Well the big day of the family wedding is approaching. Sunday, at 2 seconds to 6.58pm to be exact!
Yesterday evening we went to the "Gourmet Hill Hotel" where the wedding is to be held for a run through. As far as I could tell it was not a hotel or on any sort of hill! but it did serve good food! We took along Ming Zhi's old English teacher because Ming Zhi thought that there might be some parts of the ceremony I might not understand and she wanted to make sure everything was clear........Unusual, I thought.
We met the master of ceremonies a happy guy with the air of a showman about him. Who took me through the whole thing step by step, I took notes. When he started off by saying we will pass you a bow and arrow thats when the alarm bells started ringing.:s
I'll go through the whole thing here as much for your amusement as for me to get it straight in my head !
First off I have to shoot three arrows one at the sky, one at the earth and one straight ahead. What a real bow and arrow, I said! No! just a pretend one that only shoots the arrows about 3ft . Oh, i said a bit disapointed.
Then I walk over to meet Ming Zhi who is wearing a vail and pass her the end of a red rope with a large red flower in the middle. I must not drop the rope!
Then we walk to the heaven and earth table, Knell down and bow three times, seems like I will be prompted at the right time to do this!
Then we turn to face her mother and bow three times again I will be prompted
Then it's turn to face each other, same thing three bows. Still holding the rope which I must not drop
Then we walk to a house made of flowers where Ming Zhi gets to sit down and I get passed a stick!
With the said stick I get to lift the vail but only a little at a time and then lower it again, this causes great hilarity I've been told. Well that's reassuring then!
Finally I get to remove the vail and am asked a question to which I must answer "roo eee" Prompting will of course be required!
Then I have to show the assembled throng two locks of our hair tied together in a box.
Then we can leave the flower house and go and light two candles.
Yippee, we get to have a drink!! two cups tied together with a red ribbon, one sip and exchange cups, we do this three times.
Then I present her mother with a cup of tea? and say"Mama chin hur cha" or mother have a cup of tea.
Then we throw sweets and these bits of red string tied in knots into the crowd and it's done!
So it's all pretty straight forward then! I mean what could possibly go wrong!!!!!::-/
I'm debating whether a few drinks before hand might just make the whole thing flow more smoothly?:icon_confused:
