Late January Update

December and January felt like a whirlwind - India, Taiwan, Japan and now back to the US. We got married and one looming worry about wedding details - the decor, the music, the food, the drinks, the order, the people finally comes to an end. I believe we’re quite fortunate that we were mostly aligned on what we valued in the wedding, making decisions relatively fast and painless. We wanted to make sure that it was a good experience for everyone involved. It didn’t need to be grandiose, but it was crucial to have the awww moment. Now all I can think about is attending an Indian wedding as a participant, it must be so much fun.

We started with Haldi which is the ceremony where guests apply tumeric on us as a way of blessing and preparing us for the wedding ceremony. Little did we know our guests would be so exuberant and diligent in ensuring that every inch of our exposed (and unexposed) skin was covered in tumeric cream/yogurt. One of my non-negotiables throughout this entire wedding was to not starve of course. First meal was a banana leaf lunch, followed with a buffet dinner and another buffet lunch on the next day.

Sangeet was the second official event of the day where family members had prepared dances and performances in an order that was meant to tell a story. We had speeches after delivered by my best friend Vivian and Pratik’s, Nikhil. I don’t remember exactly what Vivian said but I still remember feeling so touched and grateful that I have had her by my side for more than two-thirds of my life now (and that she still came to my wedding even though it coincided with her 30th birthday). Throughout the evening, we also asked the videographers to interview our friends, and we’re excited to see/hear what they say and keep that as a memento for many years to come.

Wedding ceremony was an interesting experience. I didn’t know what to expect, and one of the things I made sure early on is a clear understanding of tasks/rituals that my family members are required to perform. As much as I value my current relationship with my stepmom, it still feels a little different. Fortunately after a series of directions from the pundit, most of the actions were required of my dad, and then of Pratik to make 7 public commitments to me. One of the vows, or Pheras was that he would respect (and not make fun of me) in front of my friends and family. Given that this is an important part of our relationship, I now have something to hold over him for the rest of our lives.

The reception was the first time experiencing a scaled-back version of being a celebrity. We stood on stage for majority of the night where up to 500 people stand in line to take pictures with us and share their blessing. The venue was so experienced in this type of event that from time to time the event manager would stop the line, deliver us some finger food and drinks, and made sure we were fed and hydrated.

Taiwan was the part where most coordination were required, because I was playing the role of the wedding planner. I was fortunate enough to have so many friends that agreed to step up in different capacities - Maggie as my all star bilingual MC, Jessie as pro music controls, Rachel using her phenomenal handwriting, Daisy and Kate at the receiving desk, Vivian and Cynthia as game keepers before the lunch reception. I wanted the reception to be interactive beyond just having a nice meal sitting down, and with Kahoot and scavenger hunt, we think we delivered as well. One interesting note was how much Pratik and I procrastinated writing our vows until the last moment. Imagine two people with their wedding outfits, kneeling at the coffee table. Even though we wrote our vows separately, our promises were on similar themes - making fun, taking care, supporting, and choosing each other again and again.

New Year’s Eve was a last minute decision being in Taipei for the first time. Thanks to our friends Eva and Kevin, we got to join them on an awesome 101 firework view and our first techno experience together. We then left for Japan on the first day of 2025.

Japan was filled with delicious food, relaxing onsen, and very well-connected public transportation that allowed us to go everywhere with ease. It was a huge contrast from the chaos in Mumbai streets to the order and quiet in Tokyo. We contemplated whether this would be somewhere we’d be interested in living in, but then learned about the challenges of integrating with the local culture and people.

Back to the US - one notable thing was helping IESE organize a Microsoft visit as part of the Silicon Valley GEMBA module. Getting to see some old coworkers was definitely one of the highlights, and eternally grateful for them to have taken the time out of their busy days to share their perspectives. I came back to Producycle receiving two soft no’s - one because of lack of budget for the rest of the school year and the other because purchasing/procurement isn’t a top priority given all the administration changes.

New conversations have also led to another direction of senior living community, but somehow it still feels like there something bigger to learn in the school food space. Started reading the book The Four Steps to the Epiphany that focuses first on customer validation beyond anything else. What is the common theme I hear amongst all conversations? What have they built home-grown solutions for? Where do their budget come from? What do they want to solve first? What is the size of the team and how are the roles and responsibilities shared? Hope to get some more answers before the next update!