Welcome back dear readers! Since our previous episode in Goa, we have been taking advantage of downtime back in Hyderabad. For me, that meant tuning up my LinkedIn profile and dropping the occasional job app🤷♂️. For Swathi, it was buckling down and studying doctor…things. Soren/Meera were partying non-stop with their ever expanding fan club. And of course drinking tea and napping. Lots of that. Swathi and I also played tennis regularly as the courts were conveniently located across the street from the house in India. We are terrible at tennis, and we can proudly say that after 1 month we have improved to…pretty bad.
The last two weeks haven’t all been business as usual however. Here are a few highlights:
5th Year Wedding Anniversary (Aug 15)
They say time flies when your having fun. We must be having fun, because I can’t believe I’ve been married to my wonderful and beautiful Swathi for five years! Here we are, just a couple of kids, getting married back in 2013:
We celebrated by going out for shopping and a nice lunch at Manjeera Mall. August 15 is also Independence Day in India, so it was exciting to be in a celebratory mood with the whole city! We were welcomed home with a nice cake from the family after we got back.
Riding the Hyderabad Metro (Aug 16)
While riding the metro might not initially seem like a highlight, this was definitely near the top of Soren’s India to-do list. Plus, the metro had been under construction since before our wedding (5 years ago – see above) and recently opened. It was about time we check it out. Soren was amused:
Chicken 65 😋 (as often as possible)
On the theme of anniversaries, this August was my 5 year mark for learning about Chicken 65. It is kind of like an Indian version of General Tso’s chicken and I LOVE it. Swathi’s uncle got me Chicken 65 as often as possible. Definitely a highlight.
The Trampoline Park (Sat Aug 18)
We decided to have an outing to a trampoline park for the day. Basically, this was a giant warehouse with different trampoline stations that you can bounce on. They have a free bounce area, a trick jump pit, a basketball hoop and dodgeball station. Although I was initially worried about popping my ACL, it was very fun:
Also, Swathi decided to hulk out on me in the foam gladiator pit.
It was fine though. I got my payback on the dodgeball court 🎯🎯😎
Steel Factory Shopping (Aug 21)
Went on another outing to the steel factory outlet where they manufacture steel dishes, cups and other housewares. Swathi’s aunt led the way and found us the best items. Steel is actually the perfect medium for little children. The items are lightweight, easy to clean and nearly indestructible. If anyone wants to start an stainless steel company selling these puppies to mama groups you know where to find me:
We also went Indian jewelry shopping and Swathi bought some clothes. We did not have to go clothes shopping for the little ones as various family members and friends kept getting them new clothes.
Marvel Movie Super Marathon!! (like every night)
What started out as a casual attempt to catch up on the first Ant Man movie spiraled out of control and turned into a nightly journey through the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Our final tally of superhero movies included: Ant Man, Ant Man and the Wasp, Black Panther, Thor: Ragnarok, Captain America: Winter Soldier, Captain America: Civil War, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Avengers, and Guardians of the Galaxy. Best (or worst) part? We didn’t even make it to Avengers: Infinity War yet.
Lakshmi!! (Aug 24)
Our last day in Hyderabad was momentous indeed. It was an auspicious day as everyone celebrated Lakshmi. To make it even more exciting, Meera received a gold necklace from her “Big Ammamma” Lakshmi (Swathi’s aunt) as featured below:
That’s all for this episode. We left for an over-night trip. Join us next time for our penultimate stop on our world tour: Hong Kong🇭🇰🇭🇰!! How will we cope with the children after having constant care-giving family members for 1 whole month!?!