Engagements and Weddings!

Selamat Sore, teman-teman dan Keluarga!

After Saturday's post, I received a lot of words of encouragement, and a lot of reassurance about prayers being sent my way. I also discovered that the post was a bit distressing to some of the family in particular, and I want to assure you, Grandma, that I am ok! If this was easy, I'd be suspicious that I was missing the point. There's a song that I love (skip this next part of my blog if you're not into cheesy lyrical quoting), and the chorus goes, "You said 'I know that this will hurt, but if I don't break your heart then things will just get worse. If the burden seems too much to bear, remember the end will justify the pain it took to get you there.'" While I wouldn't use the words "broken heart" to describe my feelings, I think there's a more general truth to those words- that God has to break us down before He build us up again, and that when we look back on it, we'll see the growth that came out of the hard times. I'm for the better for the challenges that I'm working through, and I am blessed to be working through them with such a strong support network standing behind me.

Things have been going really well these last few days, and some really new and really fun experiences have happened to me! Allow me to share...

First of all, going back to last week, I realized that we did not just do the mall on Sunday- we went to an engagement party! Not intrigued? Let me tell you about it. The bride-to-be is a daughter of two doctors, which means that they are quite well off. In Indonesia (or at least in Java), engagements and weddings are BIG deals, and are celebrated to the max. This event could be described in no other way. We drove up to the hotel, and the first thing we saw was about 8 HUGE, brightly coloured banners from various companies and organizations, extending their congratulations to the happy couple. I have no clue what happens to those things after that day. We walked under a massive canopy of flowers, and inside the lobby, there were multiple guest books that could be signed, and decked-out women standing behind them. They were all dressed in the same dress, so they looked something like bridesmaids (maybe they will be the bridesmaids). Finally, we were inside the hall, and... I don't even have the words to describe it. It was more lavish than any wedding I've ever seen. There was a film crew and a camera crew. EVERYTHING- even the air conditioning units- was decorated, and there were people everywhere! I've learned that a big difference between weddings and parties in North America and weddings and parties here is that you don't exactly have to be invited to go. One invitation is good for 4 or 5 people, whoever they may be. I'll explain what that looks like when I tell you about the wedding I attended this past weekend.

The way these parties often work is that there are food booths that you can walk up to and just take food from. I counted thirteen different ones at the engagement party- goat, lemon chicken, ribs and potatoes, gelato, and so much more. People came in and out, eating and chatting, and wishing the couple all the best. The couple- the bride-to-be in particular- was probably the biggest shock. She was dressed in an incredibly ornate white gown, complete with gloves. Her hair and makeup were professionally done, and she looked more fancy than any bride on her wedding day. I don't know how she is going to outdo herself for her wedding! We left the engagement party and received a party favour (an ice cream bowl), and headed to the mall after that. I was just so blown away by the whole affair. It put any party I could ever throw, to shame.

Anyways, moving forward to this week thus far. On Sunday, I went to church, and after church, we went out for lunch with my host family. Our plan was to go see some temples afterward, but then it started to rain, so we changed our plans to- wait for it- the mall! An unexpected surprise was that Jason, who was spending the day in Semarang, ended up coming to the same mall (there are 5 or 6 in Semarang), and we hung out in the Shampoo isle of the Carrefour (similar to a Wal-Mart), just chatting for about half an hour. It's always nice to see SALTers, especially since they feel so much like family here, and Jason is always a cheery and enthusiastic face to see. He was particularly excited on Sunday because he had spent the morning in a mosque, cutting up meat. Sunday was Eid al-Adha (though it has a bit of a different name here, I cannot remember), a Muslim holiday. In the words of wikipedia, "Eid al-Adha ("Festival of Sacrifice" or "Greater Eid") is an important religious holiday celebrated by Muslims worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son Ishmael as an act of obedience to God before God intervened to provide him with a sheep to sacrifice instead." On Sunday, thousands of cows and goats were slaughtered in or near mosques, and the meat given to people. The goat market around the corner was absolutely packed full with goats in the days leading up to the holiday. I swear I could hear the bleating of dying goats the night before, and, while I did not witness it firsthand, Nicole told me that it was a scary sight to behold. I was told that they slit the throat and then wait for the animal to die, and that sometimes the animal runs off in a panic after the throat has been slit, spilling blood everywhere. It... is not an event that I feel too torn up about missing out on. Jason, however, thoroughly enjoyed cutting up the meat, and told me that his clothes were covered in blood afterward. Nice.

