Last Saturday - yes we are just now getting those thoughts processed! - we went to a wedding in Stanger. It started at 9am - the bride arrived at 11 am for the "white" or church service. Completely western dresses and tux.
We got there at 2:30 to the reception and the speeches were about 1/2 way done. Still they had not eaten. So we grabbed chairs and they added plates and we got there for lunch and cake. They have 3 cakes - small ones on each side of the big one. After the cutting, the bride takes one cake to her new mother in law and kneels to present it. The groom does the same. Very nice.
After that we all drove about 20 minutes to the grooms home where massive tents were set up. We sat in one and before long the bride's family filed in with bags of mats and blankets as gifts for the new home. Eventually - I am told - the bride make sup a bed of these in the tent for the groom and they do all kinds of ceremony stuff, but we had to go. Among other things the bride and groom had not yet arrived and it was going to be some time yet.....
Food is a meat - usually chicken in spices that have Indian influence but not as spicy - plus rice or mealie-meal (corn) and vegetables. Spices or not for any or all of those. The host family I have now does not even use salt so everything is very "American" and highly digestible. I am still trying to get a serving of Bunny Chow which is an Indian dish I understand makes your eyes water...
Coffee - the elixir of life - is easier to get if yo know what to ask for. "Coffee" gets you instant - and that is pretty much all one has at home. "Filter Coffee" gets the real thing - and it is good.
hope you got photos of some of this. Sounds fascinating - once again shows the difference between our rush-rush culture and their more relaxed one. Wonder if they have alot less hypertension and coronary disease.
ReplyDeleteFinally had a chance to catch up on your blog. Wow! It's all very interesting. Looking forward to more reports!
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