Jaipur, India + Ambler, Pennsylvania
Hey, check out The Daily Happy - our daily 10 minute catch up session that reflects our #whatsyourhappy affirmation - there is something to be happy about every day, and while we are not here for ignoring the world around us, we are here for bringing the inspiration and the joy! In other news, we now have a website for our forthcoming web series, Live from [Blank]! Check it out as well as our youtube short videos, pretty please! AND WAIT FOR IT…..
After the success (and safety compliant-ness) of our #10KDrivewayTour, Alison felt confident she could safely plan a surprise road trip for four teenagers for her daughter’s Sweet 16! She used our dashcam and even put together a little video of the trip.
Lulu is obsessed with candles with crystals inside. That’s just all the good vibes in one jar, and she’s loving them! Alison is feeling what she dubbed the “Dance Mom Cocktail” which is just Don Julio and Coconut La Croix.
Alison is wishing she never had to shave again. She made fun of our producer when she said “hair free-ness” was her wishlist in her 10K Saturday interview. To be fair the way Ash phrased it was strange. Basically laser hair removal for all would be swell. Lulu is wishing she had a more prominent occipital lobe, which is the part of the brain responsible for interpreting information… and the part where you aim to stab a zombie, according to Alison.
We are big fans of India here at 10K Dollar Day. We’ve “been” to Delhi, Haridwar, Kerala, and the Andaman Islands. Also our producer Ash lived in India for part of 2018, and spent some time in the city that Lulu has chosen has this week’s destination!
Lulu is indulging in some luxurious apartment living in the heart of Jaipur at the Rajmahal Palace. They have a suite that goes for over $13,000 a night USD, or you can get their standard room for $750. Lulu opts for the Royal Suite at $1,200 a night. The suite has a king bed, a drawing room with a writing desk, a dining room with seating for 4, and a luxurious marble bathroom. The palace is part of the Relais & Châteaux family of hotels, and boast three restaurants, a bar, and car service as part of its elevated guest offerings. To say this place is stunning would be the biggest understatement we’ve ever made here at 10K Dollar Day. This ornate palace is right in the heart of this bustling city, but is surrounded by gardens giving a dose of serenity and some isolation from the cacophony of colors waiting for you.
For starters Lulu is having her breakfast at Thadi Tea Lounge, a rooftop cafe serving Desi breakfast with meals like aloo paratha, paneer paratha, upma… and apparently 37 types of chai.
Not one to miss culture, history, or architecture (or miss out on people-watching), Lulu has purchased a composite tourist ticket to see some of the major sites Jaipur has to offer. Honeycomb-shaped with 953 windows, first up is the magical architectural marvel, Hawa Mahal. Built in 1799 it is also known as the “palace of breeze”, it’s construction allowed for royal ladies adhering to purdah to remain unseen, while still being able to see out to the every day street scenes or processions on the road below. The orange and pink hues of the walls change depending on the time of day and the way the sun hits it, so it is a must -see once, and really a must-see twice or more to catch different views.
Next up is the Amber Fort, which is really more of a palace than a fortress. Built in 1592, it was built by a very open and tolerant Maharaja, featuring both Hindu and Muslim architectural details. One of the big draws to this spectacular site is the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors). In that time, royal women were not allowed to sleep in open air. To allow the queen to watch the stars, the Raja covered the walls and ceilings with mirror pieces in a wide range of size and shape, crafted into stunning designs. When candles are lit in the hall, the tiny mirrors turn the candlelight into thousands of stars! Another unique area of the palace (and producer Ash’s IRL favorite) is Sukh Niwas, also called the Hall of Pleasure. It is a room consisting of mostly marble that was cleverly cooled with running water over the stone. It is here that the Maharaja reportedly relaxed with his ladies.
A quick lunch and a cocktail at Colorbar at the Radisson Blu, then it’s back to the sight-seeing. She’s heading to City Palace (which technically she’s already been to. Hawa Mahal is the facade one one side of this spectacular palace-turned museum full of clothing and items all throughout Jaipur’s royal history! Now, Jaipur is known for many beautiful artisanal products, one of those being handmade rugs. You can find exceptional rugs made by the most skilled of craftspeople, and Lulu decides to bring home this handwoven hemp accent rug!
For her evening plans, Lulu referenced “romantic evening planning website” CherishX, which helps revelers celebrate their special moments with flair all across India. She is going to book every single one of CherishX’s Jaipur Candlelight Dinner experiences, and is going to gift them to Indian couples she encounters through her day.
She is going to attend her dinner dressed to the nines in this Tarun Tahiliani Kurta Set she found on Pernia’s Pop-Up Shop.
Alison has found one of the coolest Airbnbs out there. It is not in Ambler (why she’s going to Ambler will be revealed later, keep scrolling!), she is going to head into nearby Philadelphia (check out our IRL Philly trip!) to stay at The Deacon, a circa 1906 Gothic Revival church completely reconstructed into an 8-bedroom a boutique hotel.
It offers “a unique, thoughtfully-curated guest experience, designed for a diverse set of occasions, gatherings and creative projects.” This stunning space can sleep 16…so she is flying out Lulu and 14 of our #10KSaturday guests for the inaugural 10K Prank Stay. This episode and post did drop on April Fool’s Day 2021, after all.
Specifically, she’s invited the following folks:
Ricky Cona Ben Ptashinsky Sterling Lovett Andrea Canny Deejay Young Danny Loranca Nova Jay Denis Phillips
Summer Campbell Lindsay Ratliff Andrea Hope Stew Jamesson Michael Tourek Brandi Bottger
Once all of her guests arrive, she passes out their getaway swag bags! Everything is wrapped in a prank gift box. It looks like a game box, but a little off, like “Spit N Slide”, “My First Fire for Kids”, and “Hay in a Needlestack”. Inside each guest’s box is a maskless bandit prank mask that has a print of a mustached man wearing a disposable mask as a chin diaper. Everyone is also getting a t-shirt with Alison’s face printed all over it.
Everyone gets a bowl of cereal for breakfast, except when they go to take a bite, the whole bowl comes up with the spoon. You see, the frozen cereal prank involves freezing milk in cereal with a spoon overnight, then a splash of milk to the top to cover any giveaway freezer burn and serving! Okay now she takes them to a real breakfast at Sweet Briar Cafe, where she has paid the waiter to put realistic fake cockroaches in a select few people’s dishes. Not going to put them in everyone’s food, because that would give away the joke too soon. Maybe a handful of people get a bug with their side of bacon.
Next the group heads to the Stoogeum, a 3-story museum that houses anything and everything Stooge! Honoring Larry, Curly, and Mo they rock Three Stooges-themed face masks! After some time learning about the legendary comedy trio, the group heads to lunch at Road Kill Cafe.
Alison, Lulu and the crew head to Helium Comedy Club next to see Brad Williams. Hopefully he will take a bribe to direct a few jokes their way, making a few of the guests the butt of some really harsh jabs! After the show they have an actual nice dinner, no jokes, at fine dining restaurant Moshulu, the only restaurant in the world on a tall ship.
After dinner the group heads back to the Airbnb with some individually selected items from Gag Works. Time to prank each other! She doesn’t want to do the work for them, but shock pens, fart spray, fake hands… all acceptable prank paraphernalia!
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
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