On Sunday night, I was invited to a traditional Chinese wedding in Java. As I mentioned earlier, an invitation is good for more than just the person whose name is on the invitation, and the hall was set for about 1000 guests. I don't think it filled completely, but it was pretty close! A typical wedding includes entertainment between each course of food, and food is served family-style, on one big platter. The entertainment was a group of 4 girls who danced in different costumes between the six courses of traditional Chinese food. Indonesians really love bling (a friend told me this, but it is an easy conclusion to draw), and there was no shortage of it at the wedding- dresses were covered in sparkles, there were coloured strobe lights everywhere, and even the wedding cake (fake) was lit up and sparkly (and adorned with snowmen, which is always funny to see in a hot country). The most memorable part of the wedding for me, was when my friend suggested I join her to take a picture with the bride and groom. I was very reluctant, but she was persistent, and so I joined her. The second I got up on stage, the MCs started to tease me, though I couldn't tell because I couldn't understand them. Then they asked me where I live (a common question here, and they like specifics!) and then had me say congratulations to the bride and groom. With the film crew glued to me, I said a congratulations to the bride and groom (in the fastest English I could possibly speak, to ensure that no one understood me) in front of nearly 1000 people, and- red faced- got my picture taken and then hurried offstage. It was awkward, but made for a memorable evening! I was told that usually a foreigner is made to sing or dance, so I actually got off pretty easy. I also learned that the SECOND you are done eating, the wedding is over. I literally was lifting the last spoonful of "Es Buah" to my mouth when my table stood up and said it was time to go.We shook hands with the bride and groom, and we were home before 9PM!

On Monday morning, I headed up to Salatiga, picking up Nicole on the way, and we spent the day at Karen and Major's, baking brownies, talking, and watching a movie. We took a bus home, Nicole getting off in Ungaran, and I continuing on to Semarang. My prayers for some independence were answered- I was allowed to ride the bus home independently, and that just made my week! I like the challenge of learning new things, and I love that feeling of success when something new like that goes smoothly. The angkota driver tried to charge me extra (a common trick used against us poor bules- foreigners), but I have been in the country long enough to know what the bus fare is, and could communicate well enough to tell him so. He looked a bit sheepish as he drove off.

Today I was at the school, and then I spent the afternoon making travel plans for my parents and sister, who- if all goes smoothly- will be coming in December! I am unbelievably excited for them to come, and to have someone from home who will understand the people and places that I talk about. My dad is supposed to come 10 days before my sister and my mom, and right now, I'm just so excited to hang out in Java with my dad for 10 days. My mom and my sister are supposed to be coming on the 23rd (in time for Christmas!!!) and our family is scheduled to sing a song at church on Christmas Eve. We are planning on heading to Salatiga on the 26th, and then on to Yogyakarta for 5 days, beginning on the 27th. They fly out again on January 1st, which means I have nearly 3 weeks to spend with my dad, and nine days with my whole family. I cannot fully express how much I am looking forward to their visit!!

Tonight I have music practise at the church, and tomorrow begins my Wednesday-Saturday stretch of craziness. I am a bit more prepared this week, which should help keep my stress down, and allow me to get a bit more sleep, which was part of what contributed to my downfall last week.

Thanks for reading another pictureless post! I'm going to stop promising pictures, and let them just be a nice surprise if and when they come, because as of now, I do not know when I will get the opportunity to post more!

Lots of love,
Ellery