ANDY WEDS VIKKI!

As I come to terms with the returning home from another terrific family wedding, the renewed gush of sentimentality and attachment that I’m feeling towards my family has spurred me to contribute to our family website for the first time in over a year.

Readers will no doubt note the irony that the recent nuptials were of two family members featured in the article below. Well, luck would have it that Aerial Andy’s height didn’t prove a barrier to Lost Cause in London’s heart; she was able to overlook the increased risk of chronic neck arthritis that she is undoubtedly now in danger of. And he was able to keep her in one place long enough to court her, propose to her, and plan a wedding...which, if you know Vikki like I do, takes some doing. That Wadh has done more air time than a terrorist in flight school.

The wedding itself was a simply sumptuous affair. First things first, the venue was unbelievably grand – a gargantuan five-star resort on the Las Vegas strip with all the trimmings you would expect from the masterpiece of a bravura hotelier like Steve Wynn. Soon after entering the Wynn, you realise here that nothing is done in half measures and no expenses have been spared in its development; testament to this is an extravagantly beautiful golf course that no-one ever uses (it sure does look pretty from the Panoramic View rooms though!). With this kind of expense behind it, you almost forgive the Wynn for charging $750 for a round of golf, $25 dollars a day to use the gym, and the $15 we paid to get 3 empty plates + cutlery in our room.

Regardless, the importance of the hotel and other incidentals pales in comparison to the event we’d all come for and the people we'd come to meet. The turnout was fantastic. Various family members told me that although around 150 people were expected to attend, ultimately it was closer to 250. Impressively, 53 of 82 Wadh family members turned out (survey conducted by Hiru chacha, August 2007). We haven’t been tracking statistics for turnouts at family weddings (somebody get on that), but this has surely got to be close to a record. Beyond family, many of our old friends from New York – some of whom have been in hiding since Nitin’s wedding, apparently convinced they’d never experience a wedding as good as a Wadhwani one – graced us with their presence, to add yet further spice to the potent broth that is any Wadhwani gathering. Aarty, Shalina, Aneela, Shobna, Serena, Sara, Priya, the fun, the dancefloor and the flirtation at the bar wouldn’t have been the same without you! Assorted other new faces joined the fray to really get things going. Pirate-haircutted Mohit Tolani mixed seamlessly with the Wadh lads and played his part in making the event memorable; and Anup soon learned that “mo’ Mani, mo’ problems”.

The arrival of Shaan, Neil and Jay on any scene never fails to make an impact, and Vegas was no exception. The Georgia boys have a knack for livening things up with their energy and humour, which pleasingly can also be self-deprecating (Shaan: “I’m about due for one of my ‘walks’ anytime now”). Guna and Raina bring charm, elegance and fun to any occasion – they also bring out the protective streak in Wadh boys who have to fend off the advances of numerous foreign parties who get a little too interested.

For many, the wedding festivities really kicked off at the Sangeet (although for most family members, it kicked off at welcoming dinner & Pure the night before). Ravina’s incredible choreography skills meant that she was able to turn a group of 5 no-hopers – Gaurav, Dino, Lavish, Mohnish and Karan – into a competent outfit with the confidence to take on anyone. There was no “Take the Lead” or “Honey”-style ending with the 5 of us winning some national dance contest, but we were able to take the stage at the Sangeet with verve and enthusiasm. As late as 3pm that day, the 5 of us were looking dejectedly at the floor in Sanjana’s room, all certain we had no hope of combining in any coherent way.

Of course, no Wadhwani wedding is complete without a performance by the maestro herself, Ravina, and her gifted sisters Sanjana and Karina. Although they didn’t get centre stage this time because their dance was shared with many others, they duly performed superbly, as is their trademark.

Vikki’s effort was fantastic. She certainly keeps this talent quiet, and she is not the first to volunteer for desi-style dances; indeed, my last memory of her doing anything like this was Ravina’s wedding in 1989 when she pulled out a snake-dance number that routinely prompts me into fits of laughter. But things have clearly developed in the intervening 18 years, and her talent for dance has burgeoned into stratospheric levels. Well done Vik – everyone agreed you were mesmerizing.

