karin and sekhar: fresh meat

maart 2006

Karin en Sekhar in Maastricht.
Geef geen directions en ze verdwalen in een buitenwijk.
We are lost, belt Karin.
We zijn in wijk 26, waar zijn we?
Ik heb werkelijk geen idee.
Er is niemand om de weg te vragen, zegt Karin.
Ik sta voor het station op Karin en Sekhar te wachten.
Een donkere man rookt een sigaret. Een joint ruik ik.
Hello who are you looking for, zegt hij.
Want my adress?
Ik knik nee.
Sta voor een verlichte plattegrond en dirigeer Karin en Sekhar naar het station.
Ze zijn niet onder de indruk van mijn directions.
Alsof ze er vanuit gaan dat als je in een kleine stad woont het stratenplan uit je hoofd kent.
Afslag centrum west, zeg ik.
Ze vinden het station.
Wijk stond aangegeven, zegt Karin.
Ja, daar zijn we nu. Deze wijk heet Wijck.
Maar nergens een bord station, zegt Karin.

We lopen langs de Maas over de voetgangersbrug.
In het Knijpke uiensoep eten en champignons op zijn l’Esgargots.
Karin bestelt de kaasplank.
Dit smaakt naar Chaumes.
Het is ook Chaumes.
Chaumes en op de kaart staat dat het een Hollandse kaasplank is, zegt Karin.

Sekhar zegt dat hij in NY een tas met boodschappen gekocht heeft voor twee dollar 50.
Hoe dan?
Met coupons.
We hebben heel veel tandpasta. Allemaal gekocht op coupons.
We lopen langs een etalage met uitverkoop jasjes. Sekhar en Karin monsteren de kleren.
Dat is geen sale. Een sale is minimaal 75% off, zegt Sekhar.
Ik heb kleren in alle kleuren, zegt Sekhar. They don't match.
I buy just what is on sale.
Jij gaat daar te ver in, zegt Karin.
Jij gaat met de taxi naar de winkel om koffie met coupons te kopen.
Dat is luxe, zegt Sekhar. Dat je je dat kan veroorloven om met een taxi goedkope koffie te kopen.
Als in de ene winkel de melk twee dollar kost of drie dollar of 1 dollar dan koop je toch geen drie dollar milk.
Jij haalt je een neumonia op de hals om melk te kopen, zegt Karin. Weet je hoe ver het lopen was in de regen voor die melk.
It's not cheap. Wij zijn niet cheap, zegt Sehkar.
Het is een sport om niet teveel geld uit te geven.

We drinken een pilsje in de Pieter.
Sekhar noemt de alleengaande vrouwen op leeftijd, aangelengde vrouwen.
Hij vind het bier in pijpjes maar raar en zuinig.
De vrouwen kijken naar hem.
Fresh meat, zegt hij. I am fresh meat.

We lopen over de brug terug naar het station.
Er staan twee meisjes met hun brommer.
Kut, zegt een van de meisjes hard.
Poessie, vertaald Karin.
Is er iets aan de hand, vraagt Sekhar.
Niks aan de hand, zeg ik.
Jullie zijn veel te vrij in je taalgebruik, zegt Karin

Love truly does make the world go around.

Love truly does make the world go around.It has often been said that love transcends everything, that it knows no barriers. If you are looking for a unique or thoughtful way of showing your love, then perhaps you have come to the right place. Here you will find many ways to “tie the knot.” Perhaps you will discover a charming wedding tradition that you can make all your own. If you have decided to make the pledge, then be prepared to embrace love and marriage in all its splendors, and the world will be yours.

Marriage is the strongest bond the world has ever known.

Marriage is a bringing together. It is a bringing together of two people, of two families, or two tribes, or two villages, or even two countries. Marriage is that powerful. Marriage is not something to be entered into lightly. Marriage is a pledge meant to last a lifetime.

Yet it is one of the unceasing marvels that we are able to express something as basic as love and marriage in so many wonderful and touching ways. Such is the wonder of human existence. The ceremonies and the traditions may be different, they may seem strange or outlandish or they may touch feelings in us that we never knew we had, but there is something about marriage that is instantly recognizable no matter what the language.

If we are lucky, we find our one, true soul mate.

crossing the threshold

After the wedding the bride must enter the new marital home through the main entrance.

It is traditional for the groom to carry the bride over the threshold when they enter for the first time.

The reason for this is uncertain.

One explanation is that the bride will be visited by bad luck if she falls when entering.

An alternative is that the bride will be unlucky if she steps into the new home with the left foot first.

The bride can avoid both mishaps by being carried.

A third explanation is that it symbolises the old Anglo-Saxon custom of the groom stealing his bride and carrying her off.

something old, sothing new

something old
something new
something borrowed,
something blue
and a silver sixpence in your shoe

The rhyme originated in Victorian times although some of customs referred in it are much older.
The something old represents the couples friends who will hopefully remain close during the marriage. Traditionally this was old garter which given to the bride by a happily married woman in the hope that her happiness in marriage would be passed on to the new bride.

Something new symbolises the newlyweds' happy and prosperous future.

The something borrowed is often lent by the bride's family and is an item much valued by the family. The bride must return the item to ensure good luck.

The custom of the bride wearing something blue originated in ancient Israel where the bride wore a blue ribbon in her hair to represent fidelity.

The placing of a silver sixpence in the bride's shoe was to ensure wealth in the couples married life. Today some brides substitute a penny in their shoe during the ceremony as silver sixpences are less common.

choosing the day...

Although most weddings now take place on a Saturday it was considered unlucky in the past. Fridays were also considered unlucky particularly Friday the 13th. The famous old rhyme advises a wedding in the first half of the week:

Monday for wealth
Tuesday for health
Wednesday the best day of all
Thursday for losses
Friday for crosses
Saturday for no luck at all

Advice on which month to marry in is given by the following rhyme:

Married when the year is new, he'll be loving, kind and true.
When February birds do mate, You wed nor dread your fate.
If you wed when March winds blow, joy and sorrow both you'll know.
Marry in April when you can, Joy for Maiden and for Man.
Marry in the month of May, and you'll surely rue the day.
Marry when June roses grow, over land and sea you'll go.
Those who in July do wed, must labour for their daily bred.
Whoever wed in August be, many a change is sure to see
Marry in September's shrine, your living will be rich and fine.
If in October you do marry, love will come but riches tarry.
If you wed in bleak November, only joys will come, remember.
When December snows fall fast, marry and true love will last.
Marry in May and you'll live to rue the day

May has been considered an unlucky month to marry in for a number of reasons. In Pagan times the start of summer was when the festival of Beltane was celebrated with outdoor orgies. This was therefore thought to be an unsuitable time to start married life. In Roman times the Feast of the Dead and the festival of the goddess of chastity both occurred in May. The advice was taken more seriously in Victorian times than it is today. In most Churches the end of April was a busy time for weddings as couples wanted to avoid being married in May. Queen Victoria is thought to have forbidden her children from marrying in May.

Marry in Lent, live to repent
Lent was thought an inappropriate time for a wedding as this was a time of abstinence.

June was considered to be a lucky month to marry in because it is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of love and marriage.

The Summer as a whole was considered a good time to marry and this is partly to do with the sun's association with fertility. In Scotland one popular custom was for the bride to "walk with the sun" to bring her good. She would walk from east to west on the south side of the church and then continue walking around the church three times.