Girls' Trip To Utah

One day, in early spring, I received a message from one of the young women (Rachel) that I used to teach at church when we lived in Japan. She was a very special young woman who was exactly Katya's age now at the time I knew her. Rachel's family is a wonderful family and have been our good friends ever since Misawa (Rachel's older sister was our kids' favorite babysitter). So back to the message...Rachel wrote to me she was getting married in April in Utah (I knew that) and she wanted me to be present at her temple sealing. I was delighted with her invitation! Part of the reason why it was so special is because of the wonderful note I had gotten from her right before she was leaving on her church mission a few years back. I had no idea but I had made a big difference in her teenage years while serving and teaching in my calling as a young women's advisor. I thought for a moment how I could possibly make this trip to Utah happen and decided that the timing was perfect (my mom was here to help with the kids) and that I would not ever have an opportunity like this again. So I decided to go....and then Katya begged me to please take her along to make it a girls' trip AND to see Rachel (whom she loves) AND to see Grandpa AND to take a college tour at BYU. I played with some ticket prices and our Delta miles and was able to get her ticket for free--and that's how she got to come with me!

We flew into SLC and rented a car. This is a very significant detail. VERY. Don't laugh but this was my first time ever to rent a car on my own! Through all these years somehow I had managed to always go on trips with Robert or someone else renting/driving a car. So this was a bit worrisome, but because I was given a sedan of the same make as Robert's car, I knew what to do right away and I was completely relaxed by the time we arrived to the Farnsworths, our military friends in SLC area, with whom we were staying.

The following morning (Friday), we drove down to Sandy to the Assisted Living Center where Grandpa Holtkamp and Marion are living. We had been trying to get a hold of him for a few days prior with no success, so we figured we would just drive down there and hopefully catch him there as they don't have many places to go. Well! This was an odd day as he had a dental emergency and had to go to the dentist in the morning! We somehow tracked him down through my contacts with Robert's uncle and aunt and drove to the dental office where he was being seen. I explained to the dental front desk that we were trying to see him for a few moments (and that my husband was a dentist...as if it made me more legit or something) and they let me through to the room where he was. It was so wonderful to see him as we took him by complete surprise!

We are worried as he is getting very frail so we take any opportunity we can get to see Grandpa H.

Our visit was short, but it was good. From Sandy we drove down to Orem/Provo area. 

Not knowing the exact address, but just driving from memory (and a lot has changed here!!!) I somehow found the four-plex apartment where Robert and I lived when Katya was born! That place on the right on the second floor was the apartment where we moved on July 2nd and she was born on July 6th. So many memories here...I couldn't help but tear up...it was very emotional for me to be back there after almost fifteen years. This is where we were figuring out how to teach Katya how to sleep and how to joggle school, work and having a baby. This is where I ordered our first music CD from Amazon (Josh Groban) and where loaded our ABF truck to go on a big grown up adventure to Minnesota in 2004...

I showed Katya the corner of the street where Robert held our tiny yard sale before we moved to dental school in MN and a hospital where she was born and a grocery store (Macy's) that we always used to go to. It was unbelievable to see so many familiar places all at once. 

We drove down to BYU campus and, of course, had to eat lunch at Scoreboard Grill--the first place I ever worked at. It was all revamped and made fancy but grilled onions and fry sauce are still as good as twenty years ago. Did I say TWENTY?? On my goodness...well...nineteen.

Walking around on campus was surreal for me. I tried not to squeal or share a memory at every corner we passed. The library was definitely one of the very special places for us. That is where Robert and I went on our first unofficial date as "we were trying to find some music to play together" (what in the world?). The truth was we just wanted to hang out together. That's where, walking down the stairs in the main area, Robert asked me "innocently" how to say "you are pretty" in Ukrainian.

