Cc:15+
Oh, also, what’s the theme going to be? And is it a hotel we’re staying at? x
From:[email protected]
To:You
Cc:15+
Hahahaha, guys, all the info is in Lilah’s actual email and in the itinerary attached.READ IT PROPERLY AND STOP GROUP MESSAGING EVERYONE WITH DUMB QUESTIONS.
Have just transferred the moolah, L-dawg. Thanks for arranging all this, you are a goddess.
Love y’all,
Joely x
From:[email protected]
To:You
Cc:15+
Guys,PLEASEstop cc’ing everyone into your replies! IT just rang me to tell me off about all the personal emails clogging up the server.
Thanks for sorting, Delilah, will transfer the money in a few weeks.
Thanks,
Jess
From:[email protected]
To:You
Cc:15+
AUTOMATED MESSAGE: USER HAS BLOCKED THIS EMAIL ADDRESS.
15
‘THIS IS FUCKING AMAZING,’ says Joely, unnecessarily loudly.
‘Shhh,’ I say, panicked, but she’s not listening.
‘I CAN’T BELIEVE HOW INCREDIBLE THIS IS,’ she adds, and I chance a furtive look around us to see which relatives are giving us dirty looks.
We’re at a Hindu wedding for our friend Ravi, and Joely is being way too loud about it. But she’s also dead right – it’s absolutely amazing. A spectacle to end all spectacles. Dazzling, colourful and enormous. But the word enormous doesn’t really cover it. It’s more like huge, expansive and gigantic, all rolled into one weird hugexpansigantic word. I’ve been gaping like a fish from the moment we got here.
Proceedings were running quite late, but a few minutes ago the groom, along with his side of the family, all arrived at the temple, singing and dancing in the car park outside, before making their way in, to cheers from what must be about 800 people in one space. And because this is the world we live in now, everyone here is holding up their phone. It’s a sea of black, white and novelty iPhone cases as far as the eye can see, with every single guest filming the procession. Within minutes, I know my Facebook timeline will be full of the same video, filmed from a slightly different angle. And I will watch every single one of them.
I’ve never seen anything like this and I feel very sheltered all of a sudden. It’s a good feeling, though, knowing I’m learning about other cultures and climbing out of my little white-person bubble. I’m seeing more of the world!
Oh maaaan – that soundedreallysheltered, didn’t it? Don’t tell anyone I said that thing about seeing more of the world, that was lame.
The bride and groom are on stage now and we can’t really hear what’s being said. I don’t want to entirely blame Joely for that, because we are quite far back, but it is also mostly her fault because she’s being so noisily appreciative of everything around us.
‘LOOK AT THEM.’ She points now at the array of bridesmaids who are very many and all turn around to look at the woman who wants everyone to look at them.
