This month, ETA Kyra Ghosh had the chance to attend a traditional Manggarai engagement ceremony. One of her friends became recently engaged and she attended the ceremony with some of her Indonesian friends as well as ETA Arshelle Carter. They all arrived and immediately lined up for a meal of rice (of course), fried tempe, pork, chicken and vegetables. In traditional Indonesian fashion, they ate in silence, and following dinner proceeded into a small room with a view of the dowry process.

The family of the bride as well as the family of the groom sat together on the floor in traditional Manggarai clothing and bargained for quite a few hours over the price of the wedding, and the price of the woman. It took place in slow and humming Manggarai sprinkled with some Indonesian, so we sat and watched as our Indonesian friends translated bits and pieces. Eventually as guests grew tired of the ceremony, they sat in circles outside and enjoyed each other’s company.

Although Kyra only saw a glimpse of the long and sometimes tedious dowry bargaining process, she appreciated the ceremony for a few reasons. First, she was happy to attend a Manggarai ceremony because although it does not obviously saturate everyday life, it is an incredibly important aspect of society in Labuan Bajo and every time Kyra learns more about the culture, she feels more connected to the people as well. In addition, at this point in the grant, Kyra has made quite a few friends in the town, and was very excited to attend an event with all of those friends. It reinforced the small nature of the town, but also reinforced the sense of community she feels.

Kyra Ghosh is currently teaching at SMAK St. Ignatius Loyola, Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara