Birthday bliss.

This Saturday we we went shopping at a place called Big Bazaar. If Ikea and Kmart had a lovechild crack baby this would be it. 5 stories of mayhem and "interesting offers" filled with families pretty late. I bought more cotton for outfits and some stuff for the kitchen. A pot, some cute silver bowls that may or may not make it home with me. There were at least two guys on every floor with megaphones shouting: Buy One! Get One! Buy One! Get One! and holding something like a plastic bucket, or a pair of rubber sandals.

On my birthday, I was showered with loot. Pearls. YAY pearls. Hyderabad is known for its pearls. Lucky me.

We went out to the Sheraton, drank for many hours and feasted at Peshawari, a sort of psuedorustic fancy tandoor restaurant with copper chargers and cups, regional outfits on the waiters, and for no apparent reason statues of Athena in little alcoves along the walls. We ate and ate and ate delicious roasted yumminess: Tandoori Lobster (insanely delicious); A leg of lamb (the best I've ever ever had); a North Indian version of twice baked potatoes--roasted potato surrounding mashed potatoes with nuts and cheese; roasted paneer--it gets this insanely delicious crust, and of course yogurt and bread and rice. We have leftovers for days. We're eating them tonight.

I've been taking pictures of signage and everyday things. Here are some.

And I got my first two outfits back, finally. These are "plain" according to the salespeople. Plain. Check out the embroidery. And the mirrors on the brown pants.