Golf, Vavs and a Late Night

In the morning, Nirav invited us to his country club to try a few irons on the driving range. Joe was able to get the hang of things with his swing, but Sophia and Sonya ... uh, just wanted to hit the ball. Fifty balls later, we set up a competition to test our accuracy. Although it brought out our competitive sides, the game was a peaceful way to start the day.

Biraj and Nirav took us to the Step Wells (Vavs) in the afternoon. Six stories deep into the belly of the earth, we made our way down the dark staircases to the well. The wells represented a sanctuary from the heat, people suffering from the drought, an oasis for travelers, refuge during invasions and even a final stop for an unfortunate number of lives.

At night, Biraj and Nirav drove us to a remote farm property, owned by Nirav's cousin. It was a small, outdoor party with tasty appetizers, Hindi music for dancing and a fire pit to keep everyone warm. Joe joined the men for a game of soccer and French cricket, while Sophia sat near the fire, chatting with the family. We didn't even realize it was 1 a.m. by the time we headed back.

We didn't tuck into our beds until 2 a.m., knowing we'd have to wake up in just three hours to be on the road.

Love,
Joe and Sophia

Jhaveri Park

Our slow morning turned into a busy day. After a Jain breakfast, we went to two stores, Seasons and Cottons, for some more shopping. Shopping here is a totally different experience. Instead of spending a majority of the time looking for your size, in India employees search for what styles you may like in your size and with the best deals. You may have three employees rummaging through the aisles searching for every Medium in the department.

Later that afternoon, we decided to walk beyond Biraj and Nirav's complex, jokingly called Jhaveri Park because most of their family resides on the same lot. On our walk, we were greeted by curious children, herds of cattle, yelping stray puppies, kite-flyers and giggling women who wanted their picture taken. One woman stopped us in the street and made us follow her back. At first we assumed we were in trouble for taking pictures of her property, and she made us nervous when she asked us where we were from. All she wanted was to pose in front of her kite stand as we took pictures.

In the evening, family came over for a wonderful Punjabi meal. While eating paneer and aloo, we exchanged our favorite riddles for more than an hour. Following dinner, Nirav introduced us to a laidback yet competitive game, Bocce Ball. It's essentially a fusion of bowling and shuffle board. Back and forth we laughed at the other team's attempt, but Munjal's team ended up winning the match.

Hope you all are doing well!
Love,
Joe and Sophia

Sports and Shocolatery

We are staying at my cousin Biraj's house now. I remember visiting this house before she married Nirav and everything seemed towering because I was only eight years old.

Nirav's family lives in the same complex; separate houses but with a large, connecting basement. I love how close the people are here, having frequent family dinners and keeping the door open for anyone to stop by for tea. Whenever we walk into the house, we see Nirav's father talking to his brothers, or his sister coloring with her daughter, Vaama, who is four years old.
We picked up Anaya from school and took her to the Sports Club for her swim while we watched children prepare for a swimming competition and practice cricket on the field.

Biraj and Rachana delighted us with dinner at Shocolatery, famous for its cafe and dessert selection. Joe and I both tasted the spiciest pasta we've ever encountered. After the Italian-Indian pasta fusion, all of us cooled our stomachs with some cheesecake.

It's hard to imagine in a week Joe and I will be back in Texas, especially after such a fulfilling three weeks.

Love,

Sophia

Pizza Party!

In the morning, we stuffed ourselves with French toast and masala eggs. We went to Fia and Fua's home to spend some time with the newlyweds before they head back to the States. Saying goodbye to Nrupaal and Anu reminded us how hard it will be to say goodbye to everyone next week.

When we got back to Ragi Masi and Nikunj Masa's house, the kitchen was in a frenzy.
Masa and Masi are renowned for their pizza, and they planned a family gathering for the evening. Seven rolls of dough, a couple of hours of chopping vegetables, and more than a hundred slices of pizza later, we were ready to dig in.

Fourteen members of my mom's side came over for the feast of pineapple and jalapeno, aloo and capsicum, and garlic pizzas. Devangi treated us to her homemade chocolate cupcakes for dessert.

