Been fairly busy with the holidays coming. We went to a Holiday Party held by the embassy's activities group or USEAR. They run the gyms, pools, bars, holiday parties (Halloween, Christmas act..), sell TEA, rent bikes, camping equipment, AFN boxes and radio station. It was interesting we only knew a few people, the decorations were very nice the food was OK, I hear its the same no matter the event(the food), two pay as you go bars and club music. I would guess the average age was 50 with a lot on the other side 50, Ok so our ages, Club Music the whole time SUCKED. We discovered the parties are for consuming alcohol and pork, so the parties are just filled with all the no-no's of Saudi Arabia, pork, alcohol, music and men & women socializing together oh and fun(only of you like that sort of thing). All this together at $150.00 a couple this will be our first and last until changes are made to the food and music.
Monday night I was invited to a Henna Party. A Henna Party is like a bachelorette party in this part of the world. The bride would be washed, perfumed, mani-pedied and hennaed in anticipation of her upcoming marriage in a few days. This was her families and friends time to say good bye and be sure she was prepared for her coming marriage. Now it has many of the same traditions but, its not like they would have been 50 years ago. The brides don't always get henna because it might not look so good with her dress and she is not washed and perfumed by all the participants, only the grandmother was hennaed. I arrived at 7:30 to her parents home a bit early for the Saudi's but there were maybe 25 western women invited plus it was a work night for some. I was greeted to a beautifully decorated garden space with heaters, couches, tables, two women cooking fresh bread and pancakes, bowls of candy and serving women in matching just made for the party uniforms.. I left my abaya with the check girls, it was placed in a beautifully decorated mesh bag with a number attached to it, I was given a corresponding number which I of course preceded to lose over the course of the night. How to find your abaya in maybe 150 bags of like colored black garments? The bride was in a white dress not a wedding dress, with a fur cape, the mother of the bride had a traditional dress from the Taif region, the sister's, traditional Yemenis dress and a few of the guest also had their own countries dress, all the other were in something very tight or very tent like, some short some long it was really an incredible mix of clothing styles and colors, plus real diamond, pearls and gold. I saw a lot of fur to keep warm. We had tea and coffee along with sweets before we were served dinner in the poorhouse of the home. It was a mixture of Saudi, wheat, wheat and more things made of wheat along with some more traditional arabic dishes. After dinner we all went to yet another space in the home with singers for the dancing. The room was in a basement off the poorhouse with banquettes along two walls and then rows of chairs for the ladies. By then it was 9:30 and the locals had started to arrive. The dancing started with mostly the family in a traditional form, ladies dance here not so much what you would think of arabic belly dancing. They do a line dance up and back in the space provided with a few belly dance move thrown in with the younger ladies. The bride was presented in her white dress and danced a bit had photos taken with anyone that wanted on a special settee at the end of the room. She then left and there was more dancing. Around 10 pm she came down dressed as her mother was when she married for more dancing and photo's. At 11pm she returned with the traditional dress of Yemen that her grandmother would have worn, she was escorted by her sisters who had 4 decorated polls to hold up a piece of silk like a tent that she was under. This custom is only preformed in the traditional families. The GOLD amazing she hard a head piece of gold, a face covering piece, lots of necklaces, bracelet, rings, clothing decorations of it BLING-BLING-BLING with a large price tag. More photos and dancing along with more food, coffee and teas that were served all night. I left about midnight and the local women were still going strong what a party. Her wedding will be tonight a her home with just family probably around 200 hundred people. I hope to get some photos from her aunt that you can all see, I don't take my camera to any ladies events because many don't like their pictures taken.
To day I interview for two jobs at the embassy for something to do, almost all the american women work here as a form of entertainment. Plus headed to the desert on friday photos to come..........
Monday night I was invited to a Henna Party. A Henna Party is like a bachelorette party in this part of the world. The bride would be washed, perfumed, mani-pedied and hennaed in anticipation of her upcoming marriage in a few days. This was her families and friends time to say good bye and be sure she was prepared for her coming marriage. Now it has many of the same traditions but, its not like they would have been 50 years ago. The brides don't always get henna because it might not look so good with her dress and she is not washed and perfumed by all the participants, only the grandmother was hennaed. I arrived at 7:30 to her parents home a bit early for the Saudi's but there were maybe 25 western women invited plus it was a work night for some. I was greeted to a beautifully decorated garden space with heaters, couches, tables, two women cooking fresh bread and pancakes, bowls of candy and serving women in matching just made for the party uniforms.. I left my abaya with the check girls, it was placed in a beautifully decorated mesh bag with a number attached to it, I was given a corresponding number which I of course preceded to lose over the course of the night. How to find your abaya in maybe 150 bags of like colored black garments? The bride was in a white dress not a wedding dress, with a fur cape, the mother of the bride had a traditional dress from the Taif region, the sister's, traditional Yemenis dress and a few of the guest also had their own countries dress, all the other were in something very tight or very tent like, some short some long it was really an incredible mix of clothing styles and colors, plus real diamond, pearls and gold. I saw a lot of fur to keep warm. We had tea and coffee along with sweets before we were served dinner in the poorhouse of the home. It was a mixture of Saudi, wheat, wheat and more things made of wheat along with some more traditional arabic dishes. After dinner we all went to yet another space in the home with singers for the dancing. The room was in a basement off the poorhouse with banquettes along two walls and then rows of chairs for the ladies. By then it was 9:30 and the locals had started to arrive. The dancing started with mostly the family in a traditional form, ladies dance here not so much what you would think of arabic belly dancing. They do a line dance up and back in the space provided with a few belly dance move thrown in with the younger ladies. The bride was presented in her white dress and danced a bit had photos taken with anyone that wanted on a special settee at the end of the room. She then left and there was more dancing. Around 10 pm she came down dressed as her mother was when she married for more dancing and photo's. At 11pm she returned with the traditional dress of Yemen that her grandmother would have worn, she was escorted by her sisters who had 4 decorated polls to hold up a piece of silk like a tent that she was under. This custom is only preformed in the traditional families. The GOLD amazing she hard a head piece of gold, a face covering piece, lots of necklaces, bracelet, rings, clothing decorations of it BLING-BLING-BLING with a large price tag. More photos and dancing along with more food, coffee and teas that were served all night. I left about midnight and the local women were still going strong what a party. Her wedding will be tonight a her home with just family probably around 200 hundred people. I hope to get some photos from her aunt that you can all see, I don't take my camera to any ladies events because many don't like their pictures taken.
To day I interview for two jobs at the embassy for something to do, almost all the american women work here as a form of entertainment. Plus headed to the desert on friday photos to come..........
