Languid

The languor of Youth - how unique and quintessential it is! How quickly, how irrevocably, lost! The zest, the generous affections, the illusions, the despair, all the traditional attributes of Youth - all save this - come and go with us through life. These things are a part of life itself; but languor - the relaxation of yet unwearied sinews, the mind sequestered and self-regarding - that belongs to Youth alone and dies with it.

- Brideshead Revisted, Evelyn Waugh.

Quilting Forever, Housework Whenever!

My conjugal quilt is complete! Made from pieces of fabric lovingly donated by friends before my wedding, the quilt is symbolic of everything I love about my friends, colourful, creative and best washed in warm soapy water! When I look at my quilt, I feel very loved.

Vive la Food!

Recent travels to Europe have confirmed food as one of my staple passions. There really is no better place than to immerse oneself in the love of all things food than France. A place where a discussion about mushrooms can dominate dinner conversation and where a simple tomato salad can send one into rapture. So much about the French and their attitude to food reminded me of the Japanese. The simple aesthetics of humbly prepared food, the dedication to continuing a tradition of quality and the practice of mindfulness when engaged in the 'art' of eating.

Bon appetite!

I recently saw the movie Julie and Julia. Apart from the awesome talent of Meryl Streep I was instantly drawn to the film and its simple message of love cooking, love husband, love life! I recently spent some time off work convalescing from some not so major surgery and was able to reconnect with the joyfulness and creativity of cooking. Not the kind of cooking where it's 8pm on a Tuesday night and you've been at work for too many high powered hours. But the kind of cooking where there is time to savour all the colour, smells and sounds involved in making a meal. Some favourites; frying fennel seeds in hot oil and watching them bump into each other like little dodgem cars. Stewing rhubarb with the addition of a cinnamon stick and cardamon pods until it turns into pink fragrant goop. Chopping bunches of mint, parsley and coriander and waiting for their powerful aroma to fill the kitchen. Domestic bliss indeed!

Friend or Foe?

Guest list dramas. Every one who has been involved in planning a wedding has them. The hardest bit, they all say. I suspect that it is at this point that some people throw up their hands and decide to elope. I am wondering whether a redefining of the 'friend' criteria may help matters a little. Instead of considering each person in light of how long I've know them for or how good a friend they have been in tough times, how about;

Can they improvise a dance piece to George Michael?
Have they ever sailed a catamaran?
Do they like anchovies?
Do they own an item of clothing made from terry toweling?
Which member of parliament would they most likely take to bed?

I may just include these questions on the wedding invites and see what responses come back before I finalise my guest list....

2000 and mine

Some resolutions for the new year...

More road trips
More cupcakes
More idle
More sneaky kisses
More costume parties
More nuptials
More crafternoons
More mysore
More bollywood
More impromptu dancing
More box sets
More sand

Can't wait!!

Monsoon wedding

Ever since I returned from my tour of weddings in India, I have been meaning to watch this gorgeous movie again. Now that my own monsoon wedding is only a matter of months away I figured it was about time to swot up. Having now acquired myself a family of Indian in-laws the movie resonated strongly with me and I was in complete rapture for the entire two hours. All the family's dreams realised in the marriage of their eldest child, the disappointment in the creative younger son and the constant desire to impress the community brought a knowing smile to my face. The simple romance between the wedding planner and the character of 'Alice' felt like another wink to me. All the various dramas unfolding in the plot were a reminder to me that weddings equate with families and where there are families there is always a complex web of emotions, regardless of whether those families are Aussies, Hindus, Sikhs or Muslims. The colour and the dancing inspired excitement about my own pending nuptials and maybe, just maybe it is time for me to throw away the apprehension and embrace my own Monsoon Wedding....

So he's popped the question....

After years of being pressured by his parents we are now finally, officially engaged. The inevitability of it all did nothing to take away from the romance and it was nice to be reminding of the bliss usually associated with being in love. The scary side is that now that we are engaged, there is nothing standing between me and the mayhem of wedding planning. Some major points of contention have already emerged and a 'death match' of sorts has been threatened to settle the score. Some of the disagreement stems from the cross cultural factors but I must be careful not to use it as the scapegoat. I am slightly peeved that the need for tandoori chicken will dictate to some degree where I get married, but I guess there are worse things.