Pruthvi Weds Rajshekhar

I have been dying to go to an Indian wedding ever since I arrived here five months ago. Marriage is HUGE here - everyone I know is either already married or undergoing the laborious task of finding a spouse. I love seeing the huge, colorful billboards on the side of the roads that announce a couple's marriage,hearing the awkward stories of arranged marriage meetings, and browsing matrimonial websites with my single coworkers. So I was super excited to receive my first official invite, to the wedding of my coworker Pruthvi. Pruthvi and Rajshekhar are a "love match," meaning that they fell in love and THEN decided to wed, unlike many people here who meet their potential spouse a handful of times (if that) before the wedding. That said, the wedding was traditional South Indian all the way! The food, served by half-naked men, was doled out of buckets onto huge banana leafs! I can't name all of the dishes they served, but it was really delicious. And our wedding favor, a coconut, is going to be turned into something pretty tasty this weekend when I get a chance to cook (business trip was canceled,sad). I want all of the single people at work to get married ASAP!!!