"O! Give Jah his praises!
O! Let Jah be praised!
O! The Father, in his mercy,
Sent a little music to make de vibration raise!
Everybody come and celebrate! "
(David Rudder, Hallelujah)
Russell and Angie got married yesterday. It was GREAT! If their marriage is like their wedding, it will be beautiful, loving, fun and filled with family and friends who love them. They will compromise for each other, and tolerate in-laws with grace and humour.
(Russell was a little annoyed at the way his future mother-in-law seemed to be taking over the wedding. So at his stag party, he announced that there must be NO TIES! He, the best man, MC, and all well-wishing friends must arrive tieless at the church! Two days before the wedding, he sent out a panicked email: "operation tieless is a NO-GO! Repeat! Operation tieless is a no-go! Abort! Abort!" Several guys never got that message!)
The church was full of five- and six- year-olds, Angie's school class who HAD to see her get married. Angie's dress was beautiful. The ceremony was lovely, and not too long.
At the reception it poured with rain, so anyone who didn't want to dance and sweat all night inside, (there were big portable air-conditioners, but they couldn't beat the heat and humidity) or was concerned about their shoes getting muddy, went home early. The rest of us raved it up like maniacs, and I need to find out WHO the DJ was! Whenever I thought, "my feet are worn down to stumps. Gotta sit down" he would change the mix and I would forget my aching feet. No-one told me that I dance like a white girl, which was very kind. I have learned some moves from various in-laws, so maybe I am not as hopeless a case as I once was? Or maybe the visiting English relations and rugby buddies made me look good? Not that I was too concerned, the music was just too good.
There was a tassa side. They were really good, but I just have to make a statement of complaint here: up to recently, ALL tassa drums used goat skins. Now, the fancy new thing is to use regular modern drum skins. Why? Because the goat skins need to be heated up close to a fire, which tightens the skin and makes it "pang!" the way it should. Who wants to take all that time and effort?
One problem is that it doesn't QUITE sound the same with the plastic skins, and more importantly, there is NO stopping! No rest and bar visit while the drums heat up, no waiting in anticipation while they "pang" and "pang" until "PANG!" it is just right and the rhythm moves your feet like a lemming, unable to resist. Tassa sides are modernised now.
The food was great. Millions of small yummy things! My favorite: small dumplings with curry-crab dip. I had to run after that tray, for more! Sean said that the pastelles (corn meal wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, with meat, olives, seasonings in the centres) were his favorites, but I was not impressed. They did make me feel even more Christmassy though!
Next weekend, we have a Hindu wedding (no alcohol! Delicious vegetarian food!). And after Christmas, ANOTHER family wedding. Can I wear my sparkly silver top to all three? It is too hot for a sari.
Decisions, decisions!
O! Let Jah be praised!
O! The Father, in his mercy,
Sent a little music to make de vibration raise!
Everybody come and celebrate! "
(David Rudder, Hallelujah)
Russell and Angie got married yesterday. It was GREAT! If their marriage is like their wedding, it will be beautiful, loving, fun and filled with family and friends who love them. They will compromise for each other, and tolerate in-laws with grace and humour.
(Russell was a little annoyed at the way his future mother-in-law seemed to be taking over the wedding. So at his stag party, he announced that there must be NO TIES! He, the best man, MC, and all well-wishing friends must arrive tieless at the church! Two days before the wedding, he sent out a panicked email: "operation tieless is a NO-GO! Repeat! Operation tieless is a no-go! Abort! Abort!" Several guys never got that message!)
The church was full of five- and six- year-olds, Angie's school class who HAD to see her get married. Angie's dress was beautiful. The ceremony was lovely, and not too long.
At the reception it poured with rain, so anyone who didn't want to dance and sweat all night inside, (there were big portable air-conditioners, but they couldn't beat the heat and humidity) or was concerned about their shoes getting muddy, went home early. The rest of us raved it up like maniacs, and I need to find out WHO the DJ was! Whenever I thought, "my feet are worn down to stumps. Gotta sit down" he would change the mix and I would forget my aching feet. No-one told me that I dance like a white girl, which was very kind. I have learned some moves from various in-laws, so maybe I am not as hopeless a case as I once was? Or maybe the visiting English relations and rugby buddies made me look good? Not that I was too concerned, the music was just too good.
There was a tassa side. They were really good, but I just have to make a statement of complaint here: up to recently, ALL tassa drums used goat skins. Now, the fancy new thing is to use regular modern drum skins. Why? Because the goat skins need to be heated up close to a fire, which tightens the skin and makes it "pang!" the way it should. Who wants to take all that time and effort?
One problem is that it doesn't QUITE sound the same with the plastic skins, and more importantly, there is NO stopping! No rest and bar visit while the drums heat up, no waiting in anticipation while they "pang" and "pang" until "PANG!" it is just right and the rhythm moves your feet like a lemming, unable to resist. Tassa sides are modernised now.
The food was great. Millions of small yummy things! My favorite: small dumplings with curry-crab dip. I had to run after that tray, for more! Sean said that the pastelles (corn meal wrapped in banana leaf and steamed, with meat, olives, seasonings in the centres) were his favorites, but I was not impressed. They did make me feel even more Christmassy though!
Next weekend, we have a Hindu wedding (no alcohol! Delicious vegetarian food!). And after Christmas, ANOTHER family wedding. Can I wear my sparkly silver top to all three? It is too hot for a sari.
Decisions, decisions!
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