Wedding(s)

Last week, on Wednesday evening, I went to dinner at a friend’s house in a nearby village.  After eating with her family, her uncle (about 18 years old), came and asked if we wanted to go to a wedding with him.  Sure!  I love weddings!  It was already getting dark, so I told them I wasn’t able to stay too long.  They said we would just go, greet the family of the bride and groom, and leave.  So my friend and I hopped on my piki piki and followed her uncle there.  When we arrived, everyone was dancing and having a good time.  I greeted and congratulated the Bibi Herusi (mother of the Bride), and she asked me to dance with her.  I told her I didn’t know how, but I would try.  She grabbed my hand and dragged me inside.  A circle formed around us, as they all started clapping, laughing, and telling me that I know how to dance.  If you could have only seen what they called dancing.  In fact, I’m really glad you weren’t able to see.  I managed to escape the circle, we said our goodbyes, and we were off!  It all happened so fast.  I was wishing time would have slowed down so I could have appreciated what all a wedding entails in this culture.  Luckily, there was another wedding that I was able to enjoy a couple of days later.

For over a month now, one of my students from the secondary school has been telling me about her sister’s wedding that she wanted me to come to.  The wedding was on Friday of last week, so she stopped by my office everyday last week just to make sure I hadn’t forgotten.  On Thursday, she had arranged for another one of my students to take Melissa and me to get henna to make us look beautiful.

The “Umependeza”’s have been flying left and right!  Umependeza means “you are beautiful”.  Henna is beautiful, but it is a lengthy process.  It took about 2 hours just for my hands.   When you are the bride, you are supposed to get it all the way up your arms to your shoulders, and from the bottom of your feet to your knees.  Can’t imagine how long that would take.  I don’t think I would be able to sit still that long- two hours was already pushing it for me.  Pole, future hubby! 

At 2:00 on Friday, a student picked us up to go to the wedding.  When we arrived, the bride was still getting dressed and her extended family were all sitting around talking.  We joined the extended family on the floor, and enjoyed a meal with them.  After we finished eating, they told us the bride was ready.  We walked to the back of the house to find a beautiful young woman dressed in a pink and white dress, covered in henna, all dolled up in lots of make-up, and… absolutely drenched in sweat!  It has been getting so hot here- as you all are putting up pics of puffy jackets and snow, I’m thinking about when I get to take my next cold shower J The poor girl was sitting on a bench in a tiny room in her house, with a camera (with a flood light on top of it) in her face.  If that doesn’t seem hot enough already, picture about 30 sweaty women squished together trying to get a glimpse.  Yes, she was hot.  And yes, by the time it was my turn to take a picture with the bride, I was red-faced and drenched in sweat, as well. 

A little while later, her husband came to take her away.  The wedding actually takes place really early in the morning (the deal between her father and her husband at the mosque), but he doesn’t take her away until the afternoon.  After the bride and groom left, the “reception” began.  The men played the drums and the women danced.  I really enjoyed the whole experience.  It was my first wedding here (since two years ago- I don’t count the quickie on Wednesday), and I love learning more about their culture and the way they celebrate important occasions, such as a marriage.  As we were leaving, we were handed brown paper bags with cake inside.  Yummy!  Friends, family, beautiful dress, make-up, lots of pictures, a loving husband, dancing, and cake.  I thoroughly enjoyed it.

The day after the wedding, I went to visit Mariam and her grandchildren, and as we were sitting there talking, I noticed the girls were very quiet.  I finally got up to see what they were doing, and they were drawing on themselves.  When I got closer, I saw that they were drawing henna on each other.  I asked what they were doing and they responded "Sisi ni kama wewe"- "We are like you".  Theirs went a little higher up their arms, so I'm thinking they are preparing to be the brides.  As beautiful as they are, they have a little while before it's their turn.  Hopefully I'll beat them to it!   But you never know...

More wedding pics to come!