August 16

Have gotten back to almost a normal schedule.  It is a little embarrassing because everyone has heard about the bite, the gangrene, and the surgery.  I am not limping.  They expect me to limp.  Nope.  I   have seen quite a few raised eyebrows among the Fijians.  Sigh.

Today was Monica Naimoso and Tevita Ceguadrau's wedding.  We were invited to the temple.  Such a blessing to have a young LDS couple get married in the temple the first time.  Does not happen often enough here.  They met in the institute and courted at the temple while she was doing baptisms for the dead.

Outside the Temple

Mac Ceguadrau, Manase Kofoa, TC, Monica
and two of the bridesmaids

At the Head Table

In the background of these two pictures is a huge tapa cloth.  Notice the details.  It is all handmade.  Tapa cloth is made from the bark of the mulberry tree.  The bark is stripped off the tree and the outer bark is stripped off of the inner bark and discarded.  The inner bark is dried in the sun and then soaked.  The bark is then beaten to make it thinner and then wider generally about 25 cm wide.  When the desired thinness and width is reach, the pounding continues as the woman (always woman) beat two or more sheets of tapa together to make wider sheets.  There is a natural glue used sometime when the sheets do not stick together appropriately.  It is a long and laborious process.  When the desired size is reached the decorating of the tapa cloth is painted on my hand or with a stencil.  The tapa cloth covered a large area as you can see below.  I can not imagine the hours it took to make.

Eating at the Reception

We received an invitation which we put on the bulletin board in the institute.  Most people do not get an invitation they just show up.  If you are a member of a ward that the bride or groom live in, then you come.  If you are a relative you come and your are expected to help with the food at the reception. I am sure that more than 300 people ate a complete meal at this reception.  No family can afford that, so they assign out pieces to the family.  You may be asked to bring enough dalo for 300, or chicken for 150, or something else.  These traditional weddings just about bankrupt families, but they somehow continue to do it.

More People Eating Outside the Cultural Hall

I just could not resist!  Not James, but close.

These Girls Danced as Part of the Entertainment

There were several native dances done as part of the entertainment, and then the tables and chairs were removed for dancing.  Scott and I left when the dancing started.