I can now cross off attending a traditional Muslim wedding reception off of my bucket list. While Volunteering at Penang Adventist Hospital in Malaysia I met Shiken, a Muslim woman who was getting married! She invited all of the world racers to her reception held a week after the wedding. We were later told by another co-worker and friend that we should dress culturally. That piece of information can be taken many different ways considering Penang is a multi-cultural community. Needless to say I was excited! So off I went. We were living in the Little India district so that’s where I went shopping. I first went for the tunic and pants combo but considering I am built a little bigger then you average Asian that did not work out so well. Plan B. I would wear a sari; I thought to myself how many opportunities am I going to have to wear a sari to a wedding? Slim to none unless I make a lot of friends in India in 5 months.
The night before the reception we went to the venue to help prepare, which is a cultural norm for all of the family and friends of the marrying couple to help get ready for the fun day. We started by cutting long leafs and putting eggs in a nicely decorated bag. I still don’t know what the significance of that was but it did look pretty.
It’s the Big Day! I put my sari on and I was ready to go. Here is where the cultural misunderstanding happens. A sari is predominantly worn in India, where the main religion is Hindu. Shiken and her husband are Muslims along with the majority of their friends and family. I was the only one out of about 1,000 people wearing a sari and I stuck out like a sore thumb. I had a permanent audience that day from riding the bus, walking on the street and at the reception its self. Lesson learned. We had an amazing time at the reception and I feel very well rounded. Not only did I learn how to put a sari on (which takes a lot of time) but I also learned that they are usually not worn to a Muslim wedding.
