Monday, June 14, 2010

A foreigner’s view of Indian weddings

This is a first hand account of what they feel attending Indian weddings:

  1. "My, my, do you always have so many guests to the wedding!"
  2. "Why do you have so many lamps? What do they signify?"
  3. "And why are going round in circles onstage?"
  4. "And does the bride wear all that gold later too?"
  5. "Why does the couple look so glum? They are not smiling much."
  6. "What? Can’t listen with music…"( nadaswaram in background)
  7. "Don’t you guys dance. Your films show so much dance and song."
  8. "No thank You. I can eat with my fingers"( on being offered a spoon)
  9. Seeing everyone leaving after feast, "Is that all?!"
  10. Snapping away the pics of dining hall after feast,"I must show everything folks back home"

I request each of you to write something about each:D

32 comments:

  1. I liked your post.Here are some more

    Standing in queue to give the gift to the couple
    Noisy band music too loud for comfort
    Rushing to dining hall to catch an early seat
    gaudy dresses and flaunting jewelry
    Meeting long lost cousins and distant relatives
    Predictable menu in every wedding

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  2. -Isn't he scared that the lungi(mundu) will fall off?
    -How is she walking with all that weight(saree,gold,hairdo,flowers and self)?
    -Will her hair be ever back to normal after that flower-do?
    -Hey, he didn't kiss the bride!
    - The girl's parents will faint any minute!!
    - The guy's parents have their head held high.
    - Where is the cake?
    - Can't I just leave the gift on a table somewhere?This is embarassing!
    -Do the couple always have that plastic smile?Strange....
    :)

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  3. Why is it so chaotic?
    Was it chaotic during the rehearsal as well?

    Is there no champagne to celebrate?

    :-P

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  4. YESSSSSSSSSS is the answer to all..

    1. Do you people drink all this much
    2. Who pays for the Food
    3. do I get One drink and buy the rest
    4. Do you get to bring a friend along
    5. Look at the colours
    6. Who invites the people
    7. how many days to relatives stay

    Excellent point got loads more here .. I live with the foreigners he hehe , I took one with me to a party and it was like oh my god ...

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  5. This is high time that we ask many of these questions ourselves..

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  6. Its an endless list for sure.......
    Why is everyone leaving with the couple..arent they suppose to leave alone!

    Why is the bride crying so much...is she leaving the country!!...someone answers, no they'd be living next door!

    What that thing on the grooms head....looks heavy (sehra that the groom wears)

    :) had fun kk, thatnks for the great post!

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  7. K Parthasarathi
    That standing in queue is real difficult situation:)

    Jyothi
    Plastic smile. Exactly put. Can't blame the couple. They don't know half of the guests.

    Insignia
    They rehearse it so much that they forget to live real, them foreigners.;p

    Bikramjit
    If its free, we Indianns can drink any amount.:D

    Tomz
    Right, especially when you're on a high. Hic.

    A new Beginning
    Tell them that the sehra signifies the burden that he has on his head now for life;P

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  8. I so so so pity you!! lovely post :)

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  9. What about what we think of weddings that are different from our culture, that is foreign to us? Must be a 'long' and 'funny' list in itself - matter for another post! Enjoyed reading your post and what others before me had to add.

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  10. Wonderful...loved reading the post as well as what others said...! :D

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  11. Neha
    Poor ol me had to do lot of explaining.

    RGB
    True. We can write quite a few posts on it.

    Destiny's child
    My Pleasure.

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  12. hahahaha.. awwwwesome!! cant stop laughing :)) and all points have been covered in following feedbacks !! cool ;P

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  13. heheheheh so true. enjoyed reading the comments too.
    and what about:
    "err.. what is arranged marriage?"

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  14. Ha ha very interesting piece . And very matter of fact comments from the foreigner.

    "Why do the couple go in circles on stage"?
    That is a dress rehearsal for the days ahead.
    And the ornaments ? well a diseased way of showing vanity and empty pride.

