Saturday, November 11 - I do

"You fill up my senses..." Our Bible study group sang a song for the new couple! Everyone said it was great, and some people even said we could sing for other weddings! Am I sensing a career change??
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Today I went to my very first Chinese wedding in Malaysia! The ceremony was held at the church I attend, and it wasn't all that different from most American weddings I've been to. Well, the five-foot-by-seven-foot photo montage bridal banner draped across the front wall was a little different. :-)

The ringbearer, flower girl, and bridesmaid (yep, only one!) each walked down the aisle, and then we all stood as the bride came down. She wore a champagne-colored dress, a small tiara, and a veil to cover her face - and she was beautiful!

Perhaps I was expecting a more passionate kiss - something like the wedding kisses I've seen at many American weddings...not that I was disappointed or anything. ;-)
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We sang a few hymns, the pastor gave a short message and some advice to the couple, and then the couple went through the "I do's," the signing of the marriage certificate (that they signed it there was a bit surprising), the lighting of the unity candle, and the vows.

Finally, it was time for the kiss! He puckered up, leaned in, and kissed her...on the cheek! That really caught me off guard!! But I guess that's Asian culture - they're just not very affectionate in public. I see that weddings are no different!

"YAAAAAAAAAAMMM SIIIING!!!"
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Afterward, there was a lunch reception upstairs with rice, noodles, tau foo (tofu), eggplant, and a few curried and barbecued meats. As with most meats served here, they were "on the bone."

That's one thing I haven't gotten the hang of yet: picking the meat off the bone! They're not terribly mannerly about it here, either. They either put the whole thing in their mouths, chew it around, and spit out the bones (like they do with chicken feet), or they keep it on their forks and bite off the meat from there.

The newlywed couple serves tea to the elderly as a sign of respect. In return, the elderly give "ang pau" - red envelopes containing money - to the new couple as a symbol of blessings.
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It's always a challenge not to drop the meat back on my plate! I've done that with curried chicken soup and nearly ruined the blouse I was wearing... Curry doesn't come out very easily, and most times not at all.

After the lunch reception, we all went home...until the evening, when we reconvened for the dinner reception! There must have been two or three hundred people at the dinner! And it was a nine-course meal!! And it was at a golf course!!! I can't even imagine how much money was spent on that reception.

This is just one of the many dishes we shared during the dinner reception. In usual Chinese style, all eight of us at the table ate from one family-sized dish.
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People started arriving around 6:30 or 7pm, but dinner didn't start until nearly 8:30! That's one thing you must know about Malaysia: almost nothing starts on time! But that's okay, because the dinner was well worth the wait!

As dinner commenced, the lights dimmed, the grandiose music began, and a dozen waiters marched into the room and onto the stage carrying lighted appetizer dishes! It was, without a doubt, the biggest fanfare for an appetizer course I've ever witnessed. :-)

Those waiters kept us busy eating and drinking and making merry for the next two hours! We had shark's fin soup, steamed fish, rice wrapped in banana leaves, chicken with kailan and mushrooms, calamari and jellyfish (if you must know, it's pretty weird), a couple other things that I can't recall but that I'm sure were quite good, and a couple desserts! Oh, and there were plenty of drinks - including unlimited red wine - for everyone! What a feast!

There were a few fun traditions during dinner. The first was cutting the cake...only it was a fake cake! I guess it was just for show or tradition. Then they popped a bottle of champagne and poured it into champagne glasses that were set up in pyramid style. The champagne trickled down from the top glass into the others below. I'm sure I would've made a complete mess. They, on the other hand, did just fine. :-)

Their family members joined them on stage (I forgot to mention they were on the stage at this point) and toasted to health, plenty of babies (that one got lots of laughs), and financial success.

Every time they toasted, they raised their glasses and shouted long and loud, "Yaahm sing!" That's like "Cheers!" or "Bottoms up!" After that, the bride and groom visited each table, and all the tables toasted them as well. Our table was definitely one of the loudest! :-)