Ask mom about the happiest day of her life, and she'll tell you that it wasn’t the time she stood first in class, won her first prize or became part of the hallowed cool chick clique in school.
Nor was it the day her friend’s handsome older brother made eye contact with her or when the scholarship results were finally announced.
It wasn’t even the day she lay on a birthing table with sweat pouring down her face and squeezed a watermelon-sized baby out of a lemon-sized hole.
Ask mom, and she’ll reply without hesitation that it was the day she woke up at the crack of dawn and sat on stage next to a man who gave her goose pimples by his mere presence.
“Did Appa go down on his knees and ask you to marry him?” her five-year-old Disney/Barbie addict wants to know as she looks through her parents’ wedding album. “Did he kiss you?”
“You don’t kiss in Indian weddings,” replies mom.
“Then I’ll get married in America,” her daughter firmly declares.
Her son’s reaction to the wedding pictures is quite different.
“You have so much makeup on, you look like a clown, mom,” he says quite frankly.
Scintillating Sands
Radiant Rads
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Oh Happy Day
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53 comments:
aww, congratulations you gorgeous eyed-one! :-)
Eyeliner and all eh? Nice! I wasn't allowed to do anything, which really would ahve helped those photographs at least :(
Congrats Terri's mom. Lovely picture :) How are you folks doing?
Congratulations! And may I say, what beautiful eyes!
Congrats TM! You have beautiful features.
MB
Thank you, people. I should clarify that it's NOT the anniversary though.
WOW! You look reeeeally beautiful.
I was similarly decked (although not half as beautiful) on my wedding day for the muhurtham and went to a salon stylist for the reception. Now when I show my son those pictures and ask him which picture of Mommy does he like better, he picks the traditionally decked up one :)
And speaking of movies, have you watched "In Bruges"? I loved it; its hilarious.
-rm
:)
Rads, why weren't you allowed to wear makeup on your wedding day? Isn't that the day you officially become an adult? Can you post a blog-friendly photo of you as a bride?
Wait, let me make this a tag. All female bloggers stopping by, please post a bridal photo of yourself on your blog. I'm sure there's more than one person who would like to see. You too, Sands!
Non-bloggers and anons can also post by sending me a photo. I'm better at remembering faces than initials.
Thanks, rm. You son sounds sweet. But which version does the husband prefer?
Mom looks lovely! I particularly like the helpful arrow on her forehead pointing to the eyes :-)
Terri, do write more about the events that led Mom to sit on stage with the Goose Pimple Inducing dad.
-DS
DS, are you sure she's referring to dad? It could've been a young, pious, bare-chested Brahmin priest instead.
i thought i left a comment here, it is missing!
neway, yes like ds said, such a romantic write up needs the back ground as well.
Terri, Your mom is witty, intelligent and a beautiful woman. Dad sure hit the jackpot!
-sachita
Ha - now I have an image of Mom making eyes at the priest as Dad drips ghee into the nuptial fire.
Mom must have seen a different breed of priests; the ones I've encountered were pot-bellied and/or saggy chested older men. Now excuse me while I go burn my brain to remove THAT train of thoughts ..
-DS
oh my!! u do look gorgeous :) mine was something similiar too...!!wheee i cant wait to take up this tag!! :)
Muser, thanks for taking up the tag.
DS, not to worry. Mom had only one contact lens on through the whole ceremony. Her vision was limited to her left eye, and the closest person there was dad. The other eye itched and burned so much that it was completely red by the time dad tied the mangalsutra. A badly-aimed grain of akshada the previous day was to blame.
Sachita, such choice epithets to describe mom? Then this might not be the right time to tell you that she's also moody, opinionated and extremely judgmental.
why is "opinionated" a bad word?
I thought DS wanted the story right from " falling in love at first sight" moment. atleast thats what i want.
-Sachita
Lowely!
Sachita, voicing one's opinion when it's not called for usually lands a person in trouble.
Where does "falling in love at first sight" fit in an arranged match? The fun usually begins after the ceremony, and that's what this blog is about.
Terri's Mom, how I wish I'd been able to meet you in Chennai, but it will have to wait for another trip :( Was nice talking to you, though. You look GORGEOUS in the photo - my wedding pic is going to be SO paavam in contrast (mine was short and sweet and not very traditional), I dunno if I should even take up the tag!
Shoefie, I'd love to see your wedding photo. I bet you looked like a Bharatanatyam dancer.
shyam, I hope to meet you and other bloggers in London someday. Please do take up the tag. Would like to know your love story.
Hehe, one good winking eye is all you need!
-DS
With those looks, mom should've tried her hand at modelling or films! She can still try...
Veena
Wow! Mom has such pretty eyes. Mom's daughter; she sure has her priorities right ;)
How I wish now that I'd digitised my wedding pics. Would love to do your tag, but that will have to wait until I go home on vacation next time, dig the huge albums out and scan them.
Veena, there's a good reason why you can see mom only from the eyes up in this photo. She does not want to subject her readers to her parrot-beaked nose and crooked mouth.
mschillpill, you don't have a single wedding photo with you?!!
Nice picture.
BTW similar questions came up last week in our home..Then my son decided he would get married in India for the same reason:-)
Vimala
what a lovely photo! you look gorgeous!
