Tuesday, January 27, 2004

I found myself galumphing back to the Green Hills cottage lastnight after Dhanni's sister's wedding. I had to bow out around two in the morning. They told me to stay and dance through the night as the actual wedding ceremony wasn't going to happen until four. I had two of my favorite dishes, Pani Puri and Jelabees before heading for the dancefloor. Now, this being my second wedding I thought I would be a bit prepared for what was to insue. But, my confidence wanned quickly as I was being fought over to dance with. All the while the women sat and watched. In some places the men and women dance together; this wedding was not such an affair. Thus, I was left to contend with one guy wanting me to dance his way another squeezing my hand while pulling me towards his group. I found reprieve by dancing with the little kids. They are always a bit more spunky,and I connect with them. I lost interest with the dancefloor altogether when it started up again. It was nice to see everyone looking sharp and celebrating such a beautiful occasion. I am not versed in all the practices affiliated with a Hindu wedding, but from what I have seen it is quite lovely. At the family's home, next to the reception tent, there was a canopy built from banana tree branches and various other articles. For the ceremony it was explained to me that a fire would be set up in the middle which the bride and groom would circle seven times. There is a bit more detail on this site. After all the fun I had to excuse myself.

Funny, I was just reading in the news about homeschooled kids being present on most college campuses. The other day I was speaking with somebody I met about our educational system; the conversation was mostly about the limited scope offered to our kids. There are much broader learning experiences such as the kids I meet traveling with their parents around the world. An comprable example within the states I offered was homeschooling. One question that came up was whether or not it made a difference with college entrance or higher learning. Voila, this article goes into some of it. I commend those that have the opportunity and the drive to challenge not only their child but also themself to that end. The vast diversity in experience is truly amazing. Few things bring me as much joy as education and the opportunity to learn.

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