1/31/06 Evening: Saree Soiree

Vivian Peres, the director of Ventour, our first-class travel agency, and his wife Karen, a first-class family friend of the Kikiris, hosted a dinner in our honor at their home. We were joined by the wife of a Maharajah-to-be, a retired Delhi chief of police, a banker and a BPO consultant. Our Indian immersion was at least 5 fathoms deep by evenings’s end. The food and the conversation were excellent, but the highlight of the evening took place in the master bedroom, where the emanating giggles remained a mystery until Anne, Laura, Ronna, and Susie emerged in sarees and bindis, courtesy of their new Indian friends—Karen, Kalpana, and Krati. The next hour was devoted to Q&A on saree quality, variety, technique, and laundry—and quite likely will add to the growing list of items to be purchased in Jaipur. Once again, Anita’s and Prabha’s virtual presence filled the room, and their best laid plans delivered both fun and enlightenment for the Sinha Six.