footprints of life

Last weekend I was really fortunate, because a very nice lady took me to a Sana’ani wedding party, errr… a LADIES Wedding Party, to be exact.

a LADIES wedding party?  And what on earth does that mean? Ladies and Gentlemen, that simply means that there are separate parties for female guests and male guests, and not only there are two parties, there are MULTIPLE parties for each gender group, so I don’t think you would even need to bother pulling out that electronic calculator…. these wedding parties are simply super duper expensive.

Anyway, after going through a panic attack for not having anything proper to wear and making a quick stop at a shoe shop and get myself a pair of silver peep-toe shoes (yeah, you read it right : SILVER PEEP TOE HIGH HEELED SHOES), I was finally resigned with the fact that I might be seriously underdressed in one of the notoriously festive Sana’ani weeding parties.

I put on my abaya, and head to the front gate when I heard a car honking up front.  

After a five minute drive, we finally arrived at the venue, and what a long line of cars!!! I had to leave both of my phones with my friend’s driver because she forgot to tell me that we are not allowed to bring anything with camera on it inside the venue.  I saw lines and lines of cars opening their doors, and letting out ladies in in black shrouds, who are then moving swiftly from the car to the security check.  Presenting the small pieces of invitation (there are color coded coupons inside the usual invitation card for different parties on different days… picture THAT) outside the compound was a quick business, and then we were greeted by a pair of female ‘guards’ inside the compound who rummaged through our bags/purses for cameras.

We were cleared.

And LO and BEHOLD!! The first glimpse of the venue was a front hall with chest high mirrors all over the walls, and numerous ladies taking off their abayas and [re]beautifying themselves before entering the party room.  Oh, what a humbling sight!

These beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, and gorgeous (THAT’s how humbling it had been…) ladies clad in exquisite dresses and most impressive statement jewelleries I have ever seen with my own eyes.  But somehow I found that my simple summer dress had made the cut, just made the cut.  And the silver shoes definitely covered my bases.  With the absence of the abovementioned statement jewelleries on any part of my body, I could use any assistance of any bling-bling, believe me.  But then again, I can always get away from the norms, being a foreigner  

After the barely successful attempt of beautifying myself, my friend and I walked into this huge huge hall filled with ladies…ladies….and ladies.  And not one lady looks like the next one.  Up front was an elevated stage decorated in white and pink collumns and fabrics, with a white throne perching gracefully smack in the middle…. empty.

Young ladies danced in front of the stage, moving their bodies and swinging their hair, cascading a loooooong way down their backs - straightened, curled, colored, highlighted; you name it. Vines of pretty little flowered henna tattooes crept up those bare arms, shoulders and backs.

And that’s just the beginning

This posting is way too long already.  So, see you on the next part.

Sana’a, July 5th, 2009.

DISCLAIMER:  The photos on this page ARE NOT actual party attendees, they are just illustrating the kind of dresses you could see (and ehemmm… those you would NEVER see, Gentlemen…) in such parties.  And yes, I saw some versions of these dresses. Pictures are from here.