My 2 days as an honorary Punjabi

Last weekend was dedicated to exploring the bay area, and this weekend we spent time diving into the unique mix of cultures you can find here. W. has a co- worker who's daughter was getting married, and we were lucky enough to get invited. Part of her adventure last week was going to pick up some appropriate gear to wear for a Friday morning ceremony, and a Saturday reception. So with W. in her new red Salwar Kameez, and me in a suit with matching red tie, off we went to the Gudwara Sahib, Fremont, not knowing exactly what to expect. We were told to arrive early because we needed to be there in time to see the groom come in on a white horse, so when we pulled up nice and early, and I immediatley got put in a bright pink head scarf, and and a pink corsage. In a Sikh place of worship, you remove your shoes, and cover your head, and since I was part of the brides party, the pink accessories were compulsory, but I was certainly not alone in my pink gear, and I'm the kind of guy who's more than willing to do as. We were lead to food almost immediately, there were huge trays of samosas, and chick peas, and a few other Indian snacky foods. Finally when the party seemed to be growing quite large, you could hear drumming and singing in the distance. The groom and his half of the party numbering another couple hundred strong slowly made their way to the Gudwar. There was a ceremonial exchange of gifts between the families that took place on the front steps, and then all of the grooms family were invited in for snacks too. We helped ourselves to another round of snacks and then took our floor seats inside. Fortunately some more of W's co-workers arrived so I had a guy to sit with since men and women sit on separate sides inside. The ceremony was loooooong, and includes 4 laps around the main altar for the bride and groom. Making it seem even longer was that every word sung or spoken was in Punjabi, so I sat there dumstruck looking at all the colors and pageantry. The carpet inside is well padded, but any time over 30 minutes on the floor is a long time. The final part of the ceremony is the passing out of a customary sweet, Karah Prashad, that is mixed and distributed by hand, and was strange but tasty. After the ceremony a full, but vegetarian lunch was served, and we hung out for a while afterward, but eventually left right around the time the bride and groom were to take off. The full description of what happens in a Sikh wedding is here.