Kitchen party and wedding and just around

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Another, far happier, event last Saturday was an invitation to another wedding; the kitchen party but also the wedding reception, and this time I managed to get photos!


My first kitchen party was a very Christian affair; this was more traditional. We ate first, and were entertained by some dancing before the bridal party came in, and when she did, it turned out that my new chitengi suit matched the wedding colour theme. I apologised profusely, but I think it was taken as a compliment rather than a faux pas as it would have been at home. As before, the bride's head, and those of her friend, were covered, and they sat down on the stage to wait for the groom. He processed in and on to the stage and there was a short pause for some negotiations between the two families before the chitengi was lifted to great excitement. The bride then presented a cake to the groom by holding it standing and then lowering herself very slowly to a kneeling position before finally handing it over- it demonstrated iron leg muscles and am sure was something she had been practising for some time.


After the groom left, there was a collection and some more dancing, in which Amanda and I, probably as the only misungus in the room, were pulled on to the stage. Having paid the drummers and had a chitengi wrapped around our waists, we did our best to move our backsides in the prescribed manner- was definitely harder than the shuffle dance I have previously attempted at the earlier party and the novitiates' service. Some women in the audience came up and pressed money into our hands- we were told it was due as a reward for dancing so well; however, they may have been asking us to stop... 😉


In the evening we went to the wedding reception, which had many of the symbols I would associate with weddings at home, but somehow topsyturvy. The audience arrived to sit on chairs facing the high table. At length, the wedding party materialised, and it was their job to entertain us. There was a performance by paired up young men and women, in ceilidh type formations to popular music, before a procession of the party with the bride and groom up to the top table. The top table was simply the bride and groom and the dancers; the parents were sat in the audience with us. An MC introduced everyone, though I was a little confused as he indicated they were all couples and that they had come from all over the world. There were speeches; from the parents and then from the Mayor of Chipata who noted that while he was there alone that night, he was very happily married and everyone should be. The audience then presented their gifts before shaking hands with everyone at the top table and then going on to eat.




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Spent this Saturday night, as have done many weekends, at Amanda's house. We've been doing some photo swapping, ready for me to take home and send on to the STVs who have just left- here, then, are some photos of us hanging out at her house and round about, at Lazeez restaurant.




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I'm also including Amanda's very impressive picture of a woodcutter, purely so I can list everything have seen on bicycles in the last fortnight (though sadly no pictures)


1. welsh dresser
2. sofa (of the ilk of my M/C house in Thornton Road) and two matching chairs
3. double bed with mattress
4. Two pigs (each about the size of a goat)

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Photos

Breakfast on Amanda's veranda
With Clare

With Sayuri (sp?)
Volunteer at the Craft Centre from Jaika (?sp), a Japanese equivalent to VSO

Comments

[Seb Smith]

Hello
Nice to see you're still in one piece after all these years and glode trotting no less, Always wanted to go to Africa myself but more the Egyptian part. Anyway stay away from snakes and anything with more than four legs, take care, Seb.

[shavonne mcclendon]

sooooo excited!
Thank u soooo much for sharing these photos...just the right thing to add to my bridal shower...tradition from the mother land of my ancestors..... and u were so informative. I really needed this. It was like a breathe of fresh air. Somthing new to bring to my family. Thanks again :)

[Rosemary Tomlinson]

Hi- sorry it's taken so long for me to spot your comment! Am very glad you found it useful- would love to hear what you did in the end for your wedding (if you've had it).