Something Old, Something New

This past weekend my student invited me to attend the wedding reception for his cousin. It was such an honor to be included in his family celebration!


I was treated like a real VIP! I spent the first hour greeting all of the women in my student's family and I was delighted to finally meet his mother, who he always speaks so fondly about. After that I was led into a room to feast on some meat and potatoes. My student helped me out by eating the meat! 

When we were ready to leave the house to go outside to join the festivities, I didn't see my shoes outside of the door where I left them. Instead, there was a tiny pair of plastic shoes sitting there. My student urged me to wear them instead but I couldn't even fit my toe inside. He went on a mad search of every room and got everyone to help him look for the shoes. 


Finally, he came back with a pair of blue high heels and said, "you'll have to wear these." In fact, they were more appropriate than the ones I was wearing to begin with. I bought the other pair in Senegal to go with all of my jolie new bazin outfits. It was the first time I wore them but I wasn't attached to them. I am actually grateful for moments like these that provide everyone with something to laugh about. We will all be laughing for a long time about this one! In Mauritania it seems that we all end up with something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue!


With my new shoes, we went outside to a big square where there was drumming and dancing taking place. I was given a chair directly in front of the performance. At dusk, the bride arrived wearing a traditional wedding dress and everyone took turns taking pictures with her. Meanwhile, the groom was busy having his own celebration in a village 400 km away, near the Senegal river. I don't know about the village but I do know that in Nouakchott we danced, clapped, and sang our way through a real party!!!