Another Anniversary

I can't believe we've been here 2 years. 

We're not quite sure what the future holds, or how much longer we'll be in Hong Kong, so for now, we're being appreciative of each day and trying to take full advantage of all that this country has to offer. 

What an amazing year we've had. 

Thank you for continuing to follow along with us. 

xx,

Lauren

Celebrating Part II

Maddy is getting married in just a few short weeks, so we couldn't let her fly back to the US without a shower and bachelorette party...Asia style :) 

We kicked off Saturday morning with a lingerie shower at the Clubhouse of our building. 

 We had some savory snacks...

mixed in with some sweets!

Natasha and I spent a few hours on Saturday baking up a storm. This cake was quite the labor of love, but we had fun trying to pull it off! Natasha was the chef, I was the sous-chef...and I picked up quite a few tips in her kitchen!

 We had fun looking through some old photos of the couple!

We made Maddy guess who gave each gift...she was a trooper!

We had a few hours "off" in the afternoon and met back at dinner to kick off our nightly festivities.

***

We went to dinner at Whisk and sat at the chef's table. 

 Of course, we had to have some fun "accessories"....it was a bachelorette after all. 

We stopped on the waterfront for a picture before the night got under-way. 

It was then back to Central for a little game of "Bachelorette Bingo". 

We ended the night with a sweaty dance party in Wan Chai. 

Lindsey was my partner-in-crime all night long :) 

xx,

Lauren

Celebrating Part I

There has been lots to celebrate lately in Hong Kong! I have been so fortunate to meet a great group of girls here, and the past two weekends we've spent celebrating two of them. 

 Mitra is due with a sweet baby boy, so a couple friends hosted a shower last weekend. It was adorable. 

 Everything was beautiful.

 Don't you love the flowers that were wrapped with pages of the Velveteen Rabbit?

 It was a book theme, so we all brought her children's books. A perfect idea for city living when spaces are tight!

 Natasha and Monique thought of every detail and orchestrated a lovely afternoon honoring Mitra. 

Mitra, we are so excited for you and can't wait to get on hands on that baby BOY!

xx,

Lauren

Recent Happenings

Our YWCA group is slowing moving out of Hong Kong...we'll be down to 5 by the end of next month. So sad. 

We've had a few celebrations recently though.

 Daria is getting married on Saturday in the UK!

 A few weeks back, we had her Hen, 

and last week we met for dinner to celebrate her last days as a single lady :)

Best Wishes to you and Simon!

xx,

Lauren

City Running

For the past almost 2 years, somehow, I've managed to run the same 1-2 trails in Hong Kong. The trails are perfect...somewhat quiet, shaded, and traffic-free. 

Insert Problem: These trails aren't long, so as my mileage starts to increase, so will my need for variety. Running back and forth on a slab of concrete just isn't gonna cut it.

Running Fail: This morning, I tried a new trail that goes out to Pokfulam. It was BUNK. Terrible. No longer than 1.5 miles (and ended at the Water Supply Department). Needless to say, I had to wind my way down to the road and dodged taxis, buses, and wandering pedestrians for the next 40 minutes. 

City runners, do you have any advice for me? How do you manage the traffic, pollution, and awful garbage smells in the morning? 

Hong Kong runners, what are your favorite running loops? (Other than the Peak, Bowen, and Happy Valley Racecourse, which I know about)... Any advice?

My new running buddy and I are having a good time though trying to figure it all out. 

He's a beast. 

xx,

Lauren

The End

Bethany and Sage were married on Friday, August 5 at the Chowmahala Palace. 

  It was spectacular. 

There was turban tying for the men.
Beautiful silks were flown into Hyderabad for them to wear. 

 Sage, the groom, front and center. 

 The baraat, or processional,  began about an hour or so after the guests arrived. 

 Sage got inside the horse drawn carriage and members of his "baraati" danced in front of the carriage as the band played.  The baraati consists of members of his family and good friends. 

 The baraat lasted about 35 minutes or so. I was with Bethany for most of this time, but MP danced alongside the carriage and captured these pictures.

Once the processional arrived to the front of the Palace, the ceremony began. 

 Both sets of parents sat on the stage with the couple. 

After some prayers, and a greeting, Bethany made her way there too.

We held a canopy above her head as she walked in. 

 Bethany looked stunning. She's wearing her mother-in-law's saree, which was passed down to her. 

 They exchanged garlands. 

Sage washed Bethany's feet. 

The ceremony was quite beautiful. 

Afterwards, they took loads of photos with their guests. 

We enjoyed beverages,

 and then went under a beautiful tent for dinner. 

 The evening was winding down. 

Turbans were beginning to be long-gone.

 ...and then they were off. 

The night was pretty perfect!

After a crazy couple of days, we spent our last day in India lounging pool-side, and trying to relax. 

 We had a quick tea on the terrace before catching our flight. 

The most perfect way to end our trip. 

***

This wedding was such a treat to attend. It was so different from our Western weddings, yet at the end of the day, it was about two people, two families, coming together, loving each other, and supporting a marriage. We all have our own beliefs, traditions, and cultures. Letting go of prejudices, and embracing our differences, can sometimes result in a beautiful union. 

I was so honored to be a guest of this wedding. 

xx,

Lauren