Oh, and who could have missed the Tanner Building! This is where I got to hang out for my two years of college as a business major. Wonderful memories here as well! One of them is from the months that I was pregnant and eating so many Skittles right before one of my final exams as I was so nervous. And then...running down the stairs of a huge auditorium as I was feeling so sick and barely managed to find a waste basket before I lost the contents of my stomach;)

Katya and I took the BYU college tour as well. That is when they drive you around in a golf cart telling you about different majors and buildings and the dorms. It was actually very interesting to see how much had been renovated and demolished (like my Desert Towers where I lived my freshman year) and how much is still just the same. Katya loved the tour! She still feels quite intimidated by BYU but that's her #1 to apply to...if she had to do it this year.

After our BYU adventures we headed north back to where we were staying. On the way we met up with my wonderful friend, Zara. Zara and I go way-way back to my teaching at the Senior MTC days. I've known her longer than even Robert. She is Armenian but speaks Russian, so we can communicate easily. She was my good friend all through my courtship with Robert and first years of marriage. Now she is a Nurse Practitioner, married, and a busy working mom of two. It was wonderful to catch up with her and realize how easy it is to chat about everything even after not seeing each other for fourteen years.

On Saturday, our main focus was the wedding! 

We got to Brigham City Temple a bit early to walk around, take some pictures and get into the right spirit. Katya had to stay outside or in the visitors' room while I was inside for the sealing. 

It was a wonderful, absolutely wonderful, to see Rachel and watch her get married:) She almost couldn't believe that I actually came to her wedding!

After a bunch of pictures and more pictures we headed to Logan where their reception was being held. 

Here we are once again at the wedding reception:) I also got to see our good friend, Caitlin, who was Rachel's friend in Japan (and one of my young women as well). And I got to catch up with Rachel's parents which was wonderful! Robert and I have great respect for them and have many tender memories connected with them as we lived together through the earthquake of March 2011.

On Sunday we had a very packed and exciting day! I had been so looking forward to this day for a while actually! We were finally going down to Orem to see my (former) host my mom Lisa! That same Lisa that took me into her home twenty years ago and made me feel like one of the members of the family. I feel so grateful to her forever for choosing me as a foreign exchange student that school year as that one choice started a wonderful chain of events in my life. Lisa just doesn't change and still looks the same as she did twenty years ago!

Last time I saw her was in 2012 as we were passing by UT on the way to England. It was wonderful to see that after all these years it's still so easy for us to talk and have fun with the rest of her family. Katya loved Lisa too! These kids on the left were just 7, 5 and 2 when I was living with them:) 

Next stop (and another quick dinner) was at the Wests. The Wests are our friends back from teaching at the SMTC days as well. They were actually the mission presidents of our Kyiv Ukraine church mission back in 2002-2005. I taught them Ukrainian (and was nicknamed "the tyrant";)) for several months before they left and then we visited them in Ukraine and later on in Utah once when Katya was tiny. They are a wonderful family! 

Finally, we stopped by my host dad's family later in the evening. When I was a foreign exchange student, my "host grandparents" used to live next door so every Sunday we'd go over to their house, along with other members of the extended family in the area, for some chatting/visiting time. They still keep up the tradition and gather together when possible on Sunday evenings at Rubys' (grandma's) house. It was wonderful to see them all as all of them played a great part in my life, especially that first year I was in the states. 

And here is a special picture with Ralph (my host dad) and Clarice, Heather, Merick (Heather's son) and Merick. 

Sadly, it was a whirlwind of a trip and we just had to visit people quickly...there were a lot more people whom I wanted to see but I'll have to save it for next time when we have more days in Utah.

On Monday morning we flew out of Salt Lake City (returning the rental car in perfect condition, I have to add) to Denver. I purchased a ticket that had a long layover in Denver (12 hours) for the sole purposed of visiting with the Alleys who are stationed in Colorado right now. So Janeen picked us up around noon at the airport, took us to her house to hang out and eat. Another great friend that I was so excited to see! The last time I saw her was in Europe (either in England or in Germany, I can't remember) a few years back. 