Can I be incharge of the London Female bloggers Welcoming committee when you come over please.
Parrot beaked nose? Crooked mouth?
Readers, Terri's mom is a consummate liar.
Swoon, what lovely eyes! Am sure you looked gorgeous, as you normally do...what's all that nonsense about crooked mouths or whatever...
Ha ha..TM, forget about all that modesty..no, you can't get away with that :)
It would take too long for a lazy bone like me to scan a picture, edit it to be blog-worthy, etc..so, have to politely bow out of the tag invite. I guess (and I have heard non-Indians say this to me too) feel that Indian women in general are blessed with pleasant-to-the-eye features, no? :)
-rm
Terri, you look gorgeous! What beautiful eyes, the husband is a very lucky man! Beauty and a great sense of humor is a killer combination! ( I mentioned only those two traits as I got to see that side here!) :)
Pretty Woman, with that kind of a moniker, you must be gorgeous!
rm, a short, squat Haitian once mentioned to me that he finds Indian women the most beautiful in the world. Even before I could enjoy the compliment, he invited me up to his room.
Can you ask the son to scan a picture? No words are necessary.
ra, you should take up this tag. You've posted all other body parts, how about a part of your face also?
Lakshmi, thank you. Would love to see your photo also. Did you have an Aandal kondai?
WA, please arrange for ticket also, and you can become President of the committee.
Dot, Vimala, thank you. DotThoughts, photos please!
TM, beeeeeuuuutiful. Just.
Have sent you mail. Pls to check.
P.S. Pls cld you delete the backlink to my blog? I did not create it and it's so annoying. I tried to go back to having the blogs on my blogroll show up in the order of updates and these backlinks are showing up again! Have reverted to alpha order. :( Thanks TM.
Eh, I have posted parts of my face, my FULL face!
That's one beautiful bride! But where is the Aandal kondai? Tch! Tch! To think only I got bullied into wearing one :(
inba, Aandal kondai? Please to post at least thalai saaman.
ra, when? BTW, you need to post some photos of your gorgeous Pocahontas hair.
Sujatha, I understood the first two sentences of your comment. Can you please translate the rest for technology dummies like myself?
Such a gorgeous mom you have Terri! Do post the rest of the picture!
Wow... Terri, mom looks perfect! What symmetry! What lovely pair of eyes! Nice post-- Dad is very lucky.
OMG, Terri's mom, what beautiful, dreamy, seductive eyes you have!! May I do you..err..your full photo the next time I visit Mds?
CW, you want a photo or the real, live version? Please to come with lowered expectations.
anon, gds, thank you. Mom would love to look like a Bharatanatyam dancer all the time, but is thankful for this once-in-a-lifetime photo op.
Terri's mom, the next time you make disparaging comments about your looks, all I'm going to say is hah! And that hah in a very disbelieving kind of way. You're stunning! Dad sure lucked out!
All of you who haven't seen mom and are impressed by her eyes, here's a piece of news...Mom has the FLATTEST tummy to go with those eyes!!! maybe she can send us pics of different body parts each week. :)
Guddi, that supposedly flat tummy (not sure what you're talking about since you're surrounded by women with concave tummies) was pre-Grand Snacks and pre-household help. India is not a very weight-control friendly place, and I hear mango and jackfruit season is around the corner.
muser, thank you, but when/if we do meet face-to-face, you'll think WTF?!!
Flat stomach? Sigh
whatt?! Round and expressive eyes I can take, flat tummy after 2 kids?! Too much only no? Think of 3-ki d mommies and how their fragile hearts can take this? :(
Thatsit, I draw line. ..and here I was excitedly planning on meeting you soon.
*grumble :p
Rads
Grrr, Guddi, spreading rumors! Giving false impressions!! She's wrong, ladies. Most of the time, the little one pats me on the stomach and asks, "Amma, do you have a baby inside your tummy? Then why is it so big?" And this is before I eat breakfast, when the stomach is still empty. As you know, children are alarmingly frank.
Gawd! Today is a baaad day to talk about flat stomachs. I don't have one and I fool myself into consolation by sucking in. This morning I tried out a new dress that I had bought 3 months back and never have had a chance to wear it. I look at DH and he grumbles shaking his head, "Your stomach sticks out..I am sure your stomach wasn't as big as that when you bought that dress"..Arrrgh. I swear they need to start a course for men in getting their point across more gracefully than that.
TM, I think its easier for women to carry off some fat-in-the-middle with Indian dresses than western. So, some mangoes (yummm) and jackfruit can hardly hurt. :)
-rm
rm, men notice tummies?!! I thought they only noticed boobs.
Yes, salwars are so forgiving. They can hide a multitude of sins.
Terri's mom - i repeat what many others have said before me - you are gorgeous! :)
Terri's mom : Gorgeous & Modest !! as always :) It looks like your arangetram photo :)
-Peace
Mystic, thank you!
Ms. Peace, thanks. Classical dance bores me unfortunately. Love to N, N and M.
Stunning! I thought I'd commented earlier. Getting scatty in my old age:(
Terri's mom:
Beatutiful! Please put in the whole picture. It is too much suspense to imagine how beautiful you can possible be :-)
Sri
Sri, aiyyo, if there's anything else worth looking at, my picture would be gracing billboards on Times Square.
dipali, thank you.
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