The joy that the young ones bring to these weddings – Hamit, Yezi, Miheer, Kabir, Pravir, Henna, Rohan, Shaan, Sameera, Rianna, Rahul, Brittany, Alec – is priceless. Alec’s karate-inspired dance was highly original and showed precocious talent; Brittany’s excellent performance shows she’s following in Vikki’s footsteps; and Shaan’s vast charisma is evident both on stage and off… plus I just can’t help but think he looks more like Joey from Friends every time I see him. Kabir and Pravir just needed a little prompting to go wild on the dancefloor, and when they did they both proved they have what it takes – and more – to succeed at the highest level (i.e. a Wadhwani wedding). Youngster's party at Ghostbar? Forget it, these guys were happy to have their own youngster's party at Wynn well into the wee hours of the night.

The wedding night itself was at once emotional and energetic. We all laughed during Girish’s witty intro, started welling up when Anil and Bubble took the stage, and then finally let the tears fall during Lavish’s excellent speech when he spoke heart-warmingly of his love for his sister and his respect for Andy. Kleenex would have done well to sponsor this event, such were the number of tissues being passed around. Before the ballroom could be overrun with flooding, however, Andy’s best friend’s inspired speech soon had us laughing again. As the speeches made way for the music, Wadhwani’s again showed why they are unmatched when it comes to taking a dancefloor by storm and sustaining a party for hours on end. Andy was lifted up (God knows how), Vikki was lifted up, Milu was lifted up, Vikki was danced around, Andy was danced around, the pair of them were danced around, and more dance jig circles were formed than at an Irish wedding. Lavish, Mohnish and Gaurav even reprised their Shakkalakka boom-boom dance from the night before. All the while, the Wadh’s off the dancefloor were taking the opportunity to chat up the talent at the bar. Things were still pumping at 2am, and it needed the DJ to lower the volume for people to get the hint that the sun was setting on this particular wedding, as much as we didn’t want it to…

To see our beloved Vikki on her last day as a Wadhwani was indeed poignant; but uplifting at the same time, because we all know, love and respect Andy so much. Their wedding was as good as we could have hoped; the perfect first step of what will hopefully be a wonderfully happy journey together.

-- Gaurav


As you are no doubt aware, my take on the wedding is very much one angle only. My memories are also hazy thanks to the bountiful supply of alcohol on offer. We would all love to hear your thoughts on the wedding and how it was for you. Pls email any thoughts to gghw@aol.com and I’ll publish them. Also feel free to leave comments!

AGONY AUNT

1.
Dear Auntie,
My problem is that I am too tall. At 6 foot 5, I can’t make friends with guys because when they talk to me, they can only see my chest. Now, while my pecs are pretty impressive, having guys stare at them the whole time makes engaging in conversation a real challenge. At school, the guys used to call me “Aerial Andy”, because talking to me would invariably involve staring into the clouds. Even more of a problem is women. All the girls I go for have only my groin at eye-level. This can have its advantages, but most of the time its frustrating because they have to stoop their heads at unforgiving angles just to see my handsome face. Most of my girlfriends have developed chronic arthritis as a result, and have had to move to care homes. All this is immensely bothersome – help!
- Aerial Andy

Dear Aerial, many of us are born with abnormalities that preclude the living of a normal life. Sometimes these abnormalities plague our social lives to the extent that we wonder whether we are fit for normal society. In your case, I suggest joining a travelling circus, where I have no doubt your impressive stature will be given the recognition it rightly deserves.

2.
Dear Auntie,
I recently got proposed to by this really handsome, well-to-do guy. I like him a lot but if I marry him, it will mean having to move abroad and give up my dream job. What do I do?
- Hesitant in Haverford

Dear Hesitant, I can see the pickle you’re in. My suggestion is go for it – get married to the dude. Have your wedding at a fabulously exotic location where only the family will come and the assorted hangers-on and wedding crashers who usually frequent these occasions will be priced out of the market.