Can you see the elevation sign of 5900ft? Yeah...I could feel that elevation difference with North Carolina just by walking up the stairs. 

And these two peas in a pod, Katya and Lucy, were delighted to see each other to goof around for a few hours. Beautiful friends! 

Poor Janeen, who goes to bed at 9 pm normally, had to drive us to the airport at 10:30 pm as we were leaving after midnight. Every time I visit friends I am amazed how easy it is to pick up where we left off with them. Some friendships just don't care about time or distance.

After a torturous uncomfortable (but inexpensive) overnight flight on Frontier we landed in rainy North Carolina. I was driving home at 6 am and I couldn't believe how GREEN everything was in our area, especially compared to UT and even CO! I was happy to be home! 

Lyana. 

A Glimpse From Our Bus-Indian Traffic

This video is a bit lengthy, but it gives you an idea what it was like to be riding a bus in India.

Good night,

Lyana.

The Wedding Day In Motion

I finally got to uploading a few of our videos from India. Although watching this footage sort of gives you an idea of what it was like, it still shows only fraction of what it was truly to be there.

February 14, 2014. The bride and groom are getting ready for their cleansing ceremony.

Dancing before the Cleansing ceremony.

 

February 14, 2014. Around 6 in the evening.

I love watching people’s faces in this one. This is a foreign experience to all of us!

Hope you enjoyed these.

India: Kolkata Reception OR How Many Orange Jalebis Can Lyana Eat?

On our first day in Kolkata, we woke up to pouring rain. It rained all day. And it was not even rainy season. Just like that unexpected hail storm and rain shower during the wedding ceremony, this very rainy day was a surprise.  This was the day that Saumya’s family organized another wedding reception for friends in Kolkata who could not come all the way to Agra (that’s about 18 hour drive) for the wedding. The reception was set up at their farmhouse location (it looked nothing like a farmhouse though, more like a villa) an hour drive from their main house. All the tables and food was supposed to be outside…but we had to move everything inside last minute.

So, before the reception, Pradnya took me, Katya, my sister and my mom to the hairdressers’ to get our hair and make up done…although I opted for my own make up, just to make sure I had it the way I wanted. We also had a lady come to help me, my sister and and my mom to get our saris on, so we’d look fabulously Indian.

When we arrived to the reception, everything was ready! As always—brightly colored decorations.

More flowery decorations inside. This is actually an open area in the middle of the house! It really does not get cold in Kolkata (although my sister now it’s freezing when it’s 60s outside).

By the time we got to the house, Mark and Alex had had probably at least five glasses of Coke. They were two little crazies!-hahaha. It didn’t take Katya very long to catch up to them. I think she had ten cups of some sort of fizzy drink…wait till I post a video of her recording herself being sugar high.

And it’s all because while Robert and I were busy playing hosts of the reception, meeting new people, making small talk and  taking pictures, kids were having their own little party.

Update (March 19, 2014): I have proof of that now—here are a few pictures from Ashok:

Oh, so let me show you what we looked like! Not our ordinary choice of dress, but I thought we looked pretty authentic-haha.

And this is my mom’s look “I am proud to be a Ukrainian wearing this Indian sari!”.

Robert was playing paparazzi, making new friends.

Half of the time, Alex was hanging out with Mokshada’s friend, mostly because there was food in that room.

Oh, but the main attraction were the newlyweds of course!! They got to sit on their fancy golden thrones and have everyone who came to visit them take a picture with them.

Saumya: “I know. I am so good looking, I even look good in pink and purple”.

Lyena: “Seriously, the best hairstyle I got all week! Who knew that “rollers” meant thingies you put in your hair to curl your hair and not something you roller skate in?”. 

Okay, okay, that’s much better. What a lovely couple!!!! You are both adorable!!!

We got a ton of pictures near these thrones, and I really hope to see them someday.

Mark was probably all smiles because Ashok told him, “Just wait. After the reception, I’ll take you to a candy shop!”.

