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Sunday, February 24, 2019
Update 53
I just love how often we just happen to be in the right place at the right time!
Take Thursday night....we were headed out for dinner around 7...a bit later than usual. As we approached the exit gate, one of the RE staff, Mr. Boka stopped us & said, "You gotta stay! There's going to be a Sudanese wedding here anytime!" Looking around we saw a decorated canopy in front of the church and a few dressed up people lingering around. Mr. Boka went on to tell us that the wedding was suppose to start at 5...yup 5...but the bride was coming in a limo and it was stuck in traffic. So, of course, we lingered too. About 7:10, we spotted the limo trying to turn down the narrow street leading to the church. It had to go back & forth until it was lined up straight on. Slowly it crawled toward the church barely missing the parked cars. The church opened the gate...but then 4 cars needed to be moved to make room for the limo. Finally around 7:30, the limo door open and 3 bridesmaids in deep red dresses stepped out...and then the bride lavishly dressed in a sparkling, laced, enormously full skirted white wedding dress with a long train!
I was trying to be discreet & get a few pictures. Several of the local maids that we'd gotten to know had gathered and kept urging me to get closer. By now, the groom & groomsmen had entered the elegantly decorated church. The musician was singing beautifully (later learned the real singer had not shown up so the staff tech person was filling in). The maids almost pushed me into the church & Rog followed begrudgingly saying, "We shouldn't!" But I said, "Why not?? When else are we going to get a chance to see a Sudanese wedding?"
So there we sat in our sweatshirts in the back row with 3 maids in their pinstriped uniforms. One of them got the giggles & another kept slugging her & frowning...which made me laugh...which made her giggle more...pretty soon all 4 of us were trying hard to control ourselves. Rog trying to ignore us.
Though I couldn't understand the words...it appeared to be similar to our weddings with vows & rings exchanged and then hands joined ...all the while the camera man's bright light in their faces. Similar except for as each part of the ceremony ended, the guest let out a loud, high pitched shrill call...maybe a tribal call??? It was a sound that pieced the air & one that sent shivers up my spine.
We snuck out before the end but got caught by a guest who'd also snuck out...he told us we must stay for the party. We told him we'd come by after we ate dinner.
So we came back maybe an hour later... and it was over...almost cleaned up. The whole wedding reception had disappeared...kinda like a Cinderella story!
Really...this happened...you just can't make up stories like this!!
Take Thursday night....we were headed out for dinner around 7...a bit later than usual. As we approached the exit gate, one of the RE staff, Mr. Boka stopped us & said, "You gotta stay! There's going to be a Sudanese wedding here anytime!" Looking around we saw a decorated canopy in front of the church and a few dressed up people lingering around. Mr. Boka went on to tell us that the wedding was suppose to start at 5...yup 5...but the bride was coming in a limo and it was stuck in traffic. So, of course, we lingered too. About 7:10, we spotted the limo trying to turn down the narrow street leading to the church. It had to go back & forth until it was lined up straight on. Slowly it crawled toward the church barely missing the parked cars. The church opened the gate...but then 4 cars needed to be moved to make room for the limo. Finally around 7:30, the limo door open and 3 bridesmaids in deep red dresses stepped out...and then the bride lavishly dressed in a sparkling, laced, enormously full skirted white wedding dress with a long train!
I was trying to be discreet & get a few pictures. Several of the local maids that we'd gotten to know had gathered and kept urging me to get closer. By now, the groom & groomsmen had entered the elegantly decorated church. The musician was singing beautifully (later learned the real singer had not shown up so the staff tech person was filling in). The maids almost pushed me into the church & Rog followed begrudgingly saying, "We shouldn't!" But I said, "Why not?? When else are we going to get a chance to see a Sudanese wedding?"
So there we sat in our sweatshirts in the back row with 3 maids in their pinstriped uniforms. One of them got the giggles & another kept slugging her & frowning...which made me laugh...which made her giggle more...pretty soon all 4 of us were trying hard to control ourselves. Rog trying to ignore us.
Though I couldn't understand the words...it appeared to be similar to our weddings with vows & rings exchanged and then hands joined ...all the while the camera man's bright light in their faces. Similar except for as each part of the ceremony ended, the guest let out a loud, high pitched shrill call...maybe a tribal call??? It was a sound that pieced the air & one that sent shivers up my spine.
We snuck out before the end but got caught by a guest who'd also snuck out...he told us we must stay for the party. We told him we'd come by after we ate dinner.
So we came back maybe an hour later... and it was over...almost cleaned up. The whole wedding reception had disappeared...kinda like a Cinderella story!
Really...this happened...you just can't make up stories like this!!
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