Our gardener, Zaney, invited us to the wedding reception for his son, Adi. Here in Indonesia wedding receptions are large, all day events. This one started at 9:00 and was to end at 6:30. We had been told by others that we would be invited to many weddings while here as it is apparently good luck to have a "Bula" attend the festivities. Why that is I am not sure. We have had several other invites but this is the first on we were able to attend.
The event was quite an experience. We walk into the area that the party is taking place which is in the middle of a residential area only about a km. outside of the camp. It is a very poor area of Rumbai with most houses not even having windows just cut outs where you would expect glass. When we arrive at the we are greeted by several men in Batik shirts. We are then taken to the area directly in front of a stage which was set up with an electric keyboard and a D.J. calling people up to make speeches. There are not enough chairs for everyone there but they kick two people out of their chairs and sit us down right in front of the stage. Talk about awkward!
They then tell us we need to eat. So we head over and have some rangaung, which is a spicy beef dish with sticky rice and puffed rice just like you would get at the Chinese restaurant. We eat and listen to the speeches which we could only pick out a few words as they were speaking way to fast for us. While this was going on people who we have never met kept coming up to us and shaking our hands. Then there were a bunch of little children who kept peeking their heads around Moms and Dads then giggling when we look at them.
This whole time Kathi and I have yet to see the Bride and Groom. We were not really sure where they were or if we were going to get to see them. As we were finishing up the meal Zaney comes and tells us we need to get our picture taken. We follow him into a very tiny little house and into a side room that has beautiful orange tapestries hanging throughout. In this tiny room sit the Bride and Groom in traditional Sumatran wedding costumes. As you can see in the picture it is quite ornate. The Groom has a real Sumatran dagger in his belt and the bride has a 20 lb. head dress on.
Now it was an overcast day which was good. It was only about 88 degrees with 90% humidity. The people in this neighborhood have no air conditioning so this poor newly wed couple have to sit in the heat all day with all of these hot garments on. We felt so sorry for them. They have to spend the entire day sitting in this little room while the party goes on outside. Sounds like a hoot.
Once we go in, we get our pictures with the couple as well as with our gardener and his wife. We are told to sit and have desert with them. Zaney's wife had made brownies just for us as well as a kiwi (i think) juice concoction. That was very sweet of her as the Indonesian desert that was being dished up for everyone else looked a little, uh, exotic.
After desert we said our goodbyes and headed out. It was quite the experience. It was one of those things that there is no way we would have any idea about if we hadn't decided to come here. It was absolutely an educational experience.
2 comments:
That is SO not what I was doing just after I got married!
Isn't it a delight to learn about other cultures? I went to a wedding in Korea, but it wasn't a tradtional wedding - more of a mock American wedding. What got me was that everyone in the audience was talking and answering cell phones which seemed very rude to me, but it is part of their culture. Then the groom at the end of the LONG ceremony had to do sit-ups and other exercises to show his strength and endurance. Have fun in Stanwood at Christmas. Say hi for me to all your teacher friends that I miss.
Love, Rachel
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