Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Soroti Adventure

So I just got back from Soroti from a weekend with Emmanuel Okwalinga. The most common name is Emmanuel (Emma for short). There are I think 4 in our compound... at least... and there are only like 50 people, right now there are only like 10 people and only 1 is Emma, but when the students are here there is a plethora.
So I was in Soroti town. I got there on Saturday morning. I met Emma and ate breakfast and walked around town a little bit. We then went to the guest house where I'd be staying. I stayed at the guest house which belongs to the Soroti Town PAG church. I after we had lunch we went to a wedding introduction. That was a VERY interesting experience.

We were supposed to leave at noon to arrive at one, when the deal was supposed to start. I we actually left at two, and arrived at 3. The deal did not start until about 6. The delay was due to waiting for the groom and his team to arrive. Noce that it was supposed to start at 1 and conclude at 6, and when it starts at 6 it creates a problem. It is dark long before 11, and since we are out in the village there is no electricity.

So the groom and his people arrive, about 100 of them. They then have to pay a fine to the bride's family for being late. (This money just goes on top of the dowry I suppose.) Once the fine is settled the groom's team leader, or spokesman for the evening is allowed to cut the ribbon and enter the place. Each of the groom's team is marked with a ribbon as they enter.

After they are all seated, the Master of Ceremonies gives an overview of the programme. They also make it known that it will be shortened due to the delay of the groom. Then the bride's family welcomes everyone and does introductions. They introduce all the family, cousins, aunts, uncles, etc... Then a half hour later the groom's family does the same thing. Then the clan spokesman for each family give the official okay to the wedding. Then the LC 1 (the lowest local government official) gives his welcome and okays it all. Then we are about an hour into the ceremony. Then we have the introduction of the bride.

This is not just here is So Andso. That would be too easy. The whole idea is that the groom's family has come to get someone and the host's are not sure who, so they have to find this woman, and make sure that they have come to the proper location. SO... it is done in this way... The MC says that they have sent the "Auntie" out to find the woman that the groom is looking for. The auntie then brings out like 8 or so young girls. They kneel waiting to be chosen. The groom's team comes out and inspects them looking for Ikakiror (which is Ateso for name). Not finding her there they send the girls away with the auntie. Before they leave the auntie says that they will have to hire drivers to bring them home blah blah... so the groom has to pay them each some money to leave. Then they bring out some older ones... same thing they inspect and pay, then they leave. Then they bring out the old ladies, same thing... then they brought out like 20 girls of the proper age category. They then select her from this group... and the villagers rejoice.

Then all the girls go back inside, and then like 10 men from the groom's side get up and go up to a table and walk around it. Then one of them (they hide who does it) puts an envelope on the table. This envelope holds the dowry money. The men go back and sit down. The women come back out and then they walk around the table repeatedly. Then the bride takes the envelope. This mean she accepts. If she doesn't take the envelope it means the fellow is out of luck.

Then the women go back inside, and then come back out (all of this is going to music, so it is half walked/half danced... so they have a song for each portion which slows things down considerably). They then must find the groom in the group of the groom's family. Then when they do the villagers rejoice. Then they introduce each other. Then a preacher gives a short sermon.

Then the villagers rejoice and every one eats. By this time it was dark. This made eating an adventure, because I couldn't see what I was eating, I was also eating with my hands. This made the bits of liver that I found an interesting surprise from time to time...

Then we went back to town and got up to preach the next morning. Then after church we went to this pork place with the pastor and elders. It was good. There were 6 of us, and they brought us out a huge tray of pork with Irish potatoes and onions and what not, all cooked up together. No silverwear and no individual plates. It was very tastey. I was not a big fan of the pieces that were near the outside of the pig. They had a small amount of meat then a layer of fat followed by the skin, that was... special...

We then went to a crusade that was under a mango tree. The mango tree was home to about 54654984 bats. That was... special... The crusade was interesting. I gave my testimony and greeted everyone in Ateso. That was funness. There was a Minister of Parliament there. He talked a little. Had them play his favorite song and forced me to come out and dance with him. That too was... special...

I then came back to Mbale on Monday. I arrived and found that I had lost my key to my room. This was not good. There was not a spare. Luckily I had my laptop with me and stuff, so I had things to do, just to clean clothes to wear. Then yesterday we were going to break the lock but just before we did that the taxi driver called me and said he had found them. On Monday Emma (the cook Emma), and I had gone to town and talked to the taxi people. They had found the driver but he had said that it was not there. I was very relieved because to break the lock and replace it, it woulce have cost about 35 dollars. I am glad I did not have to pay that.

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