(Michael, Edith, Rose with me at Peter's introduction!)
Peter, the artistic director of Spirit of Uganda and Aggie's brother, recently decided to get married to his longtime girlfriend. In preparation for the introduction ceremony, he held several meetings for family and friends to help fund raise for supplies. Though we never attended one, it's a rally of auctioning for supplies. Anything from eggs to chickens to sofas are up for grabs. It's an exciting event that could leave your wallet a little empty at the end.
After holding enough meetings to raise enough money to coordinate an introduction ceremony, Peter and friends go out to buy supplies. The father of the bride wanted strong cows, crates of drinks, money, a goat, chickens, dancers, and countless other things for Peter to prove himself worthy.
On Saturday, the day finally arrived. Because the event is a special one for the families involved, everyone dresses up. Peter and his bride decided to make the occasion traditional. Thus, all the women had to wear basutis and the men, kanzus with a jacket over it. So, Michael and I got dressed at Aggie's with our sophisticated new fashion apparel. Not that I'm bragging or anything, but we looked good! :) The kanzu is a long-flowing white/cream tunic with minimal embroidery on it. All the ladies arrived at Aggie's house and began putting on their basutis. Though it's not the most comfortable or modern piece of clothing, all of the ladies looked so elegant and beautiful. Basutis are elaborate dresses with colorful designs, pointed shoulder pads, and matching long belts. We each packed tissues into our pockets, knowing that Africa's heat and our traditional ware would cause for a sizzling, exciting day.
We met up with the groom's procession and followed behind the truck that held the cows and goat. It was pretty exciting. We all waited at a local restaurant because the family wasn't ready for us. There, we took pictures and compared outfits together. Finally, we all began to walk toward the bride's house. There, we formed gender-based lines and entered into a procession. With a large tent and stage set up, most of the bride's family and friends eagerly awaited our arrival. Peter, the groom, was mixed in with us. He had no distinction from the rest of us. We finally all made it into our seats, and the ceremony began. Since it was spoken in Luganda, most of the ceremony was a blur for me. Zziwa, the EAC driver, translated every once and a while. Two MCs, who serve as representatives for the bride and groom banter back and forth about what the family wants. It's a very playful process. The bride's family comes out expecting gifts. The event was festive and full of color and energy. In between, local dancers would portray "guy meets girl" scenes to rhythmic beats and joyful songs.
Aunties are a big deal in the marriage process. Once the family sees that Peter is fit for the bride, the aunties bring out the bride. Peace, the bride, was adorned in beautiful fabrics and elaborate hair styles. She looked so happy. Next, the brides come into the groom's party to find the proper man. They prance around and pretend to not know who he is. After "searching" long and hard, they finally pulled Peter out of the crowd, and the audience went wild.
After they found Peter, it was the groom's party's responsibility to bring in the gifts. In lines, all the men went out to the trucks to bring in sodas, beer, chickens, sofas, sugars, water, and tons of other stuff. With about 30 men, it took us 20 minutes to get all the stuff off the truck and onto the lawn. Peter definitely proved himself to be a provider in my opinion!
Peace and Peter began taking pictures, and family members said kind words to them. It was a really cool experience to be a part of. Throughout the ceremony, photographers take pictures of the audience members. Then, toward the end, they develop the pictures and bring them out to sell. It was so funny to see people looking at themselves and admiring or disapproving of their outfits. I bought a few pictures myself to remember the special occasion.
Of course, afterward, we all ate dinner of matoke, beef, dry fish, porschabeans, peas, pumpkin, and rice. I sat with Rose and Natal. While waiting for everyone to finish, we decided to take silly pictures in our traditional outfits. Let's just say I never knew I could laugh so hard. Ah, it was hilarious. I may post pictures, but I don't want Rose to get upset...yeah, they're that bad! Haha
Well, once again, Ugandans have proven that they know how to have a good time...for a long time. The entire event probably lasted around 7 hours. And, according to everyone, that was a pretty quick ceremony! The groom's family is forced to leave, so we began heading to the parking lot only to find that Aggie's car had been blocked in by a multitude of cars. Joy. Deciding to make the best out of a not-so-great situation, we turned on the radio, heard some Michael Jackson, and "rocked the night away."
Finally, after an hour of waiting, Aggie somehow maneuvered through the maze of cars and headed home. After a great day of laughs, good food, and cultural learning, Michael and I collapsed. Oh, what a day.
-Nick
Peter, Peace, and their family and friends.
The groom's lady line parades into the ceremony. 
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