I was invited to a traditional Egyptian wedding in a poor district in the greater metropolitan Cairo. The weddings in these areas are very different from the ones I usually attend which are often held in 5 stars hotels. Yesterday's wedding was right in the street, the traditional Egyptian music was wild, and the atmosphere itself was more jubilant than any upper/middle class wedding I've been to. And in case I've forgot to tell you, there were a lot of beer and plenty of hash as well.
Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for you are just going to get a front seat at one of Egypt's traditional weddings. Lucky you, pampered upper class Egyptians cocooned in papa's air conditioned house would never think of venturing there.
As mentioned above, seats and tables were set on the street. Anyone from the neighborhood could join the party.
This guy led the entire show. As you can see he is holding cash in his hands. People go up to him and give money gifts to the newly wed couple. Another guy with a wireless microphone roams around collecting money gifts from the attendees. Upon receiving the money, he would say something like "Hajj Mohammed greets Ahmed Mahmoud with 100 candles" Ahmed Mahmoud is the bridegroom's father and the one who threw the party. A candle is another word for a pound. So 100 candles are equivalent to 100 pounds ($17.2).
Now, if you want to really show off, you would go up to this guy on stage and literally shower him with your cash notes. Several attendees have done that. They rained money on the guy.
The guy on the left with the notebook records every penny given or thrown on the guy on stage or the guy with the wireless microphone. The bridegroom's father wants every penny to go to his son.
Collecting money that was thrown on stage.
Belly dancers
Beer and more beer and more beeeeeeeeer.
I said that there was hash as well. It's true and the police does nothing. The person who throw the party has to make sure that he bribed the police enough so they would not bother him. Besides, hash and other drugs are widely consumed in these areas and the police simply can't arrest millions.
The people sitting beside me were rolling hash joints. A boy with a special water pipe (called gooza in Arabic) was walking among the people giving a smoke to whomever wants one. I wanted to take a picture of it but the people smoking the hash asked me not to do so.
Did I get a smoke? NO! and I never tell a lie
That's where the couple sit. There were 2 couples from the same family. Cousins marrying each other. One of the guys probably went somewhere and this girl in red is sitting in his seat.
I drank beer and the moment I dreaded came. I wanted to pee. Where would I pee? We're right on the street. I asked around and found my rescue. This thing below, in a cafe. All people at the party used this urinal.
Apologies for the disgusting ending.