Before I left for the World Race I was told multiple times that if I get the opportunity to be invited to a wedding, do it. Well lucky for me, not even two weeks out of the states and that’s exactly what I got the chance to do. Hands down one of the greatest days of my life.
It all started after over 50 hours of traveling, 3 days camping in the mountainous jungle, and finally arriving at our host in the mountains of Indonesia. We were told that our first day here would be spent at a traditional Sundanese Muslim wedding reception. We would have gone to the actual wedding ceremony at a mosque the day before but needed some down time to get over our jet lag.
So we jump in an Angkot (one of the various forms of transportation here) and drive an hour north to where the wedding was to be held. Driving around Indonesia is one of the wildest things I’ve ever experienced. It makes no sense at all. The white line in the center of the road means absolutely nothing other than it gave someone a job. Mopeds are everywhere. You can cross the road at anytime, anywhere. Mad “controlled” chaos.
If you want to turn or merge into traffic, just go for it. No big deal, the huge bus that’s coming won’t hit you. If you want to cross the road on foot, just start walking and jump between cars. Ain’t no thang. You won’t die.
The best part about driving here is no one gets pissed at you, ever. Zero road rage. My kind of people! Somehow everything just flows together. I haven’t seen a single accident. However everywhere you look you assume you’re about to see some awesome collision that’s way better than the ones you’ve wasted your life on YouTube with.
Anyway, the wedding. Our Angkot stops in a village and we see a crowd of people so we figure that’s where the party was at. It’s funny being a white dude in an all Asian culture, everyone notices you’re there. No sneaking around here. We were instantly noticed by everyone.
In front of a mosque, that I can only assume was where the wedding ceremony was held the day before, the bride and groom were being paraded around in a golden cart. After a traditional comedy routine which I didn’t really understand, we followed everyone to a lot next door.
Tents had been raised with food, live music, and an area where the bride and groom sat with their family to greet everyone who was to attend that day. We were told to sit off to the side of the tents in the sun. Before we could even sit down however we were then told to move in the front row of everyone else who had come for the morning festivities. We really had no idea what was going on.
Not even five minutes had passed before we found ourselves in the front of the line to congratulate the bride and groom. Without blinking we were taking pictures with them as if we were best friends. Before we could even begin to understand what was going on we were asked to be their groomsman and bridesmaids. What the heck.
We were escorted to their house right around the corner where we were dressed up in traditional Sundanese clothing and the girls had their makeup done. Was this real life? This is where the selfies began. Literally almost everyone we came into contact with wanted a selfie picture with them. Once one person saw that we were taking pictures with someone, 10 more people would end up in the shot. Out of control.
We then went back to the reception and were told we had to eat. Talked me into it. The food was amazing. It’s pretty much safe to say everything I’ve eaten here in Indo has been amazing. So many different rices, spices, peanut sauces, actual good tofu, and ginger milk. My stomach is content.
This wasn’t the end to our ordeal though. After eating we went back up to where the bride and groom were and took a few more pictures. Right afterwards some of us found ourselves greeting all the guests right next to the happy couple and the others were greeting guests as they walked in and had them sign the guest book.
What on earth was going on kept popping in my head. I didn’t think anything could surprise me anymore. I was wrong however. Next thing I know I’m told we’re to go dance. So what does that mean? Up on stage in front of everyone of course. Things got buck wild to some indo music.
After dancing I got away a bit to try and take some pictures from a distance. Within minutes an old woman asked if I would take a picture with her. Before I knew it, there was a swarm of people around trying to take a picture with me. My face hurt afterwards from so much joy and laughter that was had.
I jumped back into the madness that was happening back in the tent and once again found myself up on stage with the rest of my team to sing a song for everyone. What song do you think we decided to sing to a bunch of Muslims in front of a mosque? A worship song of course. No big deal. Oh how He loves us blasted through the speakers and no one even flinched. What the heck. Is this real life?
People here in Indonesia have surprised me a lot. Everyone is so accepting of each other. Muslims and Christians join in fellowship. It goes against everything I thought I knew of Islam. I haven’t seen a single act of anger. These people know how to love and accept each other. America could learn something from them that’s for sure.
After we got off stage we were told that it was time to change. Alright. I was getting pretty sweaty anyway. Families all wear the same color so we changed from yellow to blue. Apparently, the wedding party will often change several times a day. Also, I was told this wedding was short being only 2 days long. Usually a wedding will last for a week. Talk about a party!
We took a few more pictures with the bride and groom and then were told that it was time to go. As we headed back to our lodging I tried to figure out what on earth had just happened. Something like this never would have happened back in the states.
If a foreigner showed up at your wedding, there’s a good chance you wouldn’t even think twice about inviting them to join the party. Let alone ask them to be a part of the entire thing. I was overwhelmed at the hospitality and the honor that we received. Who the heck am I that deserves such a thing.
I was also blown away at how chill and relaxed Indonesians are. A typical American wedding is only good if the ceremony is short, the food is good, there’s an open bar, a good DJ, and everything happens in a timely matter. This reception lasted all freakin’ day long. If we would have stayed longer, the party would probably have continued far into the night.
This never would have gone down in America. People are far too impatient. I learned a lot today. Life should be enjoyed for the moments that are happening all around us. The people around us. Whether we know them or not.
