They Do!!

My Pink Chili is A Bride To Be.

Chili and Einstein are getting hitched this week.

Hooked. Tying the knot. Saying 'I do'. Taking the plunge. Getting legal.

My girl's getting married!!

We just got done with her bachelorette party.

The naughty cupcakes. They were delicious. *grin*

The charades...who knew they were more fun when played on a girly high?

The tiki puka pukas. Wooooohooooo!!!

The clubbing. 7 girls. Yes, we were quite a sight.

The limo. We were transformed into a bunch of giggly 15 year olds in there!

Breakfast the next day. Yummm.

All her close friends, from different times in her life - we got along like a house on fire! Guess she was the 6 degrees that separated each of us.

Her special 'Pink Chili' magnet. Just from me.

Now we're practicing for a dance for her wedding.

I've met friends and family I'd only heard of before.

We had a blast yesterday - laughing, dancing, giggling, getting to know each other.

This coming week is going to be crazy.

It's going to be noisy, loud, colorful, festive, prayerful.

Her folks are going to get emotional at the least expected times.

Lummy and I are going to watching her like hawks - just to make sure she looks picture perfect all the time, just the way she should.

Einstein and her will have their moments...which will be just theirs, which they'll remember for a long, long, long time.

Yes, my girl's getting married.

She is :)

I think I may cry!

Leaving on a jet plane..

..but I know I'll be back in a week.

You'd think being an only child, I'd be used to being alone.

I'm going to be on a week long business trip. *sigh*

There is a bit of me that's looking forward to it though. The girly bit is looking forward to the hotel rooms and the prettiness and the hot chocolate by the bed. And oooh, not to mention the ginormous bathrooms with great prospects for soaking in hot, scented, blissful baths. (Pats, you've sold me on this idea!!) I shall enjoy the packing - choosing outfits, jewellery and matching shoes. Yes, girls are like that.

The adventurous bit of me is looking forward to meeting new people, seeing the new office set up, giving my first set of trainings. Catching a quick cuppa with friends at famed local coffee shops, walking the streets for the hidden cheap shoppers paradise, visiting the restaurants, well known for their curries, tikkas and samosas.

I'm waiting to get on the back of a bike, driven by a girl I've never met before, but have known for 2 years. Oddly enough, I trust her.

The silent bit of me is looking forward to some alone time. Reading, soaking in previously mentioned glorious tub- just chilling. Luckily, the silent bit of me is amongst the smallest.

The friend in me though, is waiting to get back and plan Chili's Hen Night. Hear about the outfits, see the invitations and calm the stray and frazzled 'bride to be'nerves.

I shall not see Pats before she leaves for her trip and I shall only meet her after 2 solid weeks. I shall miss her.

I shall miss morning coffee in the office with Zee.

I shall miss e-mails chats with Pooh girl and bursting into brief giggling fits.

But most of all, the Rose in me will miss dude. It's not going to be easy to fall asleep without that familiar shoulder under my head. I shall miss the morning coffee and drive, the peace I feel when I see him at the end of the day. I shall even miss playing Gears of War with him. (yes, this is recent. It is, but a bloody game.) I shall miss the dinners, the sofa, the hugs and the kisses.

Yes, I know it's only a week, but I'm thankful for all the things I'm going to miss.

I am blessed : )

Till later.

The Book Tag

I got tagged recently by pranksygang from www.pranksygang.blogspot.com. Thank you P!

It works like this. I name 15 books in 15 minutes and since I can name them in 15 minutes, they're clearly all books that I loved so much that I can remember them that clearly or hated so much that I wouldn't recommend them to a soul. If I'm being really honest, I don't have any 15 books in mind - I think I can safely manage 5 though. And I don't really remember the books I hated - so I guess I'm good :)

Here's my 5 - let me know if we share something in common!

1. The entire Harry Potter series. - J.K. Rowling

I simply don't care what anyone has to say, I loved them ALL.

I don't believe them to be childrens books at all. The world of magic, friendship, drama and mystery that Rowling weaves, spanning 7 years in the life of Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Her writing has had me hooked from my second year at college, when Chili gifted me the first book on my birthday. (Thank you Chili :) ) She's one awesome author and if you've got an active imagination, you'll see why I treasure the books so much more than the movie. Rowling rocks at the top of my list.

2. The Bible. - Good question.

As a kid, I grew up listening to Bible stories and I had my favorites. The birth of the Christ child, Joseph and his brothers, Moses floating in the wicker basket and being found by the queen, the miracle of the loaves and the fish, the baptism in the Jordan...there are tons. Mom used to read me some at bedtime, then I got older and read them on my own, my Childrens Bible was a prized possession. As I grew older, I graduated to the 'big people's' Bible, but truly, the childrens edition remained my favorite. It's simplicity got the message across and taught me more as a child than it did as an adult. I learnt that God was my friend. Enough said.

3. The Waitress - Melissa Nathan

Of course I have a girly book up there!! As girly as it gets, but a great read. The story of a girl who works as a waitress and then follows a dream to own her own restaurant. Peppered with her own issues with men, family and friends, a great bit of chicklit.

4. Burnt Toast - Teri Hatcher

I'm not sure what I can say about this book, except that I thoroughly enjoyed it. It takes you through the actress life just before Desperate Housewives - the ups and the downs. It's not full of trials and tribulations, but a lot of simple, real, easy to understand stuff. Little things that made me re-read paragraphs and want to jot lines down on post-it notes.

5. Five run away together - Enid Blyton

My favorite book of the series. It's the one where the Famous Five - Julian, George(ina), Dick, Anne and Tim run away to Kirrin Island and live in a cave. They pack supplies in the dead of night, from a stove, to tinned fruits, to sleeping bags. It appealed to the young adventurer in me and it's a book I very fondly, still have on my bookshelf.

Thanks Pranksy - I did enjoy that trip through the corridors of my mind!

Teekhi Mirchi or The Spicy Chili

I've been blessed with many good friends over the years.

One of the most recent is someone I knew in college - we were friends then. Not the 'let's dress like alike and giggle in a corner' type, we were your normal, everyday friends. Then college ended and we didn't really keep in touch.

About 3 years ago, we got to talking again. And this time, (thankfully) we didn't stop. We clicked somehow, more than we did in college and it was nice to be able to slip into that old 'comfort zone' again.

In these 3 years, she's become one of my closest friends. I'll call her Chili, shall I?

I could tell you volumes about Chili. Our lives connect on so many levels now or we choose and will them to connect. But I shall introduce you to her slowly. She's a gem.

Chili and I talk. We talk about everything. We talk like it's going out of fashion. We talk about clothes and films and life and people and photography and dreams and food and and and and. It's great to be able to have that with someone - the ability to talk about anything, anywhere and never get bored. We've sat through some seriously crappy movies, but we've had fun because we giggled through even the bad bits. Talking to Chili is one of my favorite things to do.

My Chili's getting married soon. She's super cute as the soon to be bride. Trying to keep it all together, but fretting so much at the same time. Dude and I recently attended a ceremony held by her family - one in which the community welcomes the soon to be married couple, with much joy, dancing and lots of flashy jewellery. It was nice to see her and her soon to be habibi (beloved in arabic). I watched her smile and hug and pose for pictures. And my heart smiled. Dude knew what I was thinking and he squeezed me hand saying, 'They look good, don't they?'

They did. They do. They will.

Congratulations Chili. Love you.