Kampung Wedding

We spent our weekend attending a wedding, kampung style. The celebration lasted two days. 2 nights 1 day to be exact.

We travelled back to Mami's hometown last Friday to attend a 'little' gathering that night for friends and family on the bridegroom side. He is Mami's cousin.

We reached there around 8.30pm and the makan-makan has already started. It was buffet style, plenty of food; fried mee-hoon, curry chicken, yong-tau-foo, kuih-muih, beer, soft drinks etc. But this is not the only attraction. ;)


Busy around the buffet spread.


Another group making themselves busy at a corner.

At a hidden corner, behind the chicken barn, a rather big crowd surronded a small table. No, they are not culling chickens nor testing the chicken for bird flu, they are playing Pai Gow, a chinese domino game.

We didn't stayed back to see who's the big winner, but I was told the game will continue till next morning! After 3 plates of meehoon, 3 scoops of curry chicken, and a few currypuffs (and some delicious nyonya kuih) later, we went back to my in-laws house.

The next day, the bridegroom went out early to fetch the bride. Since the bride's hometown is very far away, so they rented a chalet near the bridegroom's house. Easy lor. Around 10pm, Mami's uncle called us to come to his house for more makan-makan, but more importantly, the tea-serving ceremony, which indirectly translate to angpow. So we prepared our angpows, and head for his house (walking distance).

It was our first tea-ceremony. I was quite nervous and Mami too, I can see, she was quite excited. But nevertheless Mami's earlier warning rang in my ear: "Hold the tea cup as firmly as you can. Don't drop it.". Later I found out why....

In the tea-ceremony, we have to follow ranking. Top ranking, is of course the elderly lar. They were served first. Grandmother, Grand Auntie, then Uncles and Aunties. Then our turn. We sat on a chair, facing the newlyweds who were standing facing us. A relative was standing nearby with the tea in teacups.

Bridegroom (in mandarin) : Se Cheh Foo, drink tea *serving teacup with tea* (they adressed us using relationship, in this case, it means 4th (cousin) Sister's husband)

Papi : Thank you. Emmm....sweet. *hands shaking terribly ktr...ktr....ktr....*

Bridegroom : Cheh cheh, drink tea *serving teacup to Mami* (Cheh Cheh meaning sister, he addressed Mami sister)

Mami : *laughing...* he he he ......

Then it was the bride turn. My hands were shaking all the time. I was holding the teacup tightly, worried that I might dropped the teacup. Dropping the teacup and breaking it is a big NO-NO. It would mean bad luck times 100.

Then more photograph sessions for the couples, while the others just hang around, chit chat. Moments later, we went back to my in-laws house.

In the evening, we prepared to go for the wedding dinner at a nearby restaurant.
-- to be continued --