posted by Jess @ 2:53 PM
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The Harmattan left quickly this year, before I really had a chance to enjoy it. But I will forgive Mother Earth, I suppose, since the weather that followed has been really pretty great. Right now we are in a cycle where it rains every other day; in the mid to late afternoon, a thunderstorm with weak winds passes through and gives us a good 30 minute soaking. The forest is green and lush, and, as you might expect, the mushrooms love this weather.
posted by Jess @ 2:28 PM
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I would like to begin by admitting that all I can offer are very superficial observations of Hamida's Wedding. It was chaotic and a bit mind-boggling to me, and of course everyone was much too busy feeding everyone and getting things ready to be my on-site interpreter. So please excuse me if this post is pretty vapid; I must say, with a degree in anthropology it's pretty embarassing.
That said, here are a few fun observations:
The entire wedding, including ceremony and reception, took place in the compound or yard of Mus's parents house. Guests began arriving around 9 am and the place was cleared out by about 5:30pm.
Many of Mus's cousins came on Friday and left on Sunday so they could help the family clean and prepare. These same cousins acted as waitresses during the reception.
The ceremony had no officiate. One of the groom's relatives acted as a master of ceremonies, and different family members on both sides gave speeches; I didn't understand most of what was said, honestly. The ceremony seemed more for the family than for guests. There were a few guests gathered around the porch to watch, but most of the guests hung out at the tables, where they went about their business, unable to see the ceremony. The first half of the ceremony was just the two families. The groom was brought out about three quarters of the way through the ceremony. The bride came out a little while later.
At the end of the ceremony Hamida and Baba exchanged rings and kissed.
Hamida didn't hire a professional photographer, so she asked me to take lots of pictures. I was happy to oblige, but I don't think I did a very good job because I didn't undersatnd what was going on, what was important, and what I should take pictures of.
Hamida had two outfits made for the wedding. One was made of blue kente cloth, a beautiful and highly prized woven fabric that Ghana is well-known for. The other outfit consisted of lime green and gold pants and with a long lace dress covering them. Both outfits were strikingly colorful.
Hamida's boss and friend, Dorothy, had her outfits made by the same tailor as Hamida's, and they were very similar dresses. This surprised me a bit since in America, that would bring out the Bridezilla in most girls, but Hamida didn't mind at all. In fact, they planned their outfits together that way.
Most of the family, myself included, had two outfits and changed after the ceremony. I don't have any pictures of myself in my first outfit, however. It wasn't until later in the afternoon that various guests came up to me and asked if they could have their picture taken with me. As a condition, I made them then take a picture of me with whomever I wanted (Mus and his family) so I could have some pictures of myself at the wedding. By the time I came up with this brilliant plan, I was already in my second outfit, an African bubu Mus gave me for Christmas.
Hamida decided not to have any bridesmaids or anything.
This is a typical moment between Mus and his mom. Here's how the game works: Mus teases his mom by acting silly, and she pretends to get mad. Then they both laugh hysterically.
From your album: 
posted by Jess @ 1:32 PM
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