3.
Dear Auntie,
What am I to do? I just don’t feel at home anywhere in the world. I went to school in Switzerland, then London, then college in LA and then I went to live in New York. Now Ive supposedly moved back to London and before I know it Ive been shipped off to India for a month on work. Talk about unsettled… I just feel that I haven’t had a chance to lay down my roots anywhere. Am I a lost cause?
- Lost Cause in London

Dear Lost, there are many positives to a footloose and fancy-free lifestyle. Not only have you seen the world and experienced living in many different cultures, but you have also become adaptable – like a good amphibian. However, I take your point about feeling unsettled. My advice is to now stick in London and refuse to travel elsewhere for the next ten years, so that you feel truly settled. Also, perhaps the most important element of getting settled is to endear yourself to the family around you, so that they do their utmost to make you feel at home. The best way of doing this is to suck upto your cousins by buying them extravagant gifts on a regular basis.

4.
Dear Auntie,
I recently had to move to China because of my husband’s work. I gave up all my worldly possessions and began a new life as a monk in the Tibetan plains, while my husband sought self-actualisation in an import/export business. We had a little boy not so long ago and this seemed like the cherry on the cake of our happiness. However, I have begun to encounter problems recently. The little tyke has begun to develop a yellow-ish complexion and, more recently, very narrow eyes. He is at the age where he should be conversing freely with his parents, but he doesn’t seem to have grasped the basics of English. Instead, when I call his name in despair, he merely replies “Sum Ting Wong?”. When I started to put on weight recently, instead of hugging me he reclined, saying “Chin Too Fat”. I had big plans for my boy to become an All-American football player when we return to New York, but things are going horribly awry at this stage. Help!
- Quandary in Qingzhao

Dear Quandary, you have no need to worry. Your boy is merely subject to Darwinian evolution, as we all are. He is developing physical characteristics that are best suited to the environment in which he lives and breathes. You may have to revise your life ambitions for him though – I suggest that you supplant dreams of American football with Table Tennis. Theres an upside to all this - get him acclimatised to the kitchen early, and you will be the recipient of many a sumptuous banquet in the future.

---
Like our Agony Aunt’s advice? Got problems of your own? Feel free to leave comments/problems by clicking on the “comments” link below, or, to retain anonymity, e-mail gghw@aol.com.

- GW

Seh-le-BRATE Good Times C'Mon!

Friends, Well-wishers, and "Phamily" gathered at a secret location in the exclusive London suburb of Hampstead over the weekend to celebrate Wadhwaniworld founder Gaurav's foray towards his mid-twenties. In attendance were London party-circuit regulars Dino and Lavish, with international Jetsetters Kajal and Andy G, respectively, flying in for the occasion. Making an appearance also were members of Gaurav's online Friendster Fraternity - 'The G-Men' and former New York editor Vikki made it back in time, fresh from covering the various happenings in India over the past month...(reports of which are yet to come)! "The 'Rents" as they are affectionately known by D&G, made a fleeting visit bearing birthday cake and of course, embarrassing stories about baby G when he was "cho chmall."

The party soon dissolved after it was discovered that indeed Gaurav was still not yet quite grown up enough to know that birthday cake is best eaten, not thrown, and the ensuing (yet inevitable) food-fight left guests scurrying away, Caiparinhas in hand, to the safety of their Benzes.

Happy Birthday Gaurav!

Where's Mommy?

In Paris of course, ma cherie!

Bubble and Anil, tiring of parenthood, decided to throw in the towel for a few days in favour of a jaunt in the City of Lights this past weekend! Instead of the Mickey Mouse Cafe at EuroDisney, they lunched at the roadside cafes on the Champs Elysees, dined at the Lido, and of course, visited the most famous of landmarks, La Tour Eiffel!

Little Brittany and Alec, meanwhile, eagerly awaited their parents return from their second honeymoon as they anticipated gifts of minituare Eiffel Towers, Snoglobes, and the French Chocolates that were promised to them in exchange for this mini-getaway. True to their word, our international Papparazzo spotted Bubble and Anil hurriedly purchasing said items from Charles DeGaulle International Airport Terminal 3 Duty Free. How thoughtful.
















Ahhh...young lurve!


