Celebrating 365 days of Marriage!

Well, we've just arrived back from a long weekend in Mumbai celebrating our first wedding anniversary. It was such a great weekend, filled with relaxation, swimming, sight-seeing, catching up with friends, eating some great food, and most importantly spending some quality time together. We both loved the city and were also glad to be out of Hyderabad during all the bomb commotion.

Andi flew to Bangkok the day after we got back and will be back Saturday, so I am on my lonesome having to cook for myself (or remember the Domino's number...not difficult as it is in my phone memory) and motivate myself to get back to the gym.

Here are a few pics of the anniversary weekend...

Andi and I with Arun and Reena at a Goan restaurant in Bombay

The Elephant Caves, a short boat trip from Bombay

























Andi at The Gateway Of India




















Our champagne breakfast celebrating 1 whole year of married bliss!

Latest news from Hyderabad..

As we were waiting for our flight to Bombay this was the news that hit the TV screens in Hyderabad airport...

We take for granted our safety and freedom in this lovely city and have visited the historical area of Charminar many times, which is mostly peaceful and so generous and friendly. We are very sad for the families who lost loved ones or those injured and caught up in this tragedy.

Taken from BBC Online South Asia news..


Bomb hits historic India mosque

At least 13 people have been killed in a bomb explosion at a historic mosque and subsequent rioting in the southern Indian city of Hyderabad, police said.

At least nine people were killed and dozens more hurt in the blast during Friday prayers at the Mecca Masjid, one of India's biggest mosques.

Several more people were killed when police opened fire on a crowd of protesters near the mosque.

Police said they also found and defused two homemade bombs near the mosque.

Interior Minister Shivraj Patil said the explosion at the entrance to the mosque was caused by a "crude bomb".

It is not clear who carried out the attack.

People started running helter-skelter, there was such confusion - people were bleeding, running around in a very bad condition Abdul Quader Injured man

The BBC's Omer Farooq, in Hyderabad, says police have sealed off the area around the mosque but there are reports of clashes between both rival groups and police and protesters elsewhere in the city.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh condemned the attack and urged citizens "to maintain peace and communal harmony".

YS Rajashekhar Reddy, chief minister of Andhra Pradesh state, of which Hyderabad is capital, said the bombing was an act of "sabotage on the peace and tranquillity in the country".

Injured

The blast took place as thousands of Muslims were ending Friday prayers at the Mecca Masjid.

Hyderabad is one of the biggest cities in southern India and has a large Muslim population, many of whom live in the congested old city where the mosque is located.

There was chaos and anger after the explosion. Many in the congregation ran for cover, some covered in blood. Ambulances ferried the injured to hospital.

"I was very close to the spot of the blast," one man, Abdul Quader, who escaped with minor leg injuries, told the Associated Press news agency.

The area near the mosque was left strewn with personal possessions

"As soon as prayers ended, we were about to get up, there was a huge deafening blast sending bodies into the air," he said.

"People started running helter-skelter, there was such confusion. People were bleeding, running around in a very bad condition."

Crowds angered by what they said was police failure to protect them gathered and began throwing stones at riot police, who responded with tear gas.

Some reports say police fired live ammunition at the protesters.

Several people were killed in the clashes, officials say.

There are fears that the number of dead from the bombing could rise further. Police say some of the injured are in a serious condition.

Last year more than 35 people were killed after bomb attacks near a mosque in the western state of Maharashtra. It is still not clear who carried out those attacks.

We're Back!

So we’re back home in India, after a whirlwind three weeks some of which saw us experience:

One dislocated knee, travel to four countries, seven cities, take around 10 flights (Scotland is of course included in these countries!) and sleep in 11 different beds (between us). Attend two weddings, be best man and sing at one of these weddings (Gareth and I respectively) and MC at the other.

Gavin & Natalie's wedding, near Edinburgh

Have an early celebration of our one-year wedding anniversary plus my brother and sister-in-laws pregnancy and nephew Noah’s first birthday. Organised by Andi’s parents, dinner was held in a candlelit private room in the hotel where we had our reception. A funny moment was our very cute nephew Noah, with fabulous pick pocketing skills quietly routing in my bag to be later found wandering around clutching a box full of tampons...

Noah...

I (Andi) did a school presentation about my job and World Vision to 50 11-year olds in Glasgow organised by my niece Erin it went well, but the highlight for me were some of the questions they asked after which include: “How is your self esteem working for such a large organisation?” What???

Another goodie... “Do you feel your salary matches your lifestyle?” Okey dokey then, 11-year-olds going on 50.

We ate more three course meals than you can shake a stick at, (put on weight), visited many friends, a couple of fantastic BNO’s (if you were there you’ll understand), attend three different church services one of which I, Andi bumped into an old University friend, renewed visas and passports. Had meetings and worked, Andi in the World Vision UK office for a week and Gareth in both the States and then a few UK meetings - met/cuddled the two babies of friends for the first time.

‘Planes, trains and automobiles’ movie has nothing on us!

It was a really special, slightly exhausting time, but overall we achieved everything we needed to do with an occasional hitch along the way!

We unpacked the night we got back and some of the interesting items we collected on our travels include... Silver polish, a hard drive, liquorices, cous cous, green tea with lemon, leftover wedding confetti (spilt in the bag) DVD of the movies 'The Queen', 'Little Miss Sunshine' and the series 'Extras', other DVD’s/CD's, books, a knee strap, and some packets of sausage casserole mix and cheese sauce.

Waking up this morning I (Andi) had to remind myself we’re back in India, however the heat clearly confirmed this, we are not exaggerating when we say it is very, very hot. We had dinner with friends Saturday night in their home. The coolest place was their bedroom so we sat on their bed eating pizza and catching up, slightly weird but very comfortable.

We officially celebrate our one-year wedding anniversary on the 20^th May, which also makes it almost five years overall together and have planed a weekend in Mumbai (Bombay) to do this. We’re staying in the Hilton, having lunch one day with some WV friends, Reena and her husband and going to completely relax taking advantage of the lovely hotel and pool and also explore the city, though right now floating in the pool is looking really good!