Engagement Party

Engagement pictures of Elianna's babysitter.



Last Saturday evening we went to the engagement party of a close friend of ours, Imen. She babysits Elianna during our language lessons and you could say she is Elianna's Arabic teacher. Imen's older sister Manel is our Arabic tutor so we have known the family since we got here (about 3 years). We had a lot of fun and Elianna did great. The party didn't start until 9:00 pm, so she had a very late night. I prayed the whole day that the loud music wouldn't bother her ears and that she would be in a good mood. She totally surprised Justin and I when she actually enjoyed the music and even tried to dance "baby style." Kids are so much more resilient than we think. She totally acted like everything was normal. You can see the engaged couple below and listen to the traditional music from the live band. It's amazing they have a huge party like this for just the engagement. The poor couple "to be" just sit on a platform the whole night while people dance and look at them. It would feel a little awkward to me, but that is tradition. Typically the "groom-to-be" brings the engagement ring and a few other gifts to the bride and her family during this party. Hope you enjoy the video and get a little taste of the culture we live and work in. This time next year we will be posting pictures of their wedding.