Adventures in Brazil: Part 17

Last night went to the wedding of dear young friends Asaph & Karen. This is the second wedding that I have celebrated in Brazil, and I will try to highlight some of the differences. About five hundred were invited to an ornate room rented from a society of lawyers. Many people must have put a lot of work into the decorations and set-up. As is increasingly common, an professional wedding coordinator was employed. The mix of guests was not primarily younger as would normally be the case in the US but a even balance of young and middleaged. We waited at little tables that would seat seven or eight. In contrast to the US which uses groomsmen and bridesmaids, a much larger group composed the wedding party. There were relatives, close friends, and the groomsmen and bridesmaids although only about four of each of the latter. These came in gradually in a slow procession with musical accompaniment. Before the final entrance of the bride the music changed. There followed a short sermon from the groom's father, a pastor, concentrating on Psalms 127 and 128. Then the brides' father, a former pastor, officiated which concluded with the call for all pastors present to come and pray for the couple. At least thirty responded. The highlight was the bride singing a song to the groom, only the second time that i have ever seen this. Certain readers will remember the first time. Meanwhile a small battalion of waiters clad in white shirts and black vests had begun to serve refreshments. Beverages included Coke, water, something similar to orange juice, and Guarana, the fruit based soda available everywhere in Brazil. This was followed by an unending series of "salgados" a type of hors d!oeuvre. They are small, baked, salty, and have various fillings. I almost forgot the most unusual difference. During the reception a group of young men, friends of the groom, carry a shirt sized box around to the different tables where people are seated, soliciting donations for the honeymoon. In this case, whenever someone made a donation they were rewarded with a little break dancing, and the traditional little piece of a man's tie, cut on the spot for them. To my surprise there was no dancing but of course what i refer to as "barulho," the incessant desire of Brazilians to talk and laugh at the same time. I saw many friends. Of course i had my usual problem with some whom I knew that i had met previously but could not remember where or what their name might be. This morning found a kindred soul in my new host, whose name i do not know how to spell. We took a long walk down the beach and onto a trail that wound along the sea. This probably lasted two hours. My Portuguese is gradually improving because my current host family does not speak any English. As has been said many times, immersion is the best way to learn a language because there is no other choice.