As we near ever closer to going back to India, it's hard for me to contain my excitement. Some people might consider me crazy. Maybe they are right? Maybe they just don't appreciate the beauty of India? Of course, beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. Some people look exclusively for luxury, and to be pampered, but that's just not my style. Being from Brooklyn, I always appreciated people and places that were real and unsanitized for mass consumption (India certainly qualifies under that requirement!). India is a truly a land of extremes. It's like you took everyone and everything and threw it into a blender, and out came India!
People have a perception of India that is not entirely accurate. When people think of India, the first things that generally come to mind are Mother Theresa, cows, poverty, snake charmers and the like. That's not to say that these assumptions are totally inaccurate, but they are from the entire picture. For starters, the Indian economy is growing by nearly 10% a year. There are approximately 300 million middle class in India (not all are middle class by western standards, of course). A whole new generation of Indians have money and are not shy about spending it. No place is that more apparent than at Indian Weddings.
One must understand that the wedding is not simply for the bride and groom. Nor is it simply for the enjoyment of the family. It is a statement about social class, and where you stand in Indian society. No event in a person's lifetime is more important and no expense is spared. Had you told me several years ago that I would be working preparing displays for Indian weddings, I would have thought you were absolutely crazy!
As it happens, India has one of the lowest per capita rates of fruit and vegetable consumption in the world. This is primarily because the infrastrucutre is very poor, and approximately 40% of all produce goes bad before it reaches the marketplace. However, with India's economic boom, that is rapidly changing. I am so excited to be able to partake in something so grand. The reception we received at the two weddings we did last December was very positive. Indians want the best for their weddings, and often time no expense is spared! Given that there are over a billion people, there will never be a shortage of people getting married, and given the economic growth, there will be no shortage of people demanding nothing less than the best for their children's weddings. And for all those who demand creativity and beauty, the Carving Institute will provide nothing less than the best for our customers! www.carvinginstitute.com
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