MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING!

I think it's probably quite obvious how much I love weddings, and after months / years (!) of anticipation, my best friend is finally getting married!

... Well, officially married as of last week - time sure flies when you're having fun.

Childhood friends since we were both just 8 years old, it's a blessing how we have managed to keep in touch, even after years of living in different continents.
And it was pretty cool when we both lived in London - hers was London, Ontario, unfortunately #wishfulthinking

This was my first experience attending an Indian wedding which took place over four (!) days, so here's a few snaps from this special occasion...

The first evening was the Sangeet, a Sanskrit term which means as sung together, a pre-wedding ceremony where celebrations, dancing, and singing take place. 
The dress that Harpreet wore that evening was probably my favourite amongst the many outfits that she changed into - and in my favourite shade of pink too!

The second day was Maiyan which took place at home. During the ceremony, turmeric paste is applied on the bride's face, feet, and hands, before mehendi (henna) is skillfully drawn on her hands and feet. I had a mini one drawn on my arm, knowing how clumsy I am, and that I probably wouldn't have the patience and not have my hands free to snack with...

This was followed by the Sikh ceremony in the Gurdwara, where Harpreet was once again an image of elegance, this time with a veil that completed the look. 
Harpreet kindly lent me one of her Salwar Kameez outfits for the day. We were required to cover our heads and remove our shoes in the temple - the dupatta was a bit heavy and tricky to keep balanced on my head, but I loved wearing it nonetheless. I'm just really clumsy in general...

The final day was the Hindu ceremony where the reception took place outdoors at the beautiful Lakeside Gazebo at The Royal Ambassador, with a stunning view of the lake in the background. We were once again extremely lucky for the warm sunny weather - a huge improvement as opposed to the weekend before where there was rain, snow and hail all in one day (!)
I did love the colour of our matching bridesmaid anarkali suits, pink is just the perfect shade for (almost) any occasion.
This was the longest day of them all, which ended with one final dinner, with dancing and music playing on through the night ...
 

Congratulations once again, Harpreet & Shivam - you two make the perfect couple, and I'm looking forward to our next 'Team Water' reunion!

Canada Rockies Roadtrip 2014

Canada Rockies Roadtrip 2014

 
And not forgetting a word of thanks to the Gill family for letting me stay in your beautiful home for the week - I'm missing you and your homemade chai, Aunty! 
I look forward to seeing all of you again in the near future.

The Cheekster, signing out x

 

PRE-BIRTHDAY DAY TRIP TO CAMBRIDGE

Birthdays seem to come along so fast these days, it didn't seem that long ago since my last one - March, you seemed so far away, before you pounced on me from the shadows (!)
So here I am, turning a year older (at rather turn-ED a year older as of the 15th of March...), and being a bit of a last-minute planner, we decided to hop on a train to Cambridge for a day trip, because sometimes it's nice to travel local. 

The walk from the station to the town centre was a bit longer than we expected, which definitely worked up an appetite, so we stopped by at Stickybeaks on Hobson Street for some brunch, which seemed to be a popular spot. Set up in 2010, this local cafe takes its name from the Australian term 'to stickybeak' which means to have a bit of a nosey. They serve an all-day brunch menu on Sundays, from which we ordered a hearty potato hash with chorizo and egg, and a bacon and egg muffin.

We were later roped in to go on a punting tour along the River Cam, which I hadn't been on since a few years back on my last visit. Considering that the weather was sunny and it wasn't too crowded, we joined in at the promotional 'student price' of £15 (which I'm pretty sure they offer to mostly everyone...)
We sat on a larger 12-seater punt, which was more spacious than the 6-seater one I sat in last time (although my derriere was still slightly numb by the end of it), and the 'traffic' along the river was much less congested as opposed to the summer months, which can be quite manic. 
A smooth and relaxing ride, led by our knowledgeable chauffeur guide who had 6 years of experience in punting.

 We had a quick stopover at Fitzbillies on Trumpington Street for lunch, an old-school bakery and cafe, known to be famous for their sticky chelsea buns which have been made and sold on the premises since 1921. I tried their sausage roll which they have been making in-house to the original recipe since they opened, served with Baker's potatoes, their own fruit ketchup and green salad.
And of course I grabbed a couple of sticky chelsea buns and cake for the journey home.

It was definitely a fun day out, and a nice little escape from the city. I should probably start doing more local trips like this on the weekend...
Thank you Lili for making the effort and spending some quality time for me before my birthday - I look forward to our next mini-adventure!

The Cheekster, signing out x