VW

PEOPLE WATCHER

Every week WadhwaniWorld gets its team out and about to find out what Wadhwanis around the world are doing:

25/05/06 – London…Dino celebrating the end of exams. He indulges himself by heading to Oxford Street to engage in some serious retail therapy, leaving no stone unturned in his visits to Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Evisu, etc.

01/06/06 – Heathrow Airport, London…. Harish Wadhwani spotted in “Arrivals” looking decidedly shifty. After pausing for 15 minutes, apparently contemplating whether or not to pass through the “Something To Declare” area, Harish opts to enter the “Nothing to Declare” zone, although looking clearly unnerved and on edge. When he sees two sniffer dogs lurking nearby, Harish makes a run for it and heads straight outside the airport, where an unidentified accomplice is on hand to pick him up in a black Mercedes limousine.

01/06/06 – Mumbai, India… Vikki and Karina Wadhwani, two truly Americanised Wadhwanis, spotted in the old country catching up over a Barista in Linking Rd. “Ohh Karina, I simply adore your 18-carat engagement ring!” gushes Vikki. “No” says Karina, “Actually this was just something that came out of an Amarnani Christmas cracker. The real thing is 50-carats and is in a vault in Switzerland”. “I see” replies a dumbstruck Vikki.

02/06/06 - London…Andy Gandhi spotted in Central London with unidentified bald American colleague, drinking and dancing merrily at a London School of Economics (LSE) College night, and one week later, spotted at a School Disco…Andy get a life, you graduated 10 years ago!!!

06/06/06 – Warwick…Lavish Wadhwani sighted in his room with the doors locked, cramming for exams. But is he really cramming, or could he be merely hiding out from a crazed ex-girlfriend, whose stalking has shows no signs of abating. “Take me back – I still love you!” she cries, banging on the windows. Lavish doesn’t raise an eyebrow, his eyes focused intently on “International Business Management – 3rd Edition” by Sumantra Ghoshal.

07/06/06 – Joggers Park, Mumbai… Karina spotted clutching a bunch of flowers, from which she is picking off petals one by one. Instead of “he loves me / he loves me not”, Karina is heard saying “Goldman Sachs” … “or Umesh Amarnani”. “Goldman Sachs” picking off another, “or Umesh Amarnani”.

09/06/06 – Zuma, London… Kajal, Andy and Akshay spotted loitering outside Zuma restaurant in Central London. “For the tenth time” the doorman is heard to say, “no you’re not allowed in here. Theres a Nandos down the road, that might suit your type better”.

- GW.

National Geographic Special - Drunken Debauchery in the Wild - Part I

As we meander through the darkness of a pheromone-infested forest known to the Wadhwani species as a "club," we come face to face with...the birthday boys. Young cubs Lavish and Dino turn 20 and 21, respectively. Master of ceremonies it seems, is the wise Gaurav - the older male of the pack. Their furless faces defy their age, even the Gaurav seems to shine with the young glow known to attract females of other clans. We are lucky to catch a glimpse of the three together, demonstrating this shining quality. The Dino hangs back, mistrusting, he looks slightly apprehensive, but he will no doubt learn in time. The Lavish leans on the wise Gaurav for support, as they both topple dangerously forward in front of the camera. We leave them gazing lecherously around for prey, and continue our journey, encountering them again later in the evening for the Ceremony of Alcoholic Communion.

- Rajan Attenburoughani

National Geographic Special - Drunken Debauchary in the Wild - Part II

Here we see the Dino, waiting in anticipation as the Big Brother Gaurav, his pride evident, grips hold of the Champagne, getting ready to indoctrinate the little one into the adult world of alcohol. Although from a closer vantage point, it seems that the Dino did not wait for his alcoholic baptism, as he already seems unsteady on his feet...like a newborn calf. The Gaurav grasps firm hold of him, obviously pleased at the little one's progress...his job done, He lets go as the Dino stumbles off, suitably-doused, into a group of like-minded friends and continues his starry-eyed adventure...youngest cub the Lavish is nowhere to be seen, it seems he has taken refuge with a young blonde-streaked brunette in a corner of the jungle. The game will likely continue into the early hours of the morning, where they will all surely group together in a part of the concrete jungle known as Edgware Road, for a feast of Kebabs and Falafels...a happy birthday to you, little cubs.

