Our Big Fat American Turkmen Wedding: The Idea
The Idea
One Saturday in late May, the sun beating down outside to the point you could cook an egg on the stones outside, two volunteers (a girl and a guy) from Mary were hanging out, sharing a bottle of vodka. They began to talk about one of the PCV's favorite topics; what they wanted to do before they left Turkmenistan.
"What do you want to do for a going away party?" she asked.
"Why don't we hold a toy?" he responded.
"What? I don’t know, wouldn't that be kind of wrong?"
"No, not if we went through the whole process and told people that it was just going to be a going away party for me."
"So let me get this straight you want to marry someone Turkmen style for your going away party?"
"No, not me, somebody else. Oh and then halfway through the night we could switch it to an American wedding, just to show that it is a cross cultural exchange."
"Sounds good to me. Let's do it. Who am I going to marry?"
"How about the PCV from the next town?"
"Sure."
Throughout the next week, these two volunteers started spreading the word among the PCV community and the local town. He talked to his host family’s uncle’s brother and found a place to have the wedding. She talked to her neighbors cousin and they agreed to rent her the gellen wear and the wedding dress. His host dad found a friend that ran a toy videotaping business to record the event. She bought material for the bridesmaid dresses, a purple and black paisley. He talked to his host mom and neighbors and they agreed to help with the cooking for the wedding. Then they both decided on the date of the wedding Wednesday, June 14th.
For many who read this blog, it might seem strange to have a wedding in the middle of the week. Why not have it on a Saturday when everyone that comes does not have to worry about going to work the next day? The answer here is easy, it doesn’t matter. I have been at toys until past midnight, trading shots with the neighborhood men, some barely able to sit in their chairs. Then the next morning at eight o’clock while I am still trying to get rid of the ringing in my ears as I walk to work, I see them hard at work. The next day is simply that…just the next day.
Despite all of the preparations moving ahead as planned, there was one snag…money. How were the PCVs with our minimal monthly salary pay for a toy for over one hundred people? The savior of the group was a Peace Corps Volunteer that was on her way out of the country, and had some extra money that she had received recently. This $70 was enough to put on the toy.
Now all that was standing in the way of the PCV Big Fat American/Turkmen Wedding is getting the Peace Corps Volunteers to come.
One Saturday in late May, the sun beating down outside to the point you could cook an egg on the stones outside, two volunteers (a girl and a guy) from Mary were hanging out, sharing a bottle of vodka. They began to talk about one of the PCV's favorite topics; what they wanted to do before they left Turkmenistan.
"What do you want to do for a going away party?" she asked.
"Why don't we hold a toy?" he responded.
"What? I don’t know, wouldn't that be kind of wrong?"
"No, not if we went through the whole process and told people that it was just going to be a going away party for me."
"So let me get this straight you want to marry someone Turkmen style for your going away party?"
"No, not me, somebody else. Oh and then halfway through the night we could switch it to an American wedding, just to show that it is a cross cultural exchange."
"Sounds good to me. Let's do it. Who am I going to marry?"
"How about the PCV from the next town?"
"Sure."
Throughout the next week, these two volunteers started spreading the word among the PCV community and the local town. He talked to his host family’s uncle’s brother and found a place to have the wedding. She talked to her neighbors cousin and they agreed to rent her the gellen wear and the wedding dress. His host dad found a friend that ran a toy videotaping business to record the event. She bought material for the bridesmaid dresses, a purple and black paisley. He talked to his host mom and neighbors and they agreed to help with the cooking for the wedding. Then they both decided on the date of the wedding Wednesday, June 14th.
For many who read this blog, it might seem strange to have a wedding in the middle of the week. Why not have it on a Saturday when everyone that comes does not have to worry about going to work the next day? The answer here is easy, it doesn’t matter. I have been at toys until past midnight, trading shots with the neighborhood men, some barely able to sit in their chairs. Then the next morning at eight o’clock while I am still trying to get rid of the ringing in my ears as I walk to work, I see them hard at work. The next day is simply that…just the next day.
Despite all of the preparations moving ahead as planned, there was one snag…money. How were the PCVs with our minimal monthly salary pay for a toy for over one hundred people? The savior of the group was a Peace Corps Volunteer that was on her way out of the country, and had some extra money that she had received recently. This $70 was enough to put on the toy.
Now all that was standing in the way of the PCV Big Fat American/Turkmen Wedding is getting the Peace Corps Volunteers to come.
posted by Schirm 2605 | 10:18 AM
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