Wedding preparations

Now that my trips to the schools and orphanages is over, I can focus on the upcoming wedding of Sasitha to Udari which will be held on Thursday October 27th at the Ramada Hotel Colombo.
I've bought a new Sari and have arranged for a local dressmaker to sew the sari jacket and underskirt for me. 
There's been a lot of shopping for the last minute essentials that we women need like shoes, hair decorations and make up.  Shopping here is not a simple task like at home.  You have to be prepared to spend the whole day going from one shop to another and the crowds, they're like what we experience at Christmas time. It's crazy and exhausting.
I tried on at least 12 pairs of shoes and none would fit or they didn't have my size.   I seem to have a short fat foot and the shoes here just didn't want to fit my foot.  I was praying that I would be Cinderella and the shoe would just glide on, but no, that didn't happen.  Finally I found a pair that did fit and in desperation, I bought them.  They are gold with bling on the thin straps and should compliment my sari which is an apricot/gold colour.
In Sri Lanka, because families need to travel such long distances to arrive for the Wedding, some of the family members have arrived at the house already.  They will stay for the Wedding and the Home Coming celebrations as well.
The Home Coming is a second celebration where the newly married couple are welcomed home to both families as husband and wife.  This celebration is taking place at Raja's home and there is expected to be around 100 people at this function.
A lot of cooking will take place over the next week by the family members staying here and a lot of laughter will accompany the cooking.  I very happily join in with the family in the cooking and laughing.  I am considered her to be one of the sister's, I am touched by their genuine love for me.
The younger girls are excited about having me show them how to apply make up.  I've never considered myself a make up artist but will try to help them.  They don't generally wear make up so it's all experimentation.  These young girls are so sweet and innocent in the ways of young western women and how they prepare for a celebration or evening out.  They will look beautiful at the wedding draped in their sari's of both Indian and Kandyan style and with their beautiful features enhanced by a little make up.  I feel very honoured to think that I have the knowledge to be able to help them.
In the late afternoon on Wednesday, we're all going to paint our nails, have relaxing facials and do anything else that strikes us to ready ourselves for the wedding the following day.
The Wedding ceremony will take place at 10am so we need to be ready to leave the house at 9am.  It will take about an hour to make the drive, we as the family of the Groom, can't be late.  We'll all be up at about 5am, Milk rice is the traditional breakfast for special occasions and we will all eat this with Kata Sambol before getting ready and making the journey to the Ramada Hotel.
Milk rice is cooked rice with coconut milk, pressed into a dish and then cut into portions for eating.  Kata Sambol is dried fish, onion, chillies and chilli powder mixed together to form a very hot and delicious accompaniment for the milk rice.
Tomorrow I'm to go and collect the sari blouse and underskirt from the dressmaker and then spend the time just relaxing until the Wedding day arrives.