Christmas, Delhi-style

I spent this Christmas not only in India, but in Delhi this time. While the holiday season has been a big change from last year's adventure in Mumbai, Pune and Goa, it hasn't been without holiday cheer.

We started out by spending Christmas Eve at Armen and Nyree's apartment, which is conveniently located in our neighborhood. We were joined by old friends and new friends, and even some Christmas carolers.

Unlike Christmas at home, all shops are still open on Christmas Day - and they are jam-packed because everyone has the day off! I wasn't brave enough to hit the markets, but Ani did and was quickly overwhelmed. I just made a quick visit to the grocery store for some last minute dinner items.

In the evening, Ani's family came over to celebrate Christmas with me. Although I didn't prepare a turkey and stuff (I didn't prepare anything), we enjoyed a nice Indian meal together. We had a little Christmas tree decorated in the corner of the living room - and there were even present underneath it. Everyone enjoyed the evening and I got rave reviews on my gift wrapping abilities.

Caption: Kamlesh (Ani's sister), Rajni (Ani's sister), Puneet, (Rekha's son), Rekha (Ani's sister), me, Souhani (Bhupinder and Madhu's daughter), Rajesh (Kamlesh's husband), Sheren (Rajni's daughter), Bhupinder (Ani's brother), Madhu (Bhupinder's wife)

So while it wasn't a typical Christmas, it was a nice one, complete with family and friends.

Christmas Extravaganza 2007

On Saturday we went to the 10th Annual Christmas Extravaganza at the Carnegie Institute. My involvement this year was remote and rather limited, but my fellow hosts did an amazing job and managed to pull off the best party yet.

Guests were greeted at the entrance with carolers and skysearcher lights and a photographer took photos as people entered. Once inside, they enjoyed drinks at our upgraded bar - complete with Grey Goose, Patron, a huge Scotch selection and my favorite, CHAMPAGNE! We even had a nutcracker ice bar with an ice luge serving our signature Tentini martinis.

The band, Kristen and the Noise was awesome. People danced up a storm. And everyone was able to hang around until 1am this year, instead of the usual midnight.

And the highlight was the huge gathering of family and friends that came to help us celebrate Christmas.

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My Apartment

I've been meaning to post a few photos of my apartment, which is still only half-decorated. But it's a start. I also have a pretty nice balcony, but it's dark outside right now, so those photos will have to come another day.

The living/dining room - one day I will have a dining table set instead of a mattress.

The kitchen - including my beloved oven / roaster / griller or OTG.

The bedroom - with a pile of clothes on the bed because I have closet issues.

My next steps are to buy curtains and hang things on the walls. And maybe paint, if we decide to stay here for another year. But, it's definitely coming along and a vast improvement over what it looked like in March when Mike and Jen saw it. And it's WAY better than when Joey and Jarret were here - but that was only a few days after I moved in. Just remember, visitors are welcome!