As you can see from the picture, they are pretty ornate—there is no hiding a wedding hall. They have a lot of flashing lights, and look a bit like an Afghan Vegas.
Engagements are festive and the band is loud. Under the Taliban, no such nonsense was allowed. You came, you had a meal, and you went
home. No dancing, no
bright lights, no fun. And though we never got to see any, from the dresses in the wedding shop, it seems that the Taliban would have also frowned on
the dresses that the women wear—they are really nice,
and the women are very made-up. Of course, the v
ast majority will get back into their bourqa before they head home.
Afghans that wanted to celebrate weddings/engagements during the Taliban actually went over to Pakistan, where the living was free and easy. Having been coming here for a while now, it truly is incredible to imagine a place that loves music so much, and where
Bollywood is the rage,
having no music. Sadly, those days have returned for a lot of the people here.
The other pictures here are of the guys I work with—
I work with women too, but they weren’t allowed to hang out with us.
1 comment:
It seemed almost an afterthought, and perhaps it was left until last for its great irony, but amid all this celebration, you mention that women are still separate and, by implication (or inference?), not so equal.
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