Family Ties

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce all the characters in the next few chapters of the subcontinental adventures.

The main reason I'm venturing back so soon is to celebrete my aunt and uncles 25th wedding anniversary. My aunt and uncle are like my second set of parents. I have always stayed with them in India. If my parent buy a house in India, I would still have to stay with my aunt and uncle ...

This is more or less turning into a family reunion. And, they throw the sickest paties. This celebration is going to be bigger, badder, and more extravagent than their wedding. Plus we wont have to sit through multiple days and hours upon hours of ceremony.

This will be the first time I'll be in India with my mom since 1992. I was 13 the last time we traveled to India together. For those of you who didnt knoow me back then, I was a pretty darn good kid. I was well behaved. Now that I'm 29, I probably act more like a 13 year old.

The last time I was in India with my brother was 2001/2002 when he was filming Personality. We took at 21 hour train ride from Delhi to Bombay to set up what has now become Dakoit Films...out of this one bedroom cockroach infested apartment.

Also joining us on this trip is my cousin Raj. Raj is very close to our immediate family. He lived with us in Jersey when he and my mom worked in the same hospital in Philly. I was suppose to be the ring bairer in Raj and Barb's wedding ... but I flaked out. It is one of my three regrets in life.

Their kids will be joining us too. Gabe (18), Isaiah(16), and Tori(13). Gabe's been to DC a bunch of times this past summer. We went site seeing, tubing, and to a few concerts. He just finished his first semester at the University of Delware. Isaiah is mini-me. Except he isnt so mini anymore. He came to India with me 4 years ago, and the customs offficials thought I was his dad. Scary. I dont know who thought it was good idea for me to take care of a 12 year old. Scary. And Tori...Tori is the youngest, and is daddy's little girl. Nuff said. And the only little girl that I know that likes to eat sushi.

My mom is already in Delhi enjoying retired life. My brother and the rest of the gang are in the air as we speak(as I type) They left out of NYC at 6PM on Friday. I'm suppose to leave at 10 out of DC, looks like the flight is about 50 minutes late. They have an 111 hour layover in Finland (Helenski?) So even though I leave later, I'll beat them there. I arrive at 1am on Sunday morning. They arrive at 6am. We have to be at my other uncles 78th birthday party at noon on Sunday. That is going to be rough...

Then on Monday niggt, we head SOUTH. We will be on the BEACH for Xmas. Spending a couple days at a nice little resort on the Indian Ocean/Arabian Sea, where they have yoga and meditation clases. Then a couple days on a house boat. And then a couple days in he back waters (I have no idea what that means, I guess we'll find out!) The regions we will be visitng are Karela. Key words: Trivandrum, Kerala, Cochin, Backwaters.