DAY EIGHT: Jakarta

Mutia had timed this trip so that we would be in the country for her cousin's wedding. Her cousin invited all of us to the reception afterwards, which made for yet another once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on this trip. The original plan for the day was this: since the house we were staying in was about an hour away from everything else in Jakarta, we would be dropped off at a shopping mall and meet up with Mutia. We'd all get to putz around the mall for a while, and then we'd go with Mutia when she got ready for the reception. The plan immediately changed a little bit: we'd swing by the place where the wedding was held, to pick up Mutia right after the ceremony.

Along the way, our driver took all kinds of narrow back roads, many of which had more potholes than actual pavement. There also weren't many traffic lights at intersections. An unofficial traffic directing business had emerged to fill the niche: most intersections had a man who would walk out into the main flow of traffic and have them pause while drivers from small intersecting streets pulled out. In exchange, these drivers would give the man a tip of something around half a dollar.

After about an hour, we got to an upscale-looking neighborhood, and weaved around the mass of parked cars around the house. We passed a shiny black BMW--the newlyweds' chariot. Mutia came out to see us, and invited us in to meet the bride and groom. The ceremony had just finished a few minutes earlier.

Mutia's cousin, Kirana, is Javanese. Her husband, Mugi, is Sumatran. Each island has different traditions for marriage, so they decided to incorporate both: the wedding ceremony was done in Kirana's Javanese style, while the reception would be done in Mugi's Sumatran style.

We got to see them while they were still decked out in wedding regalia. They were very nice, but I felt a little weird talking to them--I'm pretty sure talking to three foreigners, even if they're friends of my cousin, won't be high on my list of things to do right after I get married. Mutia had already changed, but still had her hair done up from the ceremony.

After piling back into the car, we rode to the mall. Along the way, Mutia filled us all in on the plan for the rest of the day. We got dropped off at the mall and agreed on a meeting time with the driver.

The mall itself was massive--I'd put it on the same level as the Mall of Georgia. We milled around together at first, the girls did some clothes shopping, and we finally found a nice gift for Rachel's mom. We ate lunch at an awesome noodle shop in the food court, with the whole meal setting us each back about $3. Zoe and Rachel wanted to get their hair done for the reception, so they went off and did that while Mutia and I talked. I filled her in on Borneo, and she filled me in on the wedding and all the preparations.

We found an Internet cafe for me, and Mutia went off to do some shopping. I checked my email and suchlike, then just poked around the mall on my own. I first went to the movie theater to check out showtimes. When I found nothing was playing at the right time, I stood in line at the concession stand, intent on at least getting a Mountain Dew. They were sold out, though, so I pressed on. I discovered a restaurant called Chicken Story, a KFC, an A&W, and a Krispy Kreme. Those last two shocked me. Unable to resist, I got a rootbeer and two glazed donuts. Having eaten cold Pizza Hut for breakfast, and root beer and Krispy Kreme for a snack, I felt closer to home than I had since Christmas.

After rendezvousing, we caught a ride to the salon where Mutia would get ready for the reception. Her mother and sister were already there, and Rachel, Zoe, and I chilled out while they got beautified. This is how Mutia looked after getting all dolled up. The three of us also got changed into our reception duds, and we all piled into our cars and headed for the event. I grabbed a quick shot of traffic at an intersection, but it's nowhere near a fair representation of the chaos.

We arrived and, not wanting to do anything wrong, the three whities planted themselves firmly behind Mutia and her family. We saw the pretty welcome sign, then headed in. The corridor leading to the hall was nice, and had people dressed in full regalia distributing programs.

The ballroom itself, though, was simply spectacular. There was a red carpet leading from the corridor all the way to the stage, where three pairs of seats had been arranged. Branching off the carpet at the entrance was another red carpet running along the left side of the ballroom, with large gate frames arching over it. There was a small dining area on the right of the ballroom, and the rest of the floorspace was devoted to food.

Mutia's family gave us a tour of the place, explaining the significance of different parts, and also telling us about the foods that would be served. There was sushi, a full roasted lamb, and all kinds of Indonesian rice and noodle dishes. About 1/3 of the tables were dedicated to desserts. As Java is mostly Muslim, there was no alcohol or pork.

The guests began piling in, with almost all the men clad in batik. The women were wearing various traditional gowns and draperies, reflecting what part of Indonesia they were from. There were soon about two or three hundred people filling the ballroom. Zoe, Rachel, and I did our best to fit in. I should have brought khakis instead of black slacks, and I should've untucked my shirt--nobody else tucked in their batik shirt. Better than nothing, I guess.

When the bride and groom arrived, everyone gathered around the center red carpet. They entered, clad in Sumatran attire, preceded by a small band of musicians, and made their way toward the stage. They stopped in front of the stage, and a troupe of dancers performed for them. After they finished, Kirana and Mugi made their way to the center of the stage.

The pair of seats on either side of the newlyweds was for their parents, who joined them on stage. Mutia explained that all the guests would greet and congratulate the bride, groom, and parents individually. Everyone began lining up along the red carpet on the left side of the ballroom. Each in turn took the stage and shook hands with each member of the wedding party. After doing this, the guests could eat.

Before we could get in line, there was a mild commotion in the crowd. Mutia's dad had mentioned that the turnout would be huge, and also that some members of the government might show up. Since he said the second part with a bit of a laugh, I assumed he was joking. Sure enough, though, security officers and official-looking people entered the hall. A distinguished-looking man then entered, and made his way to the stage to congratulate the newlyweds. I soon found out that this was the vice president of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla. In my excitement, all my up-close pictures of him came out blurry. After congratulating the wedding party, he made his way to the small dining area, where he sat down with other members of the family. Apparently one of the uncles or grandfathers had been a prominent figure in the legislature; this is how he knew the vice president. I tried to get in close to take a picture, but a security officer politely blocked me. Apparently, they don't take kindly to foreigners pointing electronic devices at their politicians. I did manage to get a dim but clear picture of him; he's the one seated to the right of the grey-haired man.

The scenery, the fashion, the food, and the arrival of the second most powerful politician in the country were enough to make my head spin, so I sat down for a while. There was a huge projection screen on the left side of the stage, and video from the wedding ceremony was playing. The ceremony itself lasted for about five days, and Mutia was there for the last three. She explained there were all kinds of rituals involved, such as the bride being carried by her father to be bathed in rose water. (The carrying symbolized the last time he would provide for and protect her before her husband assumed that role.) The video also included the groom being fed by his mother, symbolizing the last meal she'd ever have to provide for him. These are only two of the whole slew of customs that Mutia mentioned; I forgot most of the others.

As things started to wind down, we decided to call it a night. We made the trek back to the house, packed up for the return to Taiwan, and went to bed at around 10.