So this post is WAY past due. When my mom was here, actually on the 21st June, we were invited to go with our landlord's family to go to a family wedding. We were really excited because it meant we were going to see their village as well! They had been talking about their water buffalo etc.
So we woke up at the butt crack of dawn and left our house at 6:30am. Our auntie picked us up and we rushed towards the bus stand- a 10 rupee ride away, just in time for the bus. After traveling straight up the mountain on a one lane road for about an hour, we arrived in their little village. They fed us breakfast because we were there so early, and then we started to get ready. Soon afterwards we heard the band playing and rushed outside to see the groom's side coming.
I won't go into all the details of the wedding b/c they're quite complex, and I don't understand all the things they do and say, but the ceremony lasted ALL DAY! Then finally around 3:30pm, it was time to eat! this is the funnest part because it's like a race. You have to shovel food into your mouth as quickly as possibl before they put more food on your plate- or leaf as the case may be. The actual eating part is called DHAM.
You eat in shifts so to speak. Everyone walks in, they sit down they get a leaf, food is dumped on the leaf- there are about 5-6 courses, one after the other, they eat, stand up, wash their hands, and the next shift comes in. After we ate, or maybe it was before I don't really remember. Our uncle told us that we had not met "our" buffalo. So he took us to inrtoduce us to her. They have an adult cow, and an adult water buffalo, a baby cow and a bay water buffalo. Not that you care, but the baby water buffalo takes 4 YEARS to fully mature, where as a cow only takes maybe 6months- 1yr. We met our water buffalo, Uncle told us her name was "Mary". I think he made it up on the spot, b/c when I asked him what its name was he kind of stumbled, and then slurred what I thought was "Mary". He could have said a number of things. After that we took to the bus home and arrived safely back in our residence at around 7pm. A long day to say the least, but definitely a very fun day. side not- I am still not used to people staring at me. You would think that after being here 7 months I would get used to it. But no, I have to say when we first arrived, I think more people were looking at us than the couple!~
So this post is WAY past due. When my mom was here, actually on the 21st June, we were invited to go with our landlord's family to go to a family wedding. We were really excited because it meant we were going to see their village as well! They had been talking about their water buffalo etc. 
So we woke up at the butt crack of dawn and left our house at 6:30am. Our auntie picked us up and we rushed towards the bus stand- a 10 rupee ride away, just in time for the bus. After traveling straight up the mountain on a one lane road for about an hour, we arrived in their little village. They fed us breakfast because we were there so early, and then we started to get ready. Soon afterwards we heard the band playing and rushed outside to see the groom's side coming. 
I won't go into all the details of the wedding b/c they're quite complex, and I don't understand all the things they do and say, but the ceremony lasted ALL DAY! Then finally around 3:30pm, it was time to eat! this is the funnest part because it's like a race. You have to shovel food into your mouth as quickly as possibl before they put more food on your plate- or leaf as the case may be. The actual eating part is called DHAM. 
You eat in shifts so to speak. Everyone walks in, they sit down they get a leaf, food is dumped on the leaf- there are about 5-6 courses, one after the other, they eat, stand up, wash their hands, and the next shift comes in. After we ate, or maybe it was before I don't really remember. Our uncle told us that we had not met "our" buffalo. So he took us to inrtoduce us to her. They have an adult cow, and an adult water buffalo, a baby cow and a bay water buffalo. Not that you care, but the baby water buffalo takes 4 YEARS to fully mature, where as a cow only takes maybe 6months- 1yr. We met our water buffalo, Uncle told us her name was "Mary". I think he made it up on the spot, b/c when I asked him what its name was he kind of stumbled, and then slurred what I thought was "Mary". He could have said a number of things. After that we took to the bus home and arrived safely back in our residence at around 7pm. A long day to say the least, but definitely a very fun day. side not- I am still not used to people staring at me. You would think that after being here 7 months I would get used to it. But no, I have to say when we first arrived, I think more people were looking at us than the couple!~
9 comments:
BEAUTIFUL!! i love the pictures and all the colors :) i miss you chica.
love, your homey-G
how much is 10 rupees in dollars?
There are roughly 45 rupees to one dollar so that means. 10 rupees is about 23cents.
Hmm, sounds cheap - at least compared to $3 gas. Is that a bargain for the people there or is 10 rupees a lot for them?
It is pretty cheap. Here they'll pay the 10 rupees to get to the bus stand if they're in a hurry. Otherwise they'll save the 10 rupees and walk there. 10 rupees isn't tonnes here either, it's maybe the equivalent of a $ for us. A $ here and there though soon adds up!
Hey Becks,
What do you mean - "your" buffalo?
Love you,
Benny
Hey Becks - by the way - everyone I talk to on vacation checks your blog about once a week. Keep up the posting!
Benny
our Uncle always jokes that we're his daughters, so he says the buffalo are "ours".
I saw that water buffalo and he is handsome.
Momma
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