We’re finally on vacation and enjoying it to the max. It’s been a bit rainy over here (from what we’ve heard that’s really out of the ordinary) but the temperature is 70+, so it’s not too shabby for December!
We’re headed to Durban next week where we are told it will be a lot warmer, and we’ll be at the Indian Ocean, which is supposed to be beautiful and warm. Apparently the South Coast of South Africa is known for its shark attacks. The beaches we’ll go to have shark nets, but I don’t think I’ll be wading in too far!
Anyway, I had a few requests for a report from the Basotho wedding we attended last weekend, so I though I would do that today. The first thing you need to know is that Basotho weddings actually consist of several parts there’s the traditional ceremony that bonds the couple together in the eyes of the culture, then there’s the church ceremony that bonds them in the eyes of God, and then there’s the reception, which is the party part. We got invited to the party part (since the traditional ceremony is sort of private and takes place beforehand and the church part is very long).
The first adventure was finding the venue. It was only about 15 minutes from our house, but in a part of town where there is an open-air market, which means one wrong turn in the car can lead to a very, very slow crawl down a pedestrian street! We were traveling with a colleague from India who was unfazed by the massive number of people, but we were both overwhelmed.
Once we arrived, we sat outside for a bit. There was a small room inside where there was a buffet line, and it seemed like we were going to get our food there and then come sit outside again, but no sooner had we made ourselves comfortable then they called us in. The bride’s colleagues were called first, which we thought was weird, but apparently it’s because that’s who all the foreigners were and they thought they should seat us first. It turns out that there was another room behind the first that was HUGE and decorated elaborately for about 300 people! Here’s the picture:
Once we were seated, we had a long while to wait while the other 300 guests were seated too. It was quite an ordeal. The worst part was that there was a limited supply of ginger beer and papaya juice and it was quite hot in the hall. Note to self: bring a bottle of water to all public events in future.
The outfits were quite a site at this wedding. The invitation said “Attire: Red and Silver or Traditional”. I wasn't quite sure what to do with that (my red and silver attire is limited, after all, and “traditional” to me means blue jeans and a t-shirt, which I didn’t think was quite appropriate!). Other people had on red seshoeshoes (It’s pronounced sheh-shway-shway. That’s the traditional dress in Lesotho. The women in that picture above in the lower right-hand corner have them on) or even prom dresses in silver and red!
Our favorites, however, were the Swazis who all came wearing some version of a blanket with their king, Mswati III, printed on it. Here is a picture:
You will note that they also have elaborate beaded jewelry and the women wear a sort of hair net, while some of the men had a comb stuck in their hair sticking up at the back. It was quite a site!
For reference, apparently the king of Swaziland is quite popular, but also lives in extreme opulence amidst his very, very poor constituents. He also has 14 wives, which is not quite caught up to his father, who had 70, so the saying goes, “When in Swaziland, watch your wives and daughters!”
The last people to enter were, of course, the bride and groom and their entourage. It was kind of cool because they all danced down the aisle. Apparently, that is traditional (not a fad like it currently is in the U.S.). Here is a picture:
You’ll note that the wedding party was dressed in traditional Western dress. That is an option here for anyone who can afford it, and it’s becoming more and more popular, we’re told. The bride, who is the preschool teacher at our school, looked beautiful in her fishtail dress. The stark white against her ebony skin made a stunning combo!
Then it came time to eat, but first the host had to give us directions as to how we should proceed up to the buffet lines. He gave the directions in Sesotho and then the kid next to him translated into English. The translations were very literal so everything came out, “We will eat immediately. You must get in line right now. We will eat until we’re full right now, immediately.” *lol* Despite all the immediacy, it took about 20 minutes for the instructions alone!
The food was pretty traditional Sesotho fare -- beef, lamb, rice, and cooked carrots. It was meat-heavy, which is the way the Basotho like it. If only there had been a little more liquid to wash down all that meat! For desert there was a little bowl with a piece of specialty bread (mine was banana and Jay’s was pound cake) and then custard underneath with fruit mixed in. It was...interesting. :)
When we took our leave, the bride saw us stand up (out of all of those 300 people! I guess our white skin stuck out a little!), and asked us to come up to the head table, which was on a stage, to say goodbye to her. It was a little bit embarrassing. Then her father found us afterward and wanted to shake our hands and thank us for coming. It was all a little much! Apparently it was a big deal that I was the only school colleague who went to the bridal shower, and it really impressed the family. Who knew?!
So, there’s the story! Sorry it’s so long winded! Hope you’ve enjoyed your vicarious experience of a Basotho wedding. :)
