India Part VI - Ain't no wedding like an Indian style wedding

I'm now back in Perth which means I'm back to my old procrastinating ways.. hence the reason why this lifestyle-come-travel blog hasn't been updated on the regular.

I'm going to jump forward a little from my last entry.. and write a short piece covering a wedding I had attended on the final leg of my travels through the sub-continent. Though, this wasn't your normal, run of the mill church/garden/beach/cliché wedding most of us attend in our now matured adult lives [fuck, I'm 26 this year].. this was a straight 72+ hour celebration of love/commitment between two people, with a 3 hour nuptial squashed somewhere in between. You read right, the festivities went on for days.. our people certainly know how to party.

In a little more detail, I had the privilege of attending the wedding of one my close friends from Perth, who just so happened to have his wedding around the same time I was wandering through India, perfect! So after backpacking through Rajasthan, I went back to Bangalore, only to fly back up for homies wedding in Jaipur. Now Indian weddings are crazy.. the logistics involved are next level, and as far as celebrations go... they go on for days upon days as it's a HUGE family affair. Two families are essentially coming together through the union of two people after all, and while you may think this is normal.. you can't comprehend the size of Indian families [comparisons to Italian families can be drawn].

I was fortunate enough to stay under the same roof as the grooms immediate family, and like a stray, I was taken in by a kind and loving family; and got to witness first hand the tears, drama, laughs, stress, and most importantly the happiness that exuded throughout every single soul present. To Sau and Trish.. thank you for allowing me to be part of it all. Honestly, you guys are perfect for each other, because you both have the same tendencies that irritate the shit out of me.. haha! All love haha, but seriously.. wish you guys all the best for your exciting new future together.

Sorry it took so long to upload these, but I finally got them up thanks to a little someone pestering me [Nea]. Note. I was on a food and alcohol high during the four/five days I was there [in true Indian style], so I apologies for the photo's being off point [and there are more photo's don't worry].

The venue.

Exhausted groom [or relieved after taking a huge dump]

The brothers.

Alive?

Smash that cake [you could have used a spoon man.. c'mon!]

Traditional Fits.

Haroon & Myself [tailored suit.. that's whats up]

The couple!

Saket & Myself [alcohol induced lazy eye.. woo]

Married!

India Part VI - 1722 m.s.l

You know what I really love about being here? It's the lack of ignorant 17 - 25 yr old tourists; wielding beer cans in hand, being obnoxiously loud.. all whilst sporting some ridiculous and impractical fit. Nothing but festival kids wearing their festival kits everyday.. and in any climate. Anyways..

Lying deep in the ancient Aravalli Range of Rajasthan, sits a certain rocky plateau. This rocky outcrop cradles a small hill station known as Mount Abu [Abudaanchal to the locals]. After spending the previous night in the freezing Thar desert, I traveled about 450 km [12 hours] through desert and farmland, only to finally make my ascent into the Aravalli Range; where I would spend the next 2 days in the quaint little town of Mount Abu.

The friendliest of people, picturesque scenery, breathtaking views and loads of culture.. a fantastic memory..

I was lucky enough to stay at the Bikaner House during my time here..

This was my 'driver' for the Rajasthan exploration, his name is Anil. However, I didn't think of Anil as my 'driver', but more a good friend [I had to put my complete faith and trust in him]. Without fail, Anil got me to my destinations both safely and securely. Some of these roads can be unforgiving, and the level of concentration required to drive the Aravalli Ranges at night, with no street lights or barriers.. is unbelievable. I opted for a driver over sleeper coaches or trains, as you seldom get to move off the beaten track with the aforementioned modes of transport. Having the ability to stop whenever and wherever you please to get 'that' particular shot, is worth the extra money. Thank you Anil.

India Part V - A Loners NYE

New years eve.. for some reason I always manage to let this day to get to me. Another day where I feel sorry for myself, often dwelling on my flaws as a person rather than my attributes.. often allowing myself to get trapped in a deep hole of self pity. While I don't intend this post to be emotional dribble of poorly structured English.. this is my personal blog after all, and I need to utilize this space for the purpose of venting and ranting.

However, this year has been different. Regardless of the lows, I am going to dedicate this post to all the highs that have occurred during the year. In January, I was given the opportunity to work in one of the dopest retail stores in Australia, let alone Perth. This has become my place of refuge, as my colleagues have become more than just peers, but good friends. Additionally, I've met a lot of truly genuine people in 2010.. and I now have a stronger circle(s) of friends, who were there for me when I really needed it [similarly, I hope they know I will always have their back... truth].

In the first quarter, I traveled to Sydney and Brisbane to see Brand New perform live. Around the midyear mark, I traveled to Melbourne to see A Tribe Called Quest perform live. In November I traveled to Japan.. a country where I can definitely see myself settling down in one day. In February, I traveled to Indonesia to see my brother get married to my beautiful sis'n'law.. truly one of the highlights of the year for me. And to finish off 2010, I traveled to India.. where I sit and write this now.

So how did I spend NYE in 2010? Lets go back to the map of India..

On the 31st early morning, I left Jodhpur and traveled 270 km through the Great Indian Desert by road to reach my destination for the night.. Jaisalmer. A small town that sits practically on the border of India and Pakistan. I'm not going to delve into the history between the two countries, but essentially border towns aren't the safest of areas, especially during NYE celebrations. So what drew me to Jaisalmer? Well, I was told about these desert camps the Rajasthani villagers organise, and I thought it would be a pretty awesome experience. And an experience is what I got... as the villagers greeted me into the camp toting rifles on their back, Indian Army choppers constantly circling the desert skies above, random gun fire in the early morning [possibly celebratory related discharge?], and border jeeps patrolling the dunes throughout the night.

I was hesitant using the DSLR in this region, so didn't take as many pics as I would have liked to. DSLRs are banned in places like Ahjmer [hence why no photos were taken there] due to the high level of conflict/terrorism.. much like what they're trying to enforce in Iraq now. According to an article I had read recently, SLR/DSLR's makes the public uneasy, especially in said conflict regions. I should always travel with a compact, lesson learnt..

First stop, attainment of local Indian hard liquor.

Last sunset of 2010..

I sincerely wish everyone a safe, prosperous and healthy new year.

Peace.