One Sari, Two Weddings and a Full Party Bus

Raj and Amanda's wedding festivity was a three-day event in Michigan! We attended the traditional Indian wedding on Friday, as well as the "American wedding" on Saturday. It was our first Indian wedding experience, so we wanted to really be part of it. A few days before the wedding, a group of us went to Devon street to shop for saris and accessories before dinner at an Indian restaurant. Jenn, Jessica and I all got a sari, bangles and some head jewelries. Jeff and the guys borrowed kurtas from the groom's family as well.

The Indian wedding was beautifully set by a lake house. The groom arrived by the boat, and the entire ceremony was about 2 hours long with a lot of different rituals and prayers, which as very interesting to see.

The American wedding was at a farm house, which was very quaint and intimate. Taking us back and forth from the hotel to the weddings was a British double-decker! Most people brought drinks on the bus for the ride. After the American ceremony, cheering, singing and dancing filled the party bus!

Work and Pleasure in the Bay Area

After Banff, Jeff and I flew directly to San Francisco for a few days. I was there to attend our team conference for work, and Jeff was there for a few more days of vacation before he starts his new job.

During the short 3 day stay, we visited family and friends while making sure we tried a few local hot spots! Jeff stopped by his sister, Kien's acupuncture clinic that she recently took over in Mission area. While I was on a fishing trip with my co-workers, Jeff took the ferry across the bay and spent the afternoon in Salsalito. We also met up with my friend, Mimi and her boyfriend, Eric, in Chinatown for some yummy Sze-Chuan food. Jeff's good friend from junior high, Carm and his girlfriend, Andrea, now live in Russian Hill. We checked out their beautiful and spacious two-bedroom apartment before going to dinner at Farmer Brown, a characteristic restaurant that serves delicious southern cuisine. Kien also joined us for dinner that night!

To indulge Jeff and my love for fresh oysters, we went to the well-known Hog Island Oyster Co. by the bay for 3-dozen oysters and local beers and wine! It's always a treat to visit San Francisco. For some reason, it feels more like home to me than Chicago...

Oh Canada!

Baff might just have to be my new favorite place in Canada! Set in the heart of the Canadian Rockies in the province of Alberta, Banff is not only a perfect place for outdoor adventures, it also has an irresistible historic small town charm.

We were lucky to be able to spend a long weekend in Banff celebrating the wedding of our good friends, Andy and Jessica. We stayed at the famous Fairmont Banff Springs, and it was one of a kind experience. The majestic hotel was styled after a Scottish Baronial Castle and was first built in 1887. Actually, some of the interior actually reminds us of the hotel in the movie, "The Shinning"!

We arrived on Thursday with a group of friends. Thursday night was a fun get-together at the St. James Gate Irish Pub hosted by the bride and groom's families. Friday was the white water rafting trip! It was my first time white water rafting, and I was mortified at the beginning! I'm so glad that I did it though. We did a 2-hour upper canyon rafting through up to class 4+ rapids, finishing 20km downstream. Jeff was in heaven, as he really enjoyed rafting! He actually did class 5 in California several years ago.

The outdoor wedding ceremony on Saturday was beautiful. Andy got everyone teary-eyed when he choked up seeing his bride, Jessica, walking down the isle! It was an intimate wedding with about 60 family and close friends. The reception was at a smaller ball room in the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel. The dance floor got crowded from the very beginning till the very last song! We had an unbelievable time, and it was one of the best trips we've taken this year so far.