a story in progress

(Disclaimer: Long post ahead!)

Due to the nature of today's post (being long and tedious that is) I have decided to split today's post into two part. The first part will be about the events that took place around me today. Where as the second part will be about my impression about it.


First-hand Experiences

Went to Penang yesterday night, as soon I finished my Bahasa Melayu tuition. Well, the purpose? To attend my aunt's wedding over there. Before you get any wrong idea, I would like to clarify that, my aunt ain't some desperate 40 years old spinster who have finally managed to find another desperate guy to wed as well. (not that I have any problem with that though) The only reason I call her aunt is because her father is my mum's uncle. Which automatically makes her my mother's cousin. Therefore, it's only formality that I call her as my aunt. She is in fact about 20 years old ++ (exact age is not to be reveal, at least not in public).

Anyway, the wedding took place at the bride groom's house this morning. You know, the whole modern contemporary Chinese style sort of wedding - a mixture of both the old and new. All of us gather at the bride groom's house at the crack of dawn to catch up/meet up with the other relatives. It's been quite awhile, since we had such a big reunion. From the different corners of the world to the different states of Malaysia. All of us were here on this momentous occasion for the wedding cum reunion.

Around noon, the groom's delegation finally arrived. (another one of those Chinese traditions where the groom isn't suppose to see the bride till that "auspicious time") From that point onwards, the real fun begins! The bride aka my aunt's friends have laid out a series of trials for the groom before his able to meet up with his bride. To name a few, they (the groom and his delegation aka best friends/mates) were forced to sing songs, dance, passing seaweeds mouth to mouth, eating up a tub of ice-cream and so on. Of course, the guys took the challenges with much stride and gut. I actually pity the groom's friends/mates. For you see, they "suffered" the most during those trials. To take on the unimaginable!

After much hustling and jokes, the bride managed to "survive" and meet with the bride. And then next, were the tea drinking ceremony, where the bride groom has to serve tea to their elders and parents. Who says the jokes end at there? My aunt and my uncle being the sensible couple that they are, decided it was time to get back at the others. So even amidst the tea drinking ceremony, there were still more pranks and jokes going on.

There weren't any events after the tea drinking ceremony save for the dinner later that night at a hotel. Well, even as I took my first step into the ballroom that night, I wasn't impress at all at the entire ambiance of the allegedly "grand ballroom". With six massive huge pillars obstructing the view and cheesy helium filled balloons, there is very little to be impressed about actually. And another huge bane of that night's dinner was the cliched karaoke stage where they hired 3 singers to "entertain" us throughout the night by belting out songs (mostly on love songs). Don't get me wrong or anything, those singers are much musically talented than I can ever dream of becoming. But nevertheless, considering the event that night, it's actually a nuisance to have them singing all the way. Somehow, I feel they should give the hosts/hostess/bride and groom the opportunity to deliver some speeches and perhaps some intro as well. But that never happen, though. The food weren't much to brag as well. After the 8 course banquet and much valedictions being exchanged, all of us managed to return to our home in one piece(s).



Impression

Today will forever be marked by these three key words - wedding bells, reunion and redemption. You have already heard about the process of the wedding, not humbly allow me to state my impression based upon those events that transpire.

Now for those who know me well enough, they will do well enough to know that I am most certainly not your average bona fide filial and benevolent relation/cousin/nephew to have. Call me arrogant, call me stoic or anything else for that matter, but I never really see eye to eye with most of my relations. May it be the paternal or the maternal side. (but if I have to pick, I would go for the maternal side of my family) Well, why on earth do I not see eye to eye with them? Tons of reasons to do so actually. But I will just save it for now. Perhaps someday, I write about it in some other post. Anyway, the fact is, I'm not that close with them. Nuff said.

But throughout the day, I have to say, my first impression on most of my relations are mostly proven correct. Yet, at the same time, I get to see another side of them. One which is not that familiar with me. I have to truthfully admit, I really admire their family togetherness spirit albeit all the shortcomings/infidelity/backstabbing and so on. If they were to make a drama out of of my family (both paternal and maternal sides) I believe it will give all those so-called-Tvb-dramas out there a run for their money. Heck, I think it can even beat The Drive of Life. But that is an entire issue by itself. I wonder, if it were to be made into a drama, will it have a happy ending in it like most of the the drama out there? I suppose the word "happy" is very subjective, as each one of us have our own interpretation of the word "happy". SO being different, doesn't automatically means that you are wrong. It's just a different point of view.

Besides that, I get to see another humorous side of my family. Not to mention, their open mindedness. I mean how many people (people being the older generation before us, the Y generation) out there, who actually give bikinis as wedding gift and display their public affections to their spouse amidst the crowd of people ? Apparently, not many.

Overall, I have to say the wedding was a success. Not in the sense, that the food was exceptionally good nor the wedding was conducted in such a grand and royal manner, but it did achieve it's objectives - bringing people closer together and bridging the gap in between. For me, that's all that matter at the very end. Perhaps someday, I might tread upon this very same path, but it would be great to know by then, I would have compassion, redemption and even love with me.


Love has a hem to her garment that reaches to the very dust. It sweeps the stains from the streets and lanes, and because it can, it must. - Mother Teresa