Still not cleared to leave

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Although we are still not cleared to leave (check Bill's blog for those hassles), we are entering the "countdown" in anticipation.

Do you remember the music concert in memory of a man's father that I wrote about earlier? Well, Tuesday (tonight) was another concert, this time of popular film (mostly Bollywood). Interesting concept: really good singers signing popular music with the films from which the music is taken is shown behind the singers.

The concert is in honor of two boys entering Brahmin adulthood...well, they get a white string that they are to wear (although many do not) but it appears to be similar to a confirmation, bar mitzvah, etc. Two boys in the same family: three separate events. The concert was held in an 800-seat auditorium, nearly full, assigned seating! I wore my art silk (artificial silk) sari and I like it much better than the starched cotton sari that I wore the night before.

Unfortunately, the concert was LOUD, can I say it any LOUDER? The drums throbbed so LOUDLY that our whole beings vibrated...even plugging our ears.

AFter 45 minutes, we left Ilaben's son, his wife, and her mother there and took a rickshaw home. Ilaben had not gone due to the fact that she had a SKYPE conference call as a board member of the Women's International League of Peace and Freedom.

At any rate, isn't it interesting how individual families encourage music and the arts as part of family gatherings? We love the idea!

Wednesday night is the BIG AWAG farewell, and will include music, singing, dance performance and chicken biryani. Thursday night, a smaller farewell dinner without the women and including our hosts.

In the meantime, wish us well as we try to get permission to leave India in time to make our 4:30 a.m. flight Friday morning .... check-in time is 1:25 a.m.

We are so excited about meeting daughter Sarah and her family in Abu Dhabi.

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