Gettin' Hitched

My procurement guy went home to his village in Aceh Selatan (South Aceh) last week and this week he announced that he has found a girlfriend and will get married in November. His family and the Village Head picked 3 girls for him to meet and apparently he clicked with one of them. Easy as that.

Sure, people get married for love and stuff. But it seems like the Acehnese are more focused on the practical reasons for getting married – procreation and the process of procreation. Back at home, we focus so much on finding that perfect guy/girl and experiencing the fairy tale romance. Here in Aceh, people find someone they’re compatible with and get hitched. The love part comes after marriage. The concept of divorce is nearly non-existent, so couples really are stuck with each for the long haul and have to work at building a relationship - something most American couples probably don’t spend enough time at before calling it quits.

But before my procurement guy gets married, he’s got to come up with the dowry. In the case of Aceh, dowry = 24 kt gold. The bride’s dowry is depended on what district she is from and if her family is of noble origin. Gold is measured out in mayam. 1 mayam is equal to 3.3 grams of gold. If a girl is from Aceh Selatan, she’s worth about 12 mayam (the cheapest). If a girl is from Aceh Besar (where Banda Aceh is located) she’s worth about 18 mayam, and if she’s from Pidie and of noble blood, she’s worth a whopping 25 mayam! A mayam is about $50, depending on how the gold market is faring that day.

Once my procurement guy is married, he will continue to work here in Aceh and his wife, who’s a veteriarian with the government, will continue to live Aceh Selatan. He plans to go back every 2 weeks.