September 1
The house was already buzzing by seven thirty in the morning when the makeup artist stepped in for a makeover for my sister. Excitement filled the house as the first wedding of the third generation in family house was about to take place. The groom was to arrive in another two hours to pick the bride. Of course he was not to have it so easy. Maggie, the mastermind had planned some fun for the entourage, and the rest of us, the executors were getting the items ready after a quick breakfast. Pumping caffeine into our systems seemed sensible to keep us going for the long day ahead.
The house was already buzzing by seven thirty in the morning when the makeup artist stepped in for a makeover for my sister. Excitement filled the house as the first wedding of the third generation in family house was about to take place. The groom was to arrive in another two hours to pick the bride. Of course he was not to have it so easy. Maggie, the mastermind had planned some fun for the entourage, and the rest of us, the executors were getting the items ready after a quick breakfast. Pumping caffeine into our systems seemed sensible to keep us going for the long day ahead.
Final touches to some of the wedding gifts for the groom
On a steel tray were a handful of rollers biscuits. With a toothpick, I removed the sweet strawberry-flavoured filling, and in went wasabi, Japanese mustard that usually goes with sushis and sashimis. To our dismay the wasabi turned out to be less nostril-flaring than we had hoped it would. (Ding Ding Ding....) we then brilliantly stuffed white pepper into each tiny roll.
Wasabi-filled rollers and crackers coming right up!
Kenix and Mei Yee deftly spreaded wasabi onto some light thin crackers and topped them with square sheets of seaweed. There was also the funky concoction of pineapple juice, tabasco and light soy sauce for the enjoyment of the groom's heng tai, a group of males that accompany the groom. In the room, the makeup artist was done. Wendee looked radiant but anxious. Khaw Foo and Kham Mou (mum's younger brother and his wife) wore the veil on her head. It is customary for the veiling be done by a living married couple with children as it is believed that the happiness and good life enjoyed by the older couple would be resonated in the life of the younger couple.
Car honks blared, breaking the anticipation and anxiety. The entourage of three cars arrived. The wedding car, a shiny black BMW 530i, decked up front, back with bouquets of fresh pink and champagne roses. The door handles were no exception.
The entourage arrived with gifts for the bride's family
The entourage was served drinks and assorted kuih (cakes) whilst waiting for the groom, Kenny to start the negotiation for his bride. The groom had six heng tai, made up of his cousins and friends that sportingly drank and ate the stuffs that we, the chi mui prepared (Chi Mui is a group of female cousins or friends that accompany the bride. In our case, we had enough cousins to form a decent size group :) ). The ultimate game was to don the disposable underwears. Each piece carried an alphabet that made up the bride's name - WENDEE. On the back, when all six stood in a row read 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'. They serenaded the bride (listening in the room, through the window) with Yue Liang Tai Piau Wo Te Xin (The Moon represents My Heart), a famous piece by the late beautiful Teresa Teng.
The entourage was served drinks and assorted kuih (cakes) whilst waiting for the groom, Kenny to start the negotiation for his bride. The groom had six heng tai, made up of his cousins and friends that sportingly drank and ate the stuffs that we, the chi mui prepared (Chi Mui is a group of female cousins or friends that accompany the bride. In our case, we had enough cousins to form a decent size group :) ). The ultimate game was to don the disposable underwears. Each piece carried an alphabet that made up the bride's name - WENDEE. On the back, when all six stood in a row read 'Hit Me Baby One More Time'. They serenaded the bride (listening in the room, through the window) with Yue Liang Tai Piau Wo Te Xin (The Moon represents My Heart), a famous piece by the late beautiful Teresa Teng.
When all those hilarity and merriment settled, at the entrance to the house, the chi mui 'negotiated' for a satisfactory ang pow (red packets consisting of money) before the door was opened for the groom to claim his bride. Wendee, accompanied by Khaw Foo and Kham Mou emerged from the room, and was handed over to the groom.
Ready for the groom
Smile *click*
As the couple left the house, Wendee was shielded with a pink umbrella till she got into the wedding car, not from the sun but from the fiery darts of the evil as the chinese believed. Rightfully, the couple was to proceed to the groom's family for the tea ceremony and return to the bride's family for the same. Kenny's family, however resided in Penang and the wedding dinner later in the night was to be held there too. To save time and extensive travelling, the couple took a spin before returning to the house. The act of bride leaving her house was symbolic of her entering womanhood, marriage and her new role in the groom's family.
Off you go...
Tea ceremony for the bride's family began with my mum, followed by my grandma. Only then, my aunts and uncle were served tea in the sequence of their seniority within the family by the bride and groom, who received ang pow as symbol of happiness and prosperity. Tai Yee (First Aunt), Khaw Foo (Uncle, who was a year younger than my mum and the second son. My first uncle passed away when he was 12 years of age), Say Yee (Fourth Aunt) and their spouses. Sam Yee (Third Aunt) and Lai Yee (Youngest Aunt) and their spouses were unable to make it back from Australia for the wedding, hence tea would be served when they next return.
