P-C, listen to Typo Boy. Typo Boy is wise. Go if you please, but please do not go if you will end up being a captive audience for the craxy. We love you. It would break our hearts for you to be broken the way you might if you get trapped. Also, if you have to spend the whole trip harshly defending your boundaries, you might not like yourself after.

Typo Boy is wise, if tactless (I kid). (As the wise Cordelia Chase once said, "Tact is just not saying true stuff. I'll pass.")

And it is not like anyone will support you to your Mother's face. And plenty will support her to your face.

I am going to take a wild guess that you will be surrounded by a chorus of (mainly) women all echoing your mother and chastising you for being a bad son. Take a deep breath and consider carefully whether that is something you can endure, let alone enjoy, at this stage. If ever!

Also I offer this thought - just because it's "tradition" and "part of the culture" does not mean it isn't abuse.

... do they do surprise weddings in India?

P-C, wouldn't this be the "find him a bride in India" trip?

No, we're going for a cousin's wedding.

To be frank, I don't see how these are mutually exclusive things.

To be blunt, you are out of your everloving mind if you don't think your mom is going to spend every minute of this thing a) trying to get you married; b)moaning that you aren't married; c) implying that you are horrible and killing her by not being married; and d) actively stating that you are horrible and killing her by not being married.

If you REALLY want to go to your cousin's wedding (I always do, my perpetually un/under-employed self has a credit card that is pretty much dedicated to this once or twice a year occurance) you buy the tickets and book the room and hang out with your family and ditch them sometimes too. She'll bitch and she'll even look right when she does what with you being an independent person and not hanging on her every moan. If you really want to go to your cousins wedding do it as a grown up who makes a nice living and pays his own way and know you'll piss her off. If you really want to go though, go.

For Aims. And Dana. And others.

If you really want to go though, go.

Oh, but I don't really want to go.

Going to India sounds awesome as a general concept.

It does! That's why Imma do it in November! Wanna come with us P-C?

I have no practical advice about how to deal with an impending trip. I have not gone anywhere with either one of my parents since I was 16 or so.

That's why Imma do it in November! Wanna come with us P-C?

I have to go to Milwaukee and teach people cancer pharmacology in November!

teach people cancer pharmacology

Not totally unrelated: I edited something yesterday and learned that the DEA is going to permit e-prescribing of controlled substances (narcotics, etc.). About fucking time.

Puppeh!