A Chinese Wedding Dinner

One of my cousins has gotten married so as per the title we went for the wedding reception held today at Dragonboat Restaurant (pretty good food there) along Jalan Kampung Pandan. At first, I guess both Grace and I were a little nervous about the whole affair because most of our relatives on my dad's side of the family communicate solely in Cantonese or Mandarin and we are extremely notorious for not being able to speak both languages.

It's a little weird not being able to communicate with your own relatives but it's not like we see them THAT often anyway. Sad, but true. It was fun though because we were sitting at the same table with the cousins we COULD communicate with. They're mighty quiet though and every single time Grace and I have to go through the motions of breaking the ice when we see them - and it's a mighty thick layer of it mind you.

Other than that it was a happy occasion. I must take this time to wish our cousin Jack (wonder when he had an English name he goes by) a happy and love-filled marriage. Stella's (the bride's) father was absolutely ecstatic... as 'yam seng's' go, his was the loudest of all. I honestly had no idea that the groom had to visit all the tables at the wedding reception - with a glass of beer in hand - to do the 'yam seng' ritual. Jack's face was pretty red as is when he got to ours and we were only the 7th table... only 38 or so more to go...

What I found fascinating was how the tables were arranged in the hall. Obviously the bride and groom's table will be in the front-centre. Then surrounding this table will be other tables seating the family members, extended and otherwise. This is followed by the guests of the bride and groom's parents and seated at the tables right at the back will be the friends of the newly-weds. It was fascinating to note that the closer relationships to the newly-weds existed at the back of the room. It makes sense though because you see family only so often. It seems customary that they put the family in front but that seems unfair that the people closest to you are dumped at the back.