Mzungu in the Midst

A nursery school graduation, a baptism, and an Introduction ceremony. These were the Big Events I attended in the last week as my time in Masaka winds down.

Apparently, finishing nursery school is a big deal. It means that in the following year, a nursery school grad will be in Primary 1. There's a big to-do to mark the end of the school year (which follows the calendar year) and all the classes do some sort of performance. I was invited by a colleague to attend her daughter's nursery school grad. It was pretty awesome to see a bunch of 3-5 year olds dancing and grooving to music. I'm pretty sure they were all infinitely better dancers than I am. There was a fashion show which showcased casual wear, evening wear and office wear! The best part is the serious expressions on all of their little faces. All the little 'grads' even had caps and gowns and had their names called out. Very formal, as most things in Uganda seem to be.

The fashion show, featuring swimming wear 
and office wear.

With Victoria (the grad) and her older sister, Vanessa.

Congrats, Nursery School grads!

The baptism I went to was for the younger sibling of the kid who's graduation I had attended. It took place at my colleague's home in another village on the edge of Masaka Town. I don't think I've ever attended a mass at someone's home before and it never occurred to me that it could be an option. Other than the venue, it was pretty typical as far as baptisms go except the entire thing was in Luganda. So, as has become my habit here, I spent my time listening to the flurry of words and counting how many words I was able to pick out. It always amuses me that no matter what language mass is said in, you can pretty much follow along not only because the parts of the mass are always the same, but the meter at which the different parts are said is also usually pretty similar across the board - kind of trance-like sounding. The gathering was super fun and relaxed afterward and included a GIANT meal (as with all functions). Seriously -- I literally spilled some of my food because my plate was so heavy and my arm got tired. After the cake cutting, Gorreth (the hostess and mother) introduced the Mzungu from Canada to her guests who all wished me many happy celebrations like this one. While I am extremely appreciative of the warm welcome, the excitement, and the introductions I receive, I also kind of sometimes feel a bit like a Mzungu show pony at things. So, I did my part and stood, said a few words and was even able to throw a tiny bit of Luganda in.

Now, the Introduction ceremony. I had been wanting to go to one for some time because it is apparently THE Bugandan cultural event to go to. Let me backtrack a bit and explain that a large portion of Uganda is comprised of the kingdom of Buganda of which Masaka District (of which Masaka Town is the sort of 'capital') is part. Luganda is the language of Buganda. Confused? The Bugandan people have their own king, or kabaka, who in modern times is more of a cultural leader since he has limited poltical power. However, having said that, the kabaka apparently has more influence on the Bugandan people than the president and the president has had to work cooperatively with the kabaka to maintain peace. Someone told me that it's said that for Uganda to have peace, Buganda needs to be at peace. I guess it's because of the large area the kingdom covers. And I've also heard that Museveni isn't super fond of the kabaka but knows he has to ally with him or face further riots.

Anyway, back to the introduction ceremony. In Bugandan culture, the bride-to-be takes this opportunity to introduce her groom-to-be and his family to her own family, friends and relatives. It's a huge and colourful and gorgeous affair that has more importance than the actual wedding ceremony. Traditionally, marriages were arranged by aunties or other relatives and thus, the purpose of the introduction ceremony. Nowadays, it's more of a tradition, rather than because of a need to introduce prospective new family members that have resulted from an arranged marriage. The whole ceremony pretty much captures the essence of Bugandan culture (and maybe of Uganda): ceremonial, formal, an emphasis on greetings...and lasts about 4-5 hours. It consists of rounds of people from the bride's side taking turns in coming out and welcoming the groom and his family.

The bride is brought out at some point as well amidst much cheering, and clapping, and loud music. There's some dancing and comedic entertainment during all of this while those in attendance sit around, gawk (okay, maybe I was the only one gawking), and drink sodas and beer.

Apparently, men in drag are universally entertaining.

Hello, bride!

Bring on the dowry gifts!

 The highlight of the entire event is the presentation of dowry gifts by the groom. The bride sits on mats while the groom and his family parade in and place gifts and items around her. Now, here I was kind of hoping for something pretty over-the-top, like a hundred cattle and maybe a car. It didn't turn out to be QUITE that over-the-top but there was still plenty there. Among the items I saw were fruit, cakes, flour, rice, electronics (I think), and a whole whack of other things. This is the groom's chance to shine and show what he can provide! One of the MCs did a shout out to Kitovu Mobile (the introduction ceremony was for a daughter of a staff member) and as the Mzungu in attendance, I also got my own shout out. They wished me a 'day like this one', which was cool. I guess I'll have to get going with all the celebrations I am now meant to have. I wonder what my dowry price would be?

The bride amidst some of the dowry gifts.

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