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  15. Shesha Chaturvedi
    Welcome here. And glad to bring the laughs on:)

    Shruthi
    Oh Yes. That's one of the biggest mysteries for all concerned- arranged marriage!

    anil kurup
    Quite true. Who follows whom in the circle of life:D

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  16. 1. For many of our guests it’s the only opportunity to eat a good meal
    2. In case there’s a load-shedding...
    3. Symbolic of life’s journey, round and round and round.
    4. No, but she can still talk about it.
    5. Showing happiness at wedding amounts to shamelessness.
    6.That’s the idea…
    7.That’s films silly! In real life the song & dance will begin from tomorrow. The bride will call the tune and the husband will dance to her tune.
    8. What? I thought foreigners were more polished.
    9.Unfortunately yes.
    10. Sure…want me to tell the names of the dishes?

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  17. 1. For many of our guests it’s the only opportunity to eat a good meal
    2. In case there’s a load-shedding...
    3. Symbolic of life’s journey, round and round and round.
    4. No, but she can still talk about it.
    5. Showing happiness at wedding amounts to shamelessness.
    6.That’s the idea…
    7.That’s films silly! In real life the song & dance will begin from tomorrow. The bride will call the tune and the husband will dance to her tune.
    8. What? I thought foreigners were more polished.
    9.Unfortunately yes.
    10. Sure…want me to tell the names of the dishes?

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  18. Well the number of guests are comin down...too busy naah?

    They will ask why there are more people in reception hall (lunch place) than the wedding place

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  19. wow! Great list and the comments came up with equally good ones!!

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  20. Neena Sharma
    You did it. Just what I intended when i asked you guys to comment on each. And did I enjoy?:D

    Jon
    Welcome here. A crowded lunch hall is explained by a local saying(Panthikku munnum padake pimbum) that translates to First at feast, last to war.

    Roshni Mitra Chintalapati
    Welcome to lama's land. Enjoy being here.

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  21. 1.Well its vacation time,school closed otherwise there would have been more .2.These lamps attract positive energy as they signify panchtatava(five elements)..there is fire,earth,air,space and water(water in oil?? just nod your head in affirmation).3.Round n round is to signify that none of them is a leader or a follower.4.No but only if is she is a soap star.5.They know what they are getting into 6.so that you can't hear relatives bitching among themselves 7.after hogging all that food ? 8.Smiles more smiles 9.sukh ke sab saathi ,dukh mein na koi 10.Help them at first,later make them tip the caterer and the helpers telling them its kinda customary-make them take a group picture .
    KYA SHAADI THI..BADA MAZA AYA!!

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  22. I dont know if you have noticed...the Christian weddings hv changed the style. Rather than the long tables it's a circular table seating 5-6. Just like a hotel

    And if your eating partners are foodies, you are doomed. The people will finish the non-veg side dished before the rice/appam arrives

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  23. Lol...i've asked these questions to myself tons of times. Especially one about how people leave the moment the doors to the dining hall opens!

    Its super-irritating , so much that i've decided to invite only the people who care about me getting married to my own wedding.

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  24. Congratulations....you have won the Caption Contest on my Blog :)
    Please drop me a mail and I will send across the trophy...

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  25. The reaction is same only the content in that differs when we go to a foreigners wedding!!

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  26. Kavita
    Mujhe bhi. You seem to have done it many times over- explaining

    Jon
    And did you ever be one who was the only non family member at a table. The mommy and poppy will be serving the kids all those nice pieces which they don't want and will waste at the end of it. Finally someone notices you in a corner and extend a fish curry with just one piece or none at all, beef fry where you try to discover beef, chicken which long left the dish etc etc.

    Lazy Pineapple
    Wow. Iam now a la Aishwarya being crowned. And to what ID do I mail?Can't I just save the pic and paste onto my template?

    Nazish Rahman
    Oh Yes. Will write about it later.

    Gymnast
    Lazy Pineapple
    Nazish Rahman

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  27. Gymnast
    Oh Oh left Gynast out. A very correct decision, my dear. But it doesn't help much. Even the nearest family members and friends behave differently at a wedding. Something just happens. Each one of us enjoys the wedding with all its meaninglessness and goofups and comments.

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  28. you been tagged AGAIN SORRY.. Check it out on my blog ...

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  29. "Why does the couple look so glum? They are not smiling much" Now that's what I say an observation! :P

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  30. Pratik Gupta
    Elementary, Watson. Elementary.:)

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