The Weekend

‘We’ won a chorus competition (it was tie between us and another group) at a much anticipated event (Assam convention) this past weekend in Atlanta. I was one of the members of this esteemed group representing the DC –MD –VA Tri-State team. We dedicated the past four weekends singing our guts out and needless to say, our hard work paid off. Given the fact that most of us do not sing, it was a daunting task for us and we were all relentlessly pursued to be a part of the team. The skeptic in me wasn’t too thrilled initially but in retrospect, I am glad I participated. The elaborate practice sessions accompanied by delicious food buffets and endless chatter are things I will surely miss now. I got to know some more people, some even better and I got to get up and perform to an audience, after a long, long time. It was fun all along the way.

The convention was well organized and attended. I got to meet my family including my brother and sister in law. Even got to do some celebrity sightings! Rihanna and Chris Brown (her supposed BF) were at the same hotel we were in and as I waited for Hubby dear and the rest of the family to join me at the bar, they came out of the elevator with their entourage exiting the hotel. I am not really into hip hop but like some of her songs and she indeed is quite striking.

The cultural program was entertaining with some solid performances. My brother played and performed on his guitar with one of the artists and they sounded very good. That was a proud moment for me. His performance brought back beautiful memories of the bygone- the three of us on our balcony of our Guwahati home-under clear night skies filled with glittering stars, fireflies dancing around us, singing our favorite songs well into the night, enjoying the moment, the music and each other. Moments that brought us closer as siblings, strengthened the bond we shared and still do. Moments I miss sometimes.

The kids enjoyed the trip thoroughly. D met up with his cousin and friends and was up till 1am almost every night. A just enjoyed circling and running around people but didn’t quite like her cheeks pulled by every third person! She had a blast in the hotel’s swimming pool and we actually have a snapshot of her posing on one of the lounge chairs! Sunbathing in her 2-piece ‘Winnie the Pooh’ swimwear???

It was a hectic weekend filled with good food and great company. And of course, no trip will be complete with me going overboard with liquor. On the first night itself, after two cosmos and two whiskeys on the rocks, I was tripping. But all in good spirit. So what if I ended up nursing a hangover pretty much the entire next day, the party rocked on and so did I!