A wedding...

Its Friday. I am not feeling good in my stomach, and for the first time in Africa I had.. you know…stomach problems. Even though I had knocked on wood many times, I guess I cannot escape the hard truth about Africa: that everyone gets this. Though I was talking to a Dutch woman here the other day. She has been in Namibia for 11 years and even longer in Africa and she has never encountered this problem. I don’t know if I believe her…

Anyways this is not what I was going to talk about… It’s still Friday, and my host mom comes home from work, and she asks me if I want to go with her to a wedding. “Sure”, I say, “when is it?”. She tell me it’s tomorrow! I asked her if she just got the invitation today, but no she had known about this for a long time, but only got the invitation on paper today. Okidoki. So I am going to a wedding tomorrow. I just hope my stomach will handle this…

On the invitation it said the reception will start at 2pm. So I start getting ready at 1.30, and we leave the house at about 2. I am feeling nice. For the first time I am wearing a dress and makeup in Rundu, and my stomach is not bothering me. My little brother actually laughs at me when we get home. He says in Africaans to his mother, but I understand, that I am looking funny. Poor thing has never seen me in other than shorts and a t-shirt must be a funny sight yes! So we get to the venue at 2.20pm or so. There are about 7 women there… they are setting up for the wedding. About half the tables are set, the bar is not there yet, and there is no food in sight. Alright.. we are behind schedule.. no surprise actually, but no one else did the same mistake we did! I am glad to say the least that I had something to eat before we left the house. My host mom and I start helping out. Things are going very slowly. At some point the food arrives. Tubs of food! And I think great we will start soon. But no. So we continue the preparations. Setting the tables glasses, a fork and a napkin for everyone. Some will get a glass, but there is not enough, so most will use a paper cup, and paper plates are in order as well. The theme or colors for the wedding is white, and numerous different shades of maroon.

At about 6pm the bride and groom arrives the venue, and the preparations are as done as they can get. The party can start, and I am starving! By counting the tables and the chairs against the wall I came to about 250-300 guests! The servers have no place to set the cakes and muffins, so they put them on the guest tables. Big mistake… they are gone by the time the speeches are over, and the serving of the food starts. By this time two of the people at my table have also fallen asleep! A little girl about 2years and another lady.

By the time the food is served, it has been standing out for about 3 hours in 30 degrees celcius in the gym that is used as the venue and there are about 212 flies in the food area.. I am getting worried about my stomach… This is breaking about all regulations in Norway. But I are not in Norway! TIA – This is Africa. So we eat. I try to keep away from the meat. After about 30 min my host mother says. I want to leave at about 7pm. Alrighty! You know so we can get a taxi… So for me my first wedding experience in Africa ended before it started. I feel. But with a free bar, I think many guests will not feel the same way.
I never met the bride or groom. Maybe they will hear from someone that there was a white girl at their wedding, and wonder who she was…

sorry for the poor quality of the photoes... they are taken with my cell phone...