My New Friends

I'd been wanting to take an embroidery class here, but hadn't made much headway when Padmini came to our yoga therapy class as a case study. Guess what Padmini does. Teaches embroidery at a nearby fashion school! I asked her after class if she'd be willing to teach me privately; when I told her I thought it was fate that she'd come to our class, she said, "I believe in things like that too!"

So Sunday night I showed up Chez Padmini and had a ball. We didn't embroider, but discussed a variety of topics with her family: the differences between practicing medicine in the States and in India (her husband is a pediatrician and her son is too); American foreign policy (I had to persuade them that not all Americans support W); Indian weddings (she and Vijaya, her daughter-in-law, showed me wedding photos--1,000 people came to their wedding last year!) I was plied with Indian sweets and coffee, advised where to go in Kerala and before I left, Padmini showed me a sari she'd been working on that was simply stunning.

So I've been over there twice since to learn more stitches; Vijaya has joined us because she'd like a refresher course (embroidery is taught in the schools! how cool is that?) and I feel so incredibly lucky (oh jeez, I'm sounding like GWLE) to be in someone's home, learning a skill--and so much more about day-to-day life. Yesterday I learned how to eat thali (South Indian meal comprised of many little dishes) with my hands, something I've been too afraid to try in restaurants. I've told Padmini to start thinking of crafty goods she'd like from the States; it's the least I can do to repay their kindness.