Formal Welcomes

We have experienced many of these kinds of occasions here in Asia, with all these details planned out ahead of time. We were always seated right up the front of the proceedings, most often on the stage, and found ourselves staying in the Bupati’s [top Govt. official of a regional area) house or the Kepala Desa’s (the leader at local district level) house. We never got to choose. It was always pre-arranged.