Durga Puja 2006

This year the annual Kallol experience was a little different from the usual - for one, our group was 8-people-strong (Jethun, Mamoni, Chhordibhai, Yash, Dilip, Smita, and the two of us), the largest yet. Plus, this was the first time we were there on a Sunday (instead of a Saturday) - which meant we were attending a slightly different part of the festivities. Saturday marks the celebration of "Saptami" and "Ashtami", while Sunday is "Nobomi" and "Doshomi". Saturday is for goat meat curry and skits, while Sunday is for "Dhunichi Naach"- dancing with the smouldering fire, bhog and simpler children's plays.

Visiting the Hoskins's

This was a weekend of great socializing - a welcome change from our usual romantic strolls in the local Walmart, Costco, or Shoprite. We started off with a trip to David and Ann (and little Chloe)'s - Westchester is closer than we thought, and David is quite a barbecue pro. Ann took us around their house - a really nice, warm, multi-level structure - while David cooked up delicious steak and grilled veggies! After lunch, we set off to West Point for a game of American Football - Army vs Rice - my second, and Soma's first, stadium game experience. David and John patiently explained the game to us, and it was funny watching the Army do pushups at their touchdowns!