So we also had a luncheon at the reception, unfortunately inside. The food was great again. BUT, my most favorite thing ever were Jalebis, remember those orange sweets that (Wikipedia tells me this) are made by deep-frying a wheat flour batter in pretzel or circular shapes, which are then soaked in sugar syrup. Yum! Seriously. I think I was the only one at that table eating them, silly people. You can see, I am offering them to others but no success. I had to eat them all. So to answer the question in the title of this post, I don’t remember how many of those sweets I had, but probably a dozen…

The whole reception was a great success, but we all took a breath of relief when it was over. Weddings are stressful, no matter how much you plan and organize beforehand. Finally, we were finished with all the celebrations!

I leave you with my new favorite picture!

Until next time.

Lyana.

P.S. I cannot believe I am done with my India blogging…phew…

India: Taj Mahal By Day (Our Last Day In Agra)

Where did I leave off? Oh right..we danced all night at the wedding! Except eventually kids did need to go to sleep and I had to stay up packing our suitcases till 2 am.

After our nice hotel breakfast the next morning, we were all dressed up and ready to go on our private bus back to Taj Mahal for more pictures. My sister and her new husband were swept away by paparazzi our photographers, so they could take a million of pictures on their own all around Taj Mahal. Meanwhile, our Ukrainian group got a super quick tour of Taj Mahal with a private guide who spoke Russian (I remember 3% of what he told us).

We took a lot of pictures as well. These are just pictures from our personal camera. Professional photographers took a bunch more.

Oh, it was so nice and sunny.

We allowed our kids to show their goofy side for a moment.

Sunny indeed. I love this picture-haha. Kids are having such a hard time looking at the camera.

We got to see this majestic building up close. It was so much bigger in real life than I ever imagined.

And it’s definitely a popular destination for Indian visitors and foreign tourists alike.

Although if you are a foreigner, you are given these special shoe covers (I didn’t notice it then, but apparently Indian people took their shoes off inside the building).

The building itself was amazing! Inside was a bit underwhelming as the tomb that was inside was merely a replica of the original anyway (that is stored in the basement). We were short on time, so our whole guided tour was very rushed.

Mark was antsy from lack of sleep and walking and walking and walking.

But since you don’t get to go to Taj Mahal every day, we had to persevere. Mark, you are tough! Common!

Oh good, we’ve got one good picture of Robert at Taj Mahal.

This is a building next to Taj.

At the end of our tour, we caught up with the newlyweds and were able to take a few more family pictures.

When we all gathered together, we headed to the place where we were going to eat lunch. This restaurant, a walking distance from Taj Mahal, was in a stunning location with a beautiful view.

This is its decorated entrance.

A stage and our tables were set up on a hill with Taj Mahal in the background.

Boys’ new friends.

This is Mokshada, Saumya’s sister, and her friend with all the children attending.

“Oh look, it’s Taj Mahal over there! Lets play TAG!”.

So this nice plan of a lunch with a beautiful view did not work out after all. While dancers were dancing, pictures of us were being printed (and taken right there and then), and food was being prepared, electricity went out.

Basically, with a few misunderstandings and unfortunate events, we left this location without our lunch served to us. Instead, we had it packed for us so we could eat it on our bus, since we had to hurry to drive back to Delhi to catch our evening flight. It was quite disappointing and frustrating for both—our hosts and us. I was stressed because I was afraid we’d miss our flight to Kolkata if we waited any longer in Agra. Although, our whole Indian family was flying with us on the same flight (and apparently they have extra powers to make the plane wait for them if they are late), I still couldn’t even imagine getting to the airport with less than an hour to spare-haha.

But it all worked out at the end and we got some yummy curry (although still too spicy for my European family) on the bus.

Our bus ride to the airport was quite uneventful. Traffic was heavy in Delhi again, but we still made it to the airport check-in desk on time (25 minutes before it closed). What happened next will have to wait till my next post. For now, good bye, Agra!