Fun Filled Weekend

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What an amazingly fun, interesting and busy weekend it's been. The wedding on Fri. night was good. This ceremony was for the female family and friends of the groom. The dresses women wore were a lot more elaborate than the 1st wedding I went to. They were so sparkly. The women all sat around the dance floot, some in chairs most on the mats on the floor. They played a lot of Swahili music and women got up and danced. Yep, and I joined em. Dancing at a wedding is easy and pretty boring. The women kind of shuffle around in a circle and move their hips. That's it, but they have a great time singing along with the music. A cousin of the groom who had recently been married was there and they sat her in the front of the room. After about an hour they brought out the food. It was very good, roast beef, sweet meat (which isn't meat at all, but is rather this red jelly-like dish with lots of different spices. It kind of looks like raw meat, hence the name.) and a little cup of coffee. While they were serving the groom came in. All the women rushed to get their head scarfs back on and some even put on their buibuis. The groom was dressed in more arabic style clothing. He had on a Kanzu (white gown muslim men wear), a black robe with gold lining, a turban style hat, flowers around his neck and he was carrying a sheathed sword. He came in and took pictures with family and friends. When people were done eating they left.

Sat. morning I got up early and went to the market with one of my host-mom's friends. (It was really nice that she came with 'cause otherwise the guys at the market would've tried to rip be off). We got back from the market at 9 and I met up with Leigh and Katina to go to Nakumatt, the supermarket. I hadn't been there before and was suprised at what we could find there. I was going to make Lia a chocolate cake from scratch, but we found betty crocker cake mix and decided a box cake would be better because of time constraint. I also bouthg brownie mix that I made for my family on Sun. I started cookin almost as soon as we got back (around 12). Leigh came to help after I got the cake in the oven. We had a lot fo things to cook. I won't complain about how much work cooking is in the US. Here are somethings I won't take for granted anymore: being able to buy chicken already skinned and cut into smaller pieces instead of a whole chicken; garlic presses instead of having to pound cloves of garlic; a potato peeler; sharp knives; but mostly having a kitchen with an a/c. It got soooooo hot in that kitchen with the stove, oven and the little fire pits on. It was scorching in there. While I peeled potatos I had to stop after every few to wipe my face to keep the sweat from dripping into my eyes. I drank so much water and sweat it all out. Leigh and my family were such a great help. I wouldn't have been able to do it without them. At 5:45 I was finally able to get cleaned up while the garlic bread baked. A half hour later Katina and Leigh came over to help me carry the food over to the SIT office. Katina had decorated it earlier. When Faith arrived she brought ballons. We were ready for the b-day girl.

she was quite suprised when she got there. =) She loved the dinner, barbeque chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans and garlic bread. All the food she had been missing from home... yummmy... Everyone from the group that was still in Mombasa was able to be there. =) It was great! After most everyone was done eating Leigh and I brought out Lia's chocolate b-day cake and we ate it while she opened presents. It was so much fun. At 8 I ad to book it back to my place, change and head out to another wedding ceremony.

This one was different than the ones I had been to previously. It was in celebration for the same couple as the day before. Again this was just for the women. Everyone had to cover their heads. We all sat on the floor and they sang songs to Allah. I really wish my tape recorder had been working. I also wish I could understand Arabic. After about an hour of chanting a woman got up and gave what sounded like a sermon about death. Then women with scented water walked around and poured some in our hands and we were supposed to put some on our heads and hearts. (when I joined the other SIT students later I was told I smelled like wedding... lol) Then there was more singing while sodas were passd around. The bride came in about that time in a beautiful sparkling purple gown and sat ont he stage that had been decorated from her. Then every9one left. I think it's really peculiar that the time the bride or groom arrives is when everyone leaves. It was also intereting that women still dolled themselves up but remained in thei buibuis for this ceremony.

On our way home I called the group to see what they were up to. After they left the SIT office they went to Leigh, Egan and Katina's apt (just down a few buildings from the SIT office) to get their drink on. (it was afterall a 21st bday). They were still there, so I dropped my stuff off at the house and headed over there. We decided to head out to a party. We went to Pirates (a club on the beach) 'cause we had heard there was supposed to be a good beach party there. We got there a little after 11 and hardly anyone was there. (found out later that people began arriving between 1 and 2). Lia wasn't feeling all that great (she hadn't been feeling very good all day) so when we were trying to decide what we wanted to do she opted to head home to sleep. Egan and I went back with her. It was fine with me 'cause I was so exhausted from cooking all day.

We got back to Old Town a little after one and I had to call Mkuu to let me into the building. Unfortunately her phone has been kinda funky for a while and it decided it didn't want to work that night, so I was locked out of the house and had to crash on the couch at Egan, Katina and Leigh's place. That was fine except I there wasn't a fan in the room, so it was a very very hot night.

Sun. I went home early and crawled back into bed for a couple hours. When I woke up the ladies were making food for the kids (6 of em) to take to the beach. I made them brownies to take with. They loved them. =) After we got them off the four of us ladies, Mkuu and two of her friends that stayed with us for the weekend got ready to go to another part of the wedding. This one was a lunch ceremony and was further thanthe other two had been. Another of Mkuu's friends joined us. The five of us piled into a Taxi (I ended up sitting on one of their laps). This ceremony wasn't all that different from the 1st two I had been to. Men were present but they were in a different part of the building. Everyone sat on mats. Up front was a decorated stage for the bride who hadn't arrived yet. Women got up and danced (yep, the circular dancing). That went on for about 2 hours. I got up and danced, but not for long. I was very tired and bored of that dancing. While sodas were being passsed around some Arabic music was played and a few women went up and belly danced. =) That was fun to watch. As soon ast eh bride walked in, they brought out the food. She sat on stage while we all ate. When people were done eating they got up and left.

We got back home a little after 4 and just relaxed the rest of the day. Not a bad weekend. =) Hope you all had a fun and exciting Easter weekend. Miss you all! kwaherini

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