Sometimes we went up to the mountains and sometimes down to the river on family trips. It was a big stream, too deep and fast to cross when the snows melted in summer. The boys would fish using earthworms threaded like beads on a string hanging from a long stick. Some of them whistled, believing this would attract the fish. They weren’t particularly tasty fish. Their mouths were very rough and horny. We called them chaqwartee. Sometimes a group of girls would go down to the river for a picnic with pots of rice and sherbet. Our favourite game was ‘weddings’. We would get into two groups, each supposed to be a family, then each family would have to betroth a girl so we could perform a marriage ceremony. Everyone wanted me in their family as I was from Mingora and modern. The most beautiful girl was Tanzela, and we often gave her to the other group so we could then have her as our bride.

家庭出游时，有时会上山，有时候去河边。这条河很宽阔，夏季融雪时，河水会变得又深又急，没办法徒步渡河。男孩们会把蚯蚓像串珠子般穿上细线，绑在长棍上钓鱼，有些人会吹口哨，因为他们认为这样可以吸引到鱼群。这里的鱼不是特别美味，鱼的嘴很粗很硬。我们称这种鱼为洽克笛。有时候，女孩们会带着饭和果子露，成群到河边野餐。我们最喜欢的游戏是“结婚”。我们会分成两群，分别代表两方家庭，然后各派出一个女孩，举行结婚仪式。每个人都想要我加入她们那群，因为我是明戈拉来的，很时髦。村里最漂亮的女孩名叫坦琪拉，我们通常会把她分到另一组，让她当我们的新娘。

The most important part of the mock wedding was jewellery. We took earrings, bangles and necklaces to decorate the bride, singing Bollywood songs as we worked. Then we would put make-up on her face that we’d taken from our mothers, dip her hands in hot limestone and soda to make them white, and paint her nails red with henna. Once she was ready, the bride would start crying and we would stroke her hair and try to convince her not to worry. ‘Marriage is part of life, ’ we said.

这场假结婚最重要的就是珠宝。我们用耳环、手环和项链来为新娘子装扮，一边忙碌，一边唱着宝莱坞的歌曲。然后我们会拿母亲的化妆品来帮她化妆，把她的手浸在热石灰石和苏打粉中染白，用指甲花将她的指甲涂红。一旦打扮好，新娘子就会开始哭泣，我们就轻抚她的头，告诉她不用担心。“婚姻是人生的一部分”，我们会这么说。

‘Be kind to your mother-in-law and father-in-law so they treat you well. Take care of your husband and be happy.’

“要孝顺你的公婆，这样他们才会善待你。好好照顾你的丈夫，要过得幸福喔！”