Thursday, June 21, 2007
Guocai's Thai Wedding
Date: 15th to 17th JuneLocation: Bangkok / Nang Rong
Weather: Not-so-hot, humid
Got the invitation call from Guocai somewhere in March, which came as a pleasant surprise. I never knew the relationship was so steady, despite the distance they lived apart after he ended his attachment in Bangkok. Congrats Guocai! You are the first in RSP Youth!
Anyway, we practically spent the first and last day on the road, to and fro Nang Rong respectively, where Keng's (his wife) hometown was. Nang Rong is a 5-hr drive away Northeastern of Bangkok and about 200km away from Cambodia. According to Keng's father, that's the place where there's a casino. He added that Singapore is not bad too, coz we are going to have 2 instead of just one. (Is that a pat on the back?) Later, I find out with greater interest that we would be visiting structures from the Angkor Wat era.
Along with me as SG guests to his wedding are his parents and his younger sis, 1 army fren, 4 poly frens and Rosen. So Rosen and myself represented as his uni frens bah. Apparently with the exception of myself, nobody could tahan 5 hours on the road. We spent more time than 5 hrs in fact. 5 hours is chicken feet to me liaoz; I had tackled 12 hr buses before in Sichuan and in Malaysia.
When we reached Nang Rong, Guocai hosted us at a hotel which was more like a drive-by-and-stopever-for-the-night type of place. Coz every room had a parking lot of its own. But it was good, definitely at least 3-star quality.
We reached before sundown, and we were treated to dinner at Keng's grandmother's place.
In fact over here, I am showing you our second day's breakfast, which was 90% the same as the dinner. Dinner had an additional dish of curry which was the most 'ah-loi ah-loi' dish. Missing from the pictures was a braised whole pig-trotter, which I liked very much too. Only Zhenye (Guocai's army fren) and myself find the dishes edible, although not are considered very delectable to our Sg tasebuds. The rest of his frens are just adopting touch-n-go tactics only. Rosen is forever not hungry (on diet?). So you could say, Zhenye and myself would be the only people who would return to SG slightly heavier. The others depended pretty heavily on 7-11s.The wedding started at 3am on the 2nd day. The first thing was prayers with the monks and we were 'not required' to be around. So we were invited to the post-breakfast festivities, which were very much similar in nature to what we have in SG.
The couple posing for pictures after the prayers. We reached in time to catch the last of the prayers. After this, Guocai had to leave the house for the 'procession'.
Everybody offering 'wedding gifts' to the grandmother. The person bringing the gifts must rest one knee on the grandmother's knee before presenting the gifts.
The road to the grandmother's place, decorated with pink balloons along the sides. The heart shaped balloons are a hit with the kids in the neighbourhood.
Not in the pictures were a really fun procession that I was involved in, after the prayers. I was dragged in to carry a young banana tree with Hudson (poly fren), who carried another one on his own. A pink cloth hanged from the two trees, and we led the procession to 'collect the bride', very much like what we do in SG. Following us were even more gifts and offerings. Zhenye, who was behind us, had to carry the pig head. For our effort, Hudson and I got 50 Baht in my angpao. Zhenye deservingly got 100Baht.
Anybody in the procession can lead a 'oh-yee-oh-yee-oh!', and everybody will shriek 'hyeeeeee' in response. It was really fun!
The Groom and Pei Yong, the official umbrella man. He also got 100Baht.
After the vampires were ready for the procession to come in, Guocai had to 'pay his way in' like what we in SG do at the girl's home entrance. But there is not only one door, almost every female formed pairs to hold a gold chain to act as a door. Luckily we are talking about baht and less greedy women (not found in SG).
Elders tying money to the couple's hands, which were tied together. A lot of elders sia ... (the process was very long, coz it involved money and a lot of strings attached)
A symbol of ties between 2 countries. (stable under huge wads of money?)
After the lengthy money tying ceremony, we went upstairs with the couple to their 'marriage room', where her grandmother prepared the beds for them. Maybe, it's like what we do with lotus seeds on the beds.
Old people having fun horsing around and showing the newbies how it should be done.
And them following suit.
And then there was a even lengthier process, where everybody (not just the elders) queue up and bless the couple, by pouring water over their hands, while saying words of blessings. Which of coz, I did too!
After blessing them, you get a wedding souvenir dished out by them (a yummy Thai woman and Guocai's sister, from L to R).
Remember that the balloons were a hit with the kids?
By the time the ceremonies were over, it was almost noon and we returned to hotel to rest. We were to go visit some ruins which were build in the Angkor Wat era and styles. They were only 30 minutes away from where we stayed. I was very excited to somehow revisit Angkor Wat, which I hold very high regards and admiration for.
It is called the Phanom Rung Historical Park. I find this park better restored and closer to how it might have really looked in the past. Whereas those in Angkor are more majestic and closely packed, at the same time, they are really ruined and 'eaten up' by the trees. I find those in Angkor more intriguing and attractive despite looking less restored. The most interesting fact about this Park is that it had a linga (male symbol) right in the middle of the East-West corridor, which in the months of March and October, will sit right inside the sunset if you look through the corridor. And in the months of April and September, sit inside the sunrise. (sunny side Up?)
After the afternoon trip, we rested a while in the hotel and prepared ourselves for the wedding banquet.
This was the setup, which seated 8 per table.
No Chang beer, but Leo instead.
The dinner was supposedly Chinese style; I found it to be pretty close. There were lots of speeches (in Thai) and one or two in English whenever someone could speak English. There was no yam-seng, which was a little disappointing. I kept thinking this banquet would be as fun and happy as the morning ceremonies. I thought it would be a party where everybody can't wait for dinner to be over and then gets high on alcohol and dance on the tables till sunrise. It turned out to be a tame affair, and most people left after having their fill. I guess this is simply a difference in culture bah. Maybe Thai weddings do not have the same emphasis that the wedding dinners we have.
And oh the wedding singer.
I think women who can sing well are hot. Rosen said that she (the wedding singer) would make it big in SG circuits if she could sing in Hokkien. She sang pretty well in English too, her voice is very rich, bassy and powerful. To Sidetrack a bit: I tried to learn the Nang Rong (or Thai?) way of opening beer bottles. They can use one bottle against another to pry one open effortlessly. I succeeded in opening one, and left 3 teethmarks on my left hand on the second (obviously my last) attempt.
To Sidetrack a bit again: There was no Chang Beer, but there is Chang water.
And so, the wedding is over on the 2nd day of our trip. Nobody wants to drink anymore.
The third and last day (sunday) is spent on the roads and the jet plane. Except for 2 hrs shopping at FuturePark in Bangkok.
So that's how a Thai wedding looks like. Remember to congratulate Guocai when u guys have a chance yah!
Congratulations Mr and Mrs Guocai!
May the both of you be healthy and happy till the end of time!
taxi taker at 8:24 PM
1 Comments
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at 5:04 PM
said... Good post.