| A wedding in Hazro, Pakistan |
|
|
|
Most American citizens will never have the opportunity to attend a wedding in Pakistan.
Many American citizens would not consider attending such a wedding, due to travel warnings issued by Web sites such as Safe Travel and even the United States State Department.
Jeff Smith is different. He welcomed the opportunity to visit the far-away land –– to get to know what the people are like and not what we presume them to be like.
While living in Botswana, a small country in southern Africa, Smith and his wife, Gina, became acquainted with Raja Kahn, who owned a small take-away (or carryout) restaurant in a village of about 5,000 people.
As the two men got acquainted –– and became friends, Kahn told Smith he was going to be returning to Pakistan soon to be married. He invited Smith to be a special guest at the event.
Very few Americans receive an opportunity such as this," Smith said. "I recognized this opportunity not only to attend a wedding, but as an opportunity to learn about Pakistan and the Pakistani people."
Smith said emotionally he knew bad things happen in Pakistan. He received warnings from friends, who said it was dangerous and he should think twice before traveling there for the wedding.
Smith told his parents he was planning a trip to Pakistan just a week before he left. His mother thought he was joking and didn't realize he was actually going until he was already there.
"Our perception of Pakistani people is certainly not positive," Smith said. "I got warnings that I should not travel there, but my wife encouraged me to do so.
"It's true that in America, most of what we read and hear about Pakistan is not good, but I did not believe this to be true. I wanted to see for myself."
While in Pakistan for his two-week visit, Smith witnessed what he described as the beauty of the country. He became acquainted with the people and drew his own conclusions about what he had been warned so vehemently about.
He learned to play cricket, observed competitive bird fights, participated in practical jokes and was a celebrity while he walked the streets of Pakistan –– as their American guest.
The arranged marriage between Raja and his bride took place in Khagwani, a small, very traditionally conservative village, near the city of Hazro, which is about 75 miles from Afghanistan.
Smith said a Pakistani wedding is quite different from those we attend in the United States. A great deal of money was spent for the wedding.
Traditionally, weddings in Pakistan include a four-day ritual –– the celebrations vary, but always include colorful expressions and involve singing and dancing –– following traditions handed down from generation to generation.
Smith said that during the celebration, the bride and groom never saw each other –– the men and women celebrate separately. Smith did not have the opportunity to meet Raja's wife because she was unable to attend the same celebrations he attended.
"I was told that according to Islamic doctrine, men will know the women they are marrying before the wedding –– but that means they only spend a few minutes getting acquainted," Smith said. "The families know each other, but the couple does not have the opportunity to get together before very late on the wedding night."
According to Smith three cows were killed for the wedding dinners –– on the first day, dinner was served to people from the village and the second day the invited guests were served.
Flat, round bread, called Roti, is baked in large clay pots, which have been buried in the ground. The bread is used to pick up the other food and sop up liquids. Huge pots are used for cooking the vegetables.
Only four people were employed to put the wedding meals together –– the rest of the labor was provided voluntarily by men and boys from the village, who prepare the food.
The wedding party and their guests eat the banquet meal while sitting cross-legged on blankets on the ground.
Smith said he was impressed with the things he learned about the Pakistani people.
"Everyone I met treated me with great kindness and respect," Smith
said. "I was allowed to look into the hearts of many people in Pakistan
and have seen nothing but goodness. I hope they saw the same goodness
in me."
Raja and his friends drove Smith to the airport the
morning after the wedding celebration. Smith said he hopes to meet up
with Raja in the future –– possibly on a return trip to Botswana.
Upon leaving Pakistan, Smith wrote a letter to his friend, Raja, thanking him for the opportunity he had to attend his wedding. In the letter, Smith vowed to return to the United States and tell others of the goodness he found with the Pakistani people.
The common refrain he heard from his new friends as he left was, "Don't forget us."
Users' Comments (1) |
|
(0 vote)
27-05-2008 23:51, , Guest nice article ... loved it |
||
|
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|
Views: 7738