The anatomy of a gomesi
This was quite an exciting event for us. My host mom bought a ‘gomesi’ for me. This is the the national dress for ladies, and mine was colorful, to say the least, though not as colorful as those some of the other ladies were wearing! I personally had no desire to own one of these, secretly ranking it near the bottom of the list of traditional clothing I’ve encountered in my travels in terms of aesthetic appeal. However, after the day, I have to admit that I had a newfound respect for the thing.
The gomesi is kind of like a sari with puffed sleeves and buttons. You put on the top like a shirt, and then gather in the extra fabric and hold it up with a thick belt, which it flops over in a very particular way. Basically, the bigger you are, the better it looks. You can’t see it in the pic, but I’ve got a wool wrap around skirt underneath that helps to add a little extra modesty and bulk. The shoulders are held aloft by netting inside, and the belt is meticulously starched and straightened so it sits just so. I could also stuff my cell phone, wallet, handkerchief, and camera into that belt, without any change to the look! You also have to wear a necklace, so if you look closely you can admire the faux pearly number Jennifer leant me for the occasion.
Since the shoes I brought with me are hopelessly sensible and flat, Sarah and Anita from FSD took me shopping for some gaudy heels, which are sold all around town. Unfortunately, it seems my muzungu feet are not shaped right (not one place had my size!). The one pair that came close ended up being a sensible, though stylish pair of black heeled sandals for $6. I was a little disappointed, but I think I’ll get a lot more mileage out of those than a pair of gold spike heels ;) I was certainly thankful for the choice during the 40 minute walk to the host’s home!
Aiyaiyaiyai! You look smart!!
Once Jenipher and I were outfitted (doesn’t she look great?! discreet gray…), we headed out. Almost as soon as I set foot outside the door, all of my friends along the road were very vocal about their approval of their muzungu’s new look! The ladies shouted aiyaiyaiyai, the men told me I looked very smart, the kids asked my for sweeties as usual, and the boda drivers asked me to marry them, as usual.
Amidst the ruckus, we made our way down the street to the hairdresser, who combed out Jenipher’s hair. Then Jenipher said, “and what about my daughter?” gesturing toward my soft, floppy muzungu locks. The hairdresser humored her and combed out my hair too, though we both knew it would slip back out of shape as soon as I moved my head. Let me just say the rest of the walk to the introduction ceremony site was long and eventful…
A marathon of hellos
The introduction was held at the home of the girl’s grandparents. They rented tents and plastic chairs, which were festooned with colorful swags of fabric and bows (yellow and lime green- I think the general sentiment at these type of functions is that the gaudier, the better.) They also tied up woven mats around the perimeter to shut out the prying eyes of the neighborhood kids. Now Jenipher, unlike many people here, really hates to be late, and so we arrived promptly at around 11:00a.m. We sat and sat as people trickled in and colored paper was spread around the front ‘stage’ area. We sat, and sat, and sat, and finally the event got started around 2:30 (!) with the arrival of the guy and his family. They were seated facing the girl’s family, with the little ‘stage’ area in between.
Pic- the bride to be (in gold) and two relatives dance over to greet the guy's family.
What followed was a virtual ballet of very elaborate greetings, singing, and dancing by various family members of the bride to be. The groom to be’s family responded by parading in a bevy of gifts for the bride’s parents. They carried in at least three rounds worth on their heads, including millet, pineapple, matooke, chickens, a cow, and a couch set! By the way, the invitation to the ceremony included an itemized list of all the gifts and their prices!! All of this was facilitated and narrated by a very animated master of ceremonies, hired specifically for that purpose.
Pic- you can just see the cow as it pulls up to the ceremony.
It was all very fascinating, but turned into a bit of a marathon for me, as I was ambushed by a perfect storm of distractions: Firstly, with everything in Luganda and my host mom too engrossed to translate, there were a lot of blanks to fill in. Then, it was hot and I was wearing a wool skirt under my gomesi. My allergies started to act up and I was sneezing and dribbling all over my hanky. My contacts got all filmed over due to the allergies, and after awhile all I could see was a whirl of colors. I had last eaten/drank at 7:30 in the morning, and no food or drink was served until nearly 8:00pm! I thought I was going to lose it seeing all the gift cartons of soda go by! We almost caved and left before the meal was served, but in the end were able to hang in there till the end!
Pic- the groom to be's family parades in gifts for the bride's parents.
The event ended up with a breezy boda ride home, seated side saddle next to Jenipher around 9pm. It sure was a lot of culture all in one day, but an unforgettable experience to be sure.
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1 comment:
you look like you belong on Little House on the Prairie! :) love it
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