Yesterday was my friend Chiko's wedding. Chiko works in the hospital in the sanitation department and, as he has quite good English was one of the first people I got to know here. (He's also Mr. hospital radio and roped me in to present a weekly programme until the station got taken off the air recently for broadcasting without a licence - it will be back shortly though).
This wedding has been a long time coming - I have already attended the "antar belis" at which the family of the groom assemble to collect the dowry, unfortunately I missed the handover itself and on Monday afternoon I attended the family "at home" before the wedding. The wedding itself took place in one of Maumere's many churches at 3.30pm and ended at 6pm, followed at 7pm by the reception. At the reception, there were only two speeches - one on behalf of the groom's family and one from Dr. Asep, the hospital director, on behalf of the "keluarga besar" - extended family. Both Novi and Chiko work in the hospital so this was especially appropriate but this was the fourth time that I have heard Dr. Asep deliver a wedding speech so he's no stranger to it ! After the speeches, the food was served - a buffet of about five different sorts of meat, including the two cows that had been tied up outside the house the previous night. While we were eating, the singing started - the MC called on various members of the audience to take the microphone and sing a song, There was no shortage of willing takers, Indonesians love having a crowd to talk or sing to !
The photo above shows the traditional music (from Paga, Chiko's home village) that greeted guests and the bridal couple at the church - these bodhráns get everywhere !
Below, the pew in front of me - these two were fascinated by having a bule (paleface) to stare at during the long ceremony.
And this evening, there's another wedding.......
What a stressful posting you have to endure. One wedding feast after another!! It really is enough to cause a breakdown. What is VSO doing about it?
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