So, I went to a mass Emirati wedding yesterday. Dubai Municipality threw a reception for 66 of their staff who were participating in a mass wedding - actually there were 66 couples participating but apparently 6 had already departed on honeymoon. It struck me and B that this was slightly odd - given, we'd arrived about an hour late, with supreme confidence that we'd still be super early - we weren't - we missed the Sheikh and the ceremony - but surely that was still tight to bugger off on holiday? One other point struck us as slightly bizarre, given our not-very-lateness... there were no women. We had quite a bit of fun trying to work out how the ceremony could have worked exactly, till the PR manager for DM, a very jolly indian guy, told us that apparently the public ceremony is just for the guys. And all the couples could actually get married whenever they liked, some weren't married yet, some had been married for months and were already living together. Still, just for participating, they get a gift of Dhs.50k, a house (depending on salary - if they earn a lot, they may just get a plot) and a fully paid week in the Seychelles as a honeymoon gift. Apparently you also get presents from the sponsors (a sponsored wedding... loving this idea. I'm putting mine out for bids if it ever happens, not too proud to wear a logo on my veil...). Sponsors included Chocolate Lovers and ... Happy Families wondering if you got chocolate condoms then... ? So we watched the troupe of 50 emirati men dance and sing in concentric circles with the canes, and then the women came on to perform the traditional bedouin bridal song - though it was more like a strange croaking wail, and they were pretty intimidating in the gold burqa (which although it sounds like the full covering worn in afghanistan is more like inverse sunglasses - the eyes and forehead and lower face are uncovered, the nose, eyebrows and cheekbones are lined with stiff gold coated cloth, with a peaked nose).
Then we went to the agency and chatted about my career, and B's career, and where we were going. I've known her for nearly 5 years now, and we discussed old times and people who'd come and gone. Got a bit wistful, but it's all go at the moment with the evil Gitex exhibition next week marching onwards, sucking all the will to live out of my marrow. Bring on the dawn of a new day... 10th Dec to be precise. Whoo hoo.
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