EXTRA, EXTRA! Sagittarians and Saris!

December not only brought us a lot snow here in the North East Kingdom, but it also brought us two fabulous events that we were fortunate to attend. Our great new friend Chris (Yogi Mukti) invited us to his annual Sagittarius party in Montpelier, and we were happy to accept because “we like to party” and, hey, I (Jon) am part Sag myself! The email invite stated that it would be a tropical themed party and to dress for warm temps which sounded entertainingly ironic for this time of year in VT. So, after picking up Brooke from work, we ventured to the outskirts of Montpelier. When we arrived, as promised, there were subtropical temperatures in Mukti’s home along with people decked out in bathing suits and tropical wears. It turns out that being Sagittarius at this party came with some perks, I was able to have access to a “Sag only” massage lounge, not to bad huh? Luckily, all of us were able to enjoy many other great party perks such as yummy food, tropical drinks, Mula Bandha (infamous reggae band) providing an authentic soundtrack to the evening, and of course the “Rasta Lounge.” We cannot forget to mention an important highlight of the night… Appropriate for the theme and atmosphere, Amy participated in the party’s notorious limbo contest and took the title from the previous 2-year champ! Her trophy was a massage from all the Sagittarians and some Coconut Bliss! We left without redeeming the massage, but not without the Coconut Bliss… Yumm. Legendary party to say the least.

Amy has had many shining moments, but this week was her week. The following evening, the current limbo champ took some time to prepare for and appear in a Sari fashion show in Hardwick. The fashion show was part of a spectacular event being held in our nearby town of Hardwick, VT. Robin, who organizes and runs the weekly community supper in Hardwick, had put together a benefit dinner to support Child Haven International, an organization started by his father and mother that assists children and women in India and 3 other countries, who are in need of food, education, health care, shelter and clothing, emotional and moral support.

The dinner was Indian themed, which is a great deal for us being that we love to eat Indian food. I (Jon) was happy to volunteer to help out in the kitchen under former Hazen High School (event location) teacher, Sikander who prepared a delicious menu for the evening. There was Pea Piallo, Potato Raita, Curry Tofu, and other yummy Indian fare. Meanwhile, Amy assisted with draping tables and walls with beautiful saris and photos of children from Child Haven.

The evening went great. Along with the meal, there was a silent auction along with a speech from Fred Cappuccino (founder of Child Haven) and a presentation of two short films about the organization.

As for the Sari fashion show, it was a hit. The ladies walked the runway accompanied by live tabla, and they looked beautiful in the saris. A photo of Amy even made it into the Hardwick Gazette later that week!

And after everyone left and things were getting cleared up, we headed to the gym to play a couple games of cricket with Mr. Sikander himself and some of his old students. We had seen cricket played a lot when we were India, and we finally were able to learn and have fun playing the sport. Fun times!

For some more pics, look HERE ….. and our flickr page.

More Information about Child Haven can be found at: www.childhaven.ca