, someone else's success makes me feel as if my own personal accomplishments have amounted to nothing. I felt that way today when I read about the exploits of an American hiker.

She's strong, focused, and determined. She's summitted some of the world's highest peaks, including Mt. Whitney - the highest peak in the continental US. She's five years old.
Today, I haven't even left my apartment.

Not only does this small girl, Yunona, skip up mountains. She can also read in two languages, identify 50 countries on the globe (along with their capitals), and subtract four digit numbers. Nobody can touch this kid...almost. She says her stiffest competition is her three-year-old sister.

I don't even have memories of being five years old. And I can't pronounce Yunona.

I'm sure that this small girl's life isn't easy. There can't be much time to play with legos in between treks through national parks - she's been to 21 of them in the past 13 months.

Her parents admit that she sometimes cries when they take her on 'very hard' hikes 'in the dark.' And they try to take it easy on her when they are in sub-zero temperatures.

Yunona is busy planning a trip to Tanzania where she will attempt to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro next year. I can only imagine what Yunona will achieve when she reaches double digits.

Perhaps I will read a report of her accomplishments, from my seat on the sofa.

Love U

When not busy getting married, I write a popular video series called Love U. Check out some of my favorite episodes.

How to Survive a LDR (Long Distance Relationship)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fr-fgbPgWnw

How to Avoid Breaking Up the Wrong Way
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7P-0ObJVnQ

How to Flirt Like A Pro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wia9isERKIg

How to Translate an Online Dating Profile
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5bAs6OaLBA


How to Train Your Man
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJWnBxbN1dg

How to Catch a Cheater
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5bAs6OaLBA

Just Between Friends

The hairy results. Shhhhhh.

Speaking Different Languages

Preparing for my 800+ Indian wedding in London involves helping my friends and family who will be traveling across the Atlantic for the celebration. For some, this is their first trip overseas. For all, it is their first Indian wedding. I've tracked travel itineraries, I've booked hotel rooms, and I've arranged for airport transfers and entertainment. I've also visited the different hotels people will be staying in and dropped off homemade welcome boxes. The boxes are simple. They include maps, itineraries & wedding details along with a Big Ben magnet and British sweets. I've even included a short tutorial on How to Speak Gujarati. It has four simple sayings I thought the Americans would appreciate knowing when they meet my husband's side of the family. The phrases are simple and the Indians will be surprised to hear the Americans declare, "This is too spicy!" in their mother tongue. I picture the Americans studying the phrases appreciately while relaxing in their hotel between episodes of Doctor Who and Jeeves & Wooster.

I now think that the Americans are only eating the sweets.

Yesterday, my sister, A, and friend, J, were visiting me in my Notting Hill flat. As we indulged in at-home manicures I asked how their Gujarati was coming along. They both stared at me blankly, but then did admit to enjoying the Mars bars.

"At the wedding ceremony you are literally going to be greeting hundreds of people." They greeted me with silence. I took this as an invitation to carry on, "It wouldn't hurt to learn 'How are you'."

"Sure," my sister replied picking at her cuticle with more enthusiasm than she was mustering for my lingustics lesson. J nodded.

"Ok," I began,"When you ask 'how are you?' you say 'kem che?'."

Suddenly, my sister was excited, "Kim Chay? I think I know her!"

"What? No, you don't. It's not a person. It's a saying."

"No, it's a person," she insisted.

"No. It isn't"

"And I work with her."

"That may well be," I was getting frustrated, "but this is kem che and it means how are you."

"Fine," A relented, "but she'll be pretty amused to hear about this."

"Alright, just listen now will you?" I continued the lesson, "When someone says kem che to you, you want to respond 'I'm fine' which is saru che."

"Sara Chay!" A shrieked, "I know her too!"

I turned to my friend J who is Korean and a doctor. She is serious and responsible. "Can you believe this?"

"No," J replied blowing on a nail, "I think I'm related to her."

Hula Hair

I'm supposed to prep my faux locks myself. I don't remember the stylist telling me this. I strongly feel she didn't because I can't imagine I would have agreed to do it. "Prepping" involves me using a needle and thread and sewing individual clips into the hair seam. But first, I must measure my head and cut the hair accordingly. It's quite a lot of effort for something I've been against from the start. With the help of my mother, we removed the hair from the package. To our surprise, it looked more like something we'd find in Waikiki than against my temple.

Have I Gone Invisible?

Today, a pigeon flew into me.

Hairy Situations

My husband and I were married in a beautiful ceremony in the US. But one wedding wasn't good enough for us. We are having a second ceremony in London to celebrate his Indian heritage. Both ceremonies join us as husband and wife, but they couldn't be more different. I am plagued by normal feelings of self doubt when it comes to our Jain ceremony. Will I understand the mahraj? Will I perform the blessings correctly? Will I successfully prevent my sari from slipping off? One worry I didn't realize I should have is the inadequacy of my hair. I'd been letting it grow for the past year, but when I had a "consultation" with the my stylist she told me it would not do. I was to visit the hair store on Turnpike Lane for fake hair.

I travelled to said shop and told them I needed fake hair. They tried to sell me a wig. I insisted that this would be an overabundance of fake hair. We settled on artificial hair extensions. They are wrapped in plastic and a very somber looking black woman stares out from the package. I was assured they will blend in with my underperforming real hair and, once styled, no one will be any the wiser to my artificial coiffe.

Semi-Sweet

Am taking my first steps into the Blog-osphere. Prepare yourself for the zany adventures of the American and the vegetarian!