- Rajan Attenburoughani

"The Wadhwani Je Ne Sais Quoi"

Why is it that Wadhwanis always manage to have a good time with each other, even though they may only meet once a year, sometimes less? What is it that keeps our family close-knit, even though physically we are often separated by many thousands of miles?

Although our clan spans many generations and nearly all corners of the earth, Wadhwanis the world over possess a set of shared personality traits that form important parts of our identities. These common characteristics mean that the world often perceives us in similar ways. To an onlooker, it would appear that any random Wadhwani is: fashion-conscious; well-groomed; gregarious; good-humoured; likes a drink; cosmopolitan; tolerant; worldly and well-travelled. This description probably fits any one of you guys.

The fact that we share these characteristics is important for two reasons: firstly, it gives us a sense of belonging. We can identify with a community beyond our individual selves. This is important because, for many, identifying yourself with the wider Sindhi community is not always desirable (particularly if you live in London!). Thinking of yourself firstly as a person and secondly as a Wadhwani gives you an element of pride; you are secure in the knowledge that you belong to a successful, well-liked and good-natured group of people beyond your immediate family.

The second benefit of sharing a set of common characteristics is that family reunions are always joyous affairs, positively charged with good energy. The fact that we have so much in common means that, even when we meet after long gaps without seeing one another, we have the ability to overcome the awkward formalities and pleasantries that are usually synonymous with reunions. Instead, we very quickly get friendly again and then get down to serious partying.

Now, the fact that we have similar traits is not to say that we are all clones - far from it. We combine a diverse array of talents: on the musical front we are well represented by Sanjeev, Kishore, Girish, Harish and latterly yours truely; art/fashion with Rekha chachi, Vikki, Vijay bhai and Ravina; investment matters with Karina, Girish, Loveen; linguistic talents with Lavish; interior design with Nitin; partying with Akshay. Our family has spawned musical albums (Sanjeev/Girish/Harish), novels (Kajal), newspaper articles (Lavish & Gaurav in The Independent Newspaper, UK).

Nay, we are not short of diversity. In fact, it is the culmination of individuality within the framework a shared set of values that makes reunions such thoroughly enjoyable affairs. We are all different and have grown up in different countries, but remain united; not by surname, but by the knowledge that we are Wadhwanis, if not always in name then definitely in personality. This knowledge means we can quickly break down artifical barriers that have grown between us due to long periods of non-communication. I might tell you something on my random visit to New York or Mumbai that I would not even tell close friends back in the UK, because I know that, as a Wadhwani, (1) I can trust you not to misappropriate the information I have just shared with you and (2) I can rely on you to give me sound advice . Perhaps it comes down to an understanding that we are all from the same stock, and we will all be there for each other at the end of the day. With this in mind, we often feel freer to act ourselves when in the presence of our family than we do when in the presence of others.

Will the next generation of Wadhwanis, i.e. Kabir, Pravir, Hamit, Samira, Rianna, Alec, etc, inherit/acquire these characteristics? I would argue that they would, because when they grow up, the "Wadhwani je ne sais quoi" will be imbibed in them when they go through the following things that we all went through:

1. Family weddings. Thailand August 2006 baby.
2. Bombay for New Years. No year is complete without a December visit to Bombay. Long live communions featuring all generations at Crescent.
3. Worlwide travel. No visit to one of the major cities in the world - Mumbai, London or New York - is complete without stopping by and seeing family. I did so recently in New York, where even though I was only around for 2 nights, I was welcomed by Sanjana, Karina, Monish, Andy and Guna.
4. Drinking.
5. Support. One of the most wonderful things about the family is the support network - we always have time to help each other, be it in our business or personal lives. This hopefully will always exist.

It is only by keeping these traditions alive that we can be sure of indoctrinating our new brood of youngsters with the "Wadhwani je ne sais quoi". Bring on Thailand! Phuket can be to us what the Galapagos Islands were to Darwin - the scene of an experiment to solve the nature/nurture debate, this time Wadhwani-style.