Pretty, pretty this week. I went to an Indian wedding. (Once again, I apologize for the poor photo quality)
The decorations were as pretty as I’ve ever seen. The cloth was brilliant. The elephants, majestic.
We wait, we wait – we listen to the music. (I didn’t notice that kettle until I formatted the photo – I find it endearing.)
We spy the groom – doing his set of ceremonies.
I admire the dresses of the guests.
New styles. New colors. More embroidery. Brand new sticker art for the back. Friends who normally look fairly plain suddenly looking like princesses.
Kiki asks me why the ladies are showing their skin. I tell him it is just the style, it is ok – and I show him that even I have a little bit of skin showing. Shock!
Finally the bride appears. Such a beautiful bride.
Here is a better shot of her clothes.
And then the mother of the bride – looking so lovely. She wears her sari with the drape part to the front, and clipped up to her hair.
** At this point Kiki was really tired and wanted to leave. We went to eat – it is rude to leave before eating, and besides which the food is delicious. So I left before the circling the hawan (sacred fire). I just didn’t have the extra time. We were there for two hours, and the family knows that we wish them well.
* * *
Very soon I was out the door for Hawaii. I made it. Didn’t take any photos until the airport on departure. I looked down, and AWWWWWWW…….
The Japanese garden – looking better than ever. Isa! When my kids were little and we lived in Micronesia, we used to have to spend hours at HNL, and would often go down to spend time in the beautiful garden.
* * *
And today, first whole day in Canada:
Play Abby, and indoor kiddy park. I tried to give a feeling for the SIZE of this place, but couldn’t. Easily 2 stories tall. Capacity of 210 people at any one time. Great, fun, safe place. (with free WIFI … Hi!!! It is really hopping with people now.)
* * *
FIJIAN WORD OF THE WEEK
“Play” is qito (ngGHEE-toe). That is active, physical play.
“Play” is also vakatatalo (va-ka-ta-TAH-lo). But that is sit down or imaginative play.
Funny thing about qito is that you take away one letter and you get qio (ngGHEE-o) which is “shark.” Makes me think about “bless” – which is a great thing in English, and “injury” in French (blessé). Let the foreign language user beware.
* * *
Happy week, everybody.
Maybe Happy Month or Happy Two Months. Here is the deal: I’m not getting back to Fiji until the fourth week of October. I have found my blogs from Canada and Hawaii to be boring, nothing I want to do more of. If folks from home send me photos and stories from Fiji, I will happily put them up – but otherwise I’m taking a vacation. SO –
I will see you next week, or 25 October, or some time in between.
Moce mada. (Bye bye)
* * *