The morning began with with nature’s alarm clock: a sound that woke me slowly with the thought: who the hell is skinning a cat? Oh. it must be an old rooster that’s half-burned out its voice-chords. Checking my watch: it was only 7am. ugh. slumbering off again, and dreaming about talking monkeys or something, I woke again around the time that Michael groaned and expelled a large yawn. Getting up, we once again were offered a delicious breakfast that I couldn’t refuse: Green colored banana pancakes with coconut shreds. All freshly made in their kitchen. I asked them how they made it green, and they showed me the plant in their garden they use – apparently gives breads and other grain-products not just an intensely green color, but also a little different taste. Next to this, we were also given plates of fresh fruit like the day before. I had to take a picture of this setup – the breakfast was so colorful.
After breakfast, Michael and I went over to Lily spa where they were advertising 1 hr balinese massages for 60,000 rupias (about $6.50 USD) Signing up for noon, we then headed out to the market where we spent the next hour and a half learning through practice, the art of bargaining. Although most of their starting prices if converted into dollars were trivial, bargaining is part of their culture, and accepting their asking price would not only prevent the tourists from getting a good sale price for the mostly low quality products, but also ruin their culture slowly but surely (in some places was already happening). I didn’t really know what I wanted as I walked into the market, and even after I left, I wasn’t quite sure what I had bought, the whole place was so overwhelming. One sale I remember getting was 2 dresses for $5 a piece. I was quite proud of myself, especially because I got pulled into the shop by an overzealous salesman who kept whispering to me “shhhh not too loud: I give you secret morning price only for you” It wasn’t even that I got to choose which dresses, he just kind of pulled three out and wanted to sell me all of them at first, but I cut it off at two and kept pulling down the price, playing his game. As a last item, I got a nice pair of shoes for about $5.50 to match the dress I was to wear at the wedding. By that time, I had quite enough of all the colorful rags, baskets of fake ray-bans, walls of wooden penis-bottle openers, stone carvings and jewelry, among men offering transportation right and left.
Locating Michael, we headed back to the spa and had an amazing massage followed by a pedicure (yes, he had one too with clear nail polish, to much giggling of the girls at the spa). Relaxed and showered, we headed back to our room, and changed into wedding attire.
After getting driven over to the resort where the wedding was to be held, we took a couple pics. When we stepped into the front lobby of the resort – I thought we were the last people there, but actually were right on time. The place was like a dream: hanging gardens, fountains intermingled with the walkways; we walked out to the terrace overlooking a valley that terminated in a river commonly used for whitewater rafting. The hotel’s “rooms” were actually smaller villas as I found out after finding Emily and her bridesmaids/friends/flower girls being prepared for the big moment. Documenting the process, I was enveloped by the atmosphere, and gwaked at the royal mini-palace-like room that Emily had to get ready. By the time she was all ready, it was actually over 1 hr later than planned. Even the poor priest was made to wait that much time. Everyone looked amazing – I even blended in with the theme of green with my dress and new $5 sandals.
As the ceremony began and finishied, everything happened as if rehersed a multitude of times, except for maybe getting the ring on Endre’s finger (Emily had a bit of trouble – looked like she was forcing it on) And instead of tearing up, the 30-odd attendees just kept smiling, reflecting Emily’s attitude: as she walked down the flower-littered aisle, my little cousins nearly tripping over her flowing dress, she just kept cracking up in laughter. After the Christian ceremony, they also repeated it in front of an Indonesian “priest” (or whatever she was). Although I didn’t notice it – and could be called another flaw or maybe Endre’s nervousness is when the vows were said, the correct verbiage would have been “I swear to stay by your side for rich and for poor” and “in sickness and in health”. According to Emily, she said it correctly, but Endre just repeated “for rich and for poor” again instead of “in sickness and in health”. I guess I was so taken away by the moment, I did not hear (or maybe because of the crappy speaker set-up).
Following the ceremony, group photos were taken with the newly-weds, except because there were 3 photographers (including me), the guests kept looking in every-which direction so I don’t think we ended up with very many where everyone is actually looking into the same camera all at once. Again-minor flaw.. but the setting and lighting was just so perfect that I wouldn’t have minded had it been my wedding. Once this was all done, we had to treck all the way back up to the front door of the hotel, which was – just as on the way down – through winding pathways and stairs, and 2 elevators: a proper hike especially for those women wearing heels.
The reception was held in a restaurant called “Bridges” just a couple kms away. The guests were congregating at the top level where we got to choose from a list of 3 appetizers and entrees, as well as order drinks. When Emily and Endre finally arrived, they had a first dance as we watched and applauded, then headed down to the tables where we had assigned seats, our names printed on a stand- up nametag in cursive. The meal was delicious as well as beautifully presented – I of course took excessive photos which actually may end up on the restaurant’s website as I learned later since they were looking to expand on their wedding-catering section. Us being the first wedding reception they held, I’d say they did an awesome job with set up as well as food selection and portioning. I had a great time and got to know another one of Emily’s cousins and his shy but graceful girlfriend – they sat to my left and infront of me. On the right was Emily’s “real” mother.. there was also her stepmom and some other “mom” I can’t quite remember her specific relation anymore.
Of course during the reception and the dance afterwards, I had 2 barnacles stuck to me in the form of 2 cute girls. Not sure why I was the chosen victim to hang off of and dance with, but I got quite tired however much I enjoyed entertaining everyone by dancing tango, playing tag amongst tables, and spinning them around by their arms.
On the way home, I shared a cab with my roommate, and a couple.. they were all pretty “merry” as they put it; two funny quotes from the ride home: “I know where I am when I’m there” and “I didn’t even have that much cham cham cham… rofl” (cham=champagne apparently). To reduce costs, we got dropped off a street over from our home-stay, and weaved through some flooded streets and back yards to get home.. miraculously made it although I was following a “happy” Michael who had only gone across once before and when it was daylight.. ahh long day, crash – our last night at the Homestay. Tomorrow night we’d be staying at Endre/Emily’s villa to make logistics easier of the 2am start of a sunrise volcano-hike we were going on Saturday morning. Can’t wait!