Culture Clash

In 2007, I conducted a traditional Xhosa wedding -- in the middle of affluent Sea Point, Cape Town. I was invited to visit the household of the bride before dawn, where she was with members of her clan. I said a prayer with them, and from there a great crowd surged into the street singing joyful African songs to greet the sunrise. We had not progressed one city block when squad cars turned up with flashing lights and wailing sirens, ordering us to disperse. We were "disturbing the peace", they said. OBSERVATION: Alas, a clash of cultures. If it had been outside the city, everyone would have shared their joy.