The Daniels here and now: August 2015

As usual a trip to India isn't for holidaying. Its usually filled with weddings and meeting family and friends. It isn't a typically scene of resting and feet up in front of the back waters or in a house boat. Its the mad rush of shopping, visiting, wedding parties and breaking an every year record of how many can get in a car. Stressful? Yes, but absolutely fun, and in the DNA of an Indian. A holiday in India isn't complete without all these.

We took off for our first trip with David a few days before school closed for Big One and Big Two. We were quite anxious how David would feed and be in the long journey towards Trivandrum. With a very short transit time at Abu Dhabi, we missed our connecting flight to Trivandrum from there. We decided it was best for all of us to have that break in Abu Dhabi and catch the flight the following day. It was an all paid stay for a day outside the airport in a great hotel with all the yummy food . A great preparation for our gastric systems as we embark on an all eat out for the month. Even though being there during the month of Ramadan, food was available for us in the hotel. If I remember right, the kids have been eating lamb biriyani ever since we stepped out of the Netherlands. They were in biriyani heaven. We didn't have to step out of the hotel and could take the connecting pass from the hotel to the mall next door. We were shopping for swimming trunks for the boys. They were more expensive than back in the Netherlands. Nevertheless, we bought them and the kids and Bobby enjoyed themselves swimming at the pool with the Arabian beach as their backdrop.

Meeting Sherin and her family

We reached humid Trivandrum , and all the frenzies began. Starting with my cousins engagement party, visiting old friends from Manipal and Eindhoven in Ernakulam and visiting the famous Lulu mall. That mall had so much people on the escalators and outside stores than inside them. There was Rolex, Swarovski , Branded stores like Tommy Hilfiger , Mango, All the famous gold stores and elite boutiques. Then there was McDonalds and other food courts. There even was theatres and kids entertainment centre with roller coaters and other rides. the parking and traffic just to get in and get out was out of this world. And we those first day of Eid to shop!

Lisa's Wedding

A few days in Changanaserry and a trip in between to Trivandrum for David's baptism made our 3 hours traveling in between a piece of cake. David's baptism went well and surprisingly had a completely revamped liturgy. I remembered for Benjamin and Elijah's baptism , even though it was a baptism , the service appeared to be more of a thanksgiving /dedication type , which I was happy about. But this time, there were highlights about infant baptism being the right way and people might say various things about it. Basically, it wasn't a thanksgiving/dedication feel to it at all. Lets leave it there.

The Rajagiri cousins

Festivities continued with my cousins wedding, my dad in India for 3 days only, cousins , aunts and uncles also having a flying visit. It all went too quick and hurried. I hardly got a chance to spend time with them, let alone talk to them for more than 30 minutes. My dad, brother and his wife left the same day after the wedding. The house was empty suddenly. And we left back to Trivandrum too. Preparing ourselves for Bobby's brothers wedding coming up in 5 days. Those 5 days was a bit more relaxed and we got to do our things too in between. Staying in Bobby's home was fun with 5 grandkids, and that too 5 boys in the house. A full house with fun , babies crying, adults chatting , kitchen working continually.

The wedding was wonderful and we welcomed our new sister in law into our family. They were there with us after the wedding until we left . It was wonderful to get to know her even more.

The day we were leaving we asked our kids how they felt about going back. Benjamin was ready to come back and Elijah was ready to start school and live in India with his grandparents. I can speak for David and say he was ready to come back to Eindhoven too.

As always, a month in India is always filled with weddings and meeting friends and family. The rush , the busyness, the tiredness, the shopping, is all worth it!