Everyone has an opinion.

We leave for India in 16 days! Our oldest daughter will be getting married there on February 10th, 2008. As excited and happy as we are, I must admit there is a certain amount of trepidation. We have never been to India. Even though we have read a great deal about the country we really don't know what to expect. As I prepare for this adventure, I am reminded of my first pregnancy. When I was pregnant, everyone had an opinion about the upcoming birth, specifically the labor, whether they had given birth themselves or not. Everyone had an opinion about what the sex of the baby would be by the shape of my belly. I heard stories of the 47 day labor and stories of the baby born while a lady was sitting on the toilet. I finally stopped listening because if I didn't I was going to just cross my legs and never let the child be born.

I have heard some interesting comments made to me about India. "Oooh, watch out for the plague." Last confirmed outbreak of the plague in India was in 1994. Did you know that there were 10-15 cases of the plague in the USA last year?
"Are you going to wear a burqa?" No, I am not since burqas are worn by women of Islamic faith. I might wear a bindi - the red dot which is placed between your eyes. Traditionally it is worn by married Hindi women. The bindi is believed to retain energy and strengthen concentration. I might be seen wearing a sari or a salwar kameez. A salwar kameez is an outfit consisting of loose trousers and a tunic type top. From what I have seen so far Indian clothing often is made of bright, beautiful fabric with colorful sequins.

Today I was asked to bring back a picture of me riding an elephant. Hmm... I already have one of those. It was taken a few years back at York Wild Kingdom in Maine. Guess it is time to stop listening and just start packing for the adventure of a lifetime!