Having family together relieved the stress we were feeling from an earlier phone call with Emirates. We thought our travel nightmares were over, only to find out that our flight home was canceled. Because of miscommunication, Emirates assumed we wouldn't take their airline back. We had a very stressful 12 hours as we waited to hear back from the airline. Luckily (with the help of my cousin, Biraj), we had our seats reconfirmed and we will return home on the expected flight (!!!).
The picture above includes Sonya and I with all our first cousins. I really love being with my family again.

Happy reading!
Love,
Sophia

More Family, More Food

Every morning, we hear wild dogs barking, men beating drums, women reciting prayers, scooter engines revving, vendors selling fresh produce and children laughing. We really are staying in an entirely different world.

We lounged for most of the morning while Nikunj Masa prepared one of his signature dishes, eggplant Parmesan. It was the first non-Indian meal we've had since our flight. Our mouths have become so accustomed to the masala flavor, so the food tasted so foreign. Who would have thought we'd enjoy delicious, homemade Italian food in Ahmedabad, Gujarat?
Later, we went out for some browsing (OK, more shopping) before dinner. It was the last day of the National Handloom and Handicraft Exhibition, so selections were slim and haggling was successful.
After revisiting the law garden, we went to Sankalp, an Indian restaurant well-known for its dosa. We sampled Mysore, golden-crisp masala, plain and nilgiri (mint) dosas. Joe and Sonya tried some coconut water and malai (cream) for dessert. While everyone else went to bed, Devangi taught us an Indian rendition of Hearts, and we played cards late into the night.
We really wish those back in the States could experience all of this with us.

Love,
Joe and Sophia

Family Day

After a late night watching a movie, we woke up early this morning to drop Jamnejay off at his bus stop, then stopped by Fia and Fua's house to say hello. Rachana took us to the old city today to skim through the outdoor markets, selling everything from shawls and cloths to jewelry and mojris (shoes).

We then went to Sophia's Mama (mom's brother) and Mami's house for a family lunch and dinner. As much as we love exploring Ahmedabad, family social events are our favorite way to spend time. We had a wonderful home-cooked lunch, with a mix of spicy and sweet food. Feeling lethargic after a full meal, we went downstairs to watch the Hindi movie, "Wake Up Sid." Sophia's mami made us her signature cold coffee (aka euphoria with whipped cream).
While Joe and Sonya took pictures of the apartment, Sophia played with Jamnejay and her 7-year-old niece, Anaya.

We ate meagerly all day to prepare our stomachs for dinner. Fifteen of us binged on pani puri, bhel and sev puri. The meal was more than we expected, indulging in the food and laughing with the family.

We're staying at Ragi Masi (mom's sister), Nikunj Masa, Dulari and Devangi's house. It still amazes us how hospitable everyone is, but it makes it very hard for us to say goodbye.

Love,
Joe and Sophia

Shrinathji and Udaipur

Since we haven't updated in a while, we will fill you in on our recent endeavors.

Friday, we took a spontaneous journey to a confectionery (Joe thinks it should be called a dessert store). We enjoyed a quiet afternoon with Rachana and Jamnejay, then stopped by Ragi Masi, Nikunj Masa, Dulari and Devangi's home. 11 of us enjoyed an exquisite dinner at an old favorite restaurant of ours, Tomato's. It had been 12 years since Sophia's first cousins on her mom's side sat in the same room.

Early Saturday morning, we chased the sunrise on a four-hour journey to the birthplace of the god Shrinathji. The scenic drive introduced us to the mountainous terrain and winding roads of Rajastan. We received warnings in advance about the crowds at the temple, but we were still overwhelmed. Men and women had separate lines, and the jabbing and shoving continued throughout the darshan (Hindu prayer).

We then drove to the neighboring city of Udaipur. Like Jaipur, Udaipur is a tourist-heavy town, but it is less crowded, the people seemed friendlier and it was surrounded by natural beauty. We began our sight-seeing at the City Palace (Mehar Palace). Every room had a fantastic view of the Fateh Sagar Lake, the "White City" and the stretching hills.

Rachana and Munjal led us through the streets to let us truly get a feel of Udaipur. In the evening, we went back to the City Palace for a sound and light show. The show described the history of India, but tied it directly to king's dynasty in Udaipur.

We headed back home to Ahmedabad after such a fruitful and fulfilling trip. It's incredible how two neighboring states can have such stark contrasts, but still have such a comforting feeling.

Love,
Sophia and Joe