Wedding gifts for bride and groom after serving tea to mum
Thanksgiving prayers and respect for the deities and ancestors at the altar
Tea for the elders in the family
The bride and groom left for Penang after the simple ceremony, accompanied by the groom's entourage, and three of us, Maggie, Kenix and myself. Adrian and Tai Yee Cheong (First Aunt's husband, and Maggie's dad) followed suit, driving Wendee's car back to Penang. The other members of family would drive up in the evening for the dinner.
For the album
Prawn noodles, appam balik and how those yummy cakes were made
In the third and same generation, Adrian and I were the only couple being served tea as we were senior to the bride and groom. Peggy, my cousin who was a year older than my sister was not served tea as she has yet to be married. The younger cousins were given the ang pows (red packets) in the sequence of their seniority within the generation. Five other cousins in Australia, Howie, Frances, Geraldine, James and Mark and two in Shanghai, Nicholas and wife, Lulu were unable to return for the occassion.
The bride and groom left for Penang after the simple ceremony, accompanied by the groom's entourage, and three of us, Maggie, Kenix and myself. Adrian and Tai Yee Cheong (First Aunt's husband, and Maggie's dad) followed suit, driving Wendee's car back to Penang. The other members of family would drive up in the evening for the dinner.
We arrived in Bukit Dumbar almost an hour after departing Taiping. The tea ceremony for Kenny's family took place in his aunt's new house, which ended 45 minutes later with lunch. We had couple of hours before the dinner. After leaving our things and changed at a relative's house in Pulau Tikus, Maggie, Kenix and I headed out looking for Penang snacks with Maggie's Penang friend,
Sean.
Sean.
All dressed up, we arrived at the chinese restaurant half an hour to seven. Wendee and Kenny, and some of Kenny's family members and friends had arrived earlier. Guests trickled in, individuals and couples, then by groups. Maggie, Kenix and I helped with the guest registrations and seatings. All 28 tables were finally filled up. The wedding march in the backgroud as Mr and Mrs Kenny Ping marched in, with cousins all lined up along the red carpet, throwing rose petals over them as they walked toward the main table at the front.
Whilst the Four Season, the first dish and cold appetiser (steamed de-shelled prawns in fruit salad, BBQ pork, jelly fish and one more item that I could not recall since I did not manage to capture any picture of the dinner dishes as I was too busy feeding my growling stomach, and the gadget was not in my possession) was a little below expectation, the rest of the dishes were good. Rather extravagant, the dinner menu consisted of sharksfin with crab meat soup, roasted suckling pig, steamed fish, steamed herbal chicken, braised black mushrooms with broccollis, fried rice and dessert of sweet hot longan and sea coconut with lotus paste pancakes and omochis.
Drinking guests never saw the bottom of their beer glasses as they were re-filled fast and almost over the brim. A three-member band kept guests entertained with their repertoire of cantonese, english and mandarin numbers.
Drinking guests never saw the bottom of their beer glasses as they were re-filled fast and almost over the brim. A three-member band kept guests entertained with their repertoire of cantonese, english and mandarin numbers.
The three-member band that kept guests entertained during the dinner
Wendee donned a second evening gown, a striking vibrant blue piece with a broad fan collar mid way through the dinner. The earlier gown was off white-pale pink piece with floral details. The couple went on stage for the champage popping and toasting. Designated family members joined them on stage and made the three yum seng (toasts) together with guests. As commonly practised and seen at many chinese weddings, the newly wed couple fleeted from table to table toasting with guests. Our table of cousins was probably one the loudest that joyous night, with our stamina and breath well put to test and use.
For the album
Just as all good things must end, the dinner did end, but we, the cousins decided to extend our party. We got home, changed and adjourned for midnight session of karaoke till three in the morning at the only Red Box on the island. That night was certainly an intoxicating night. We were unsure how many jugs we drank at the dinner as we could not keep count of the refills, and we had more at the karaoke. Thankfully we got ourselves home in one piece, and dropped dead onto bed, eyes far too heavy to open.
Singing our hearts out
Breakfast the next morning at eight was at Swee Kong coffeeshop opposite the Pulau Tikus morning market. We feasted on prawn noodles, appam balik (soft, fragrant thin flat cakes made from wheat flour batter prepared in claypots on charcoal fire), ang ku (vermillion red soft, chewy cakes with skin made from glutinous rice flour with green bean paste) and some siew yuk (roasted pork) bought from the morning market.
Singing our hearts out
Breakfast the next morning at eight was at Swee Kong coffeeshop opposite the Pulau Tikus morning market. We feasted on prawn noodles, appam balik (soft, fragrant thin flat cakes made from wheat flour batter prepared in claypots on charcoal fire), ang ku (vermillion red soft, chewy cakes with skin made from glutinous rice flour with green bean paste) and some siew yuk (roasted pork) bought from the morning market.
Prawn noodles, appam balik and how those yummy cakes were made
We left Penang after lunch and headed down for a stopover in Taiping before we continued our journey back to KL. What a weekend we had. Yes, tiring and draining that resulted us developing some panda-looking eyes but wonderful, exciting and joyous :).
P/S: The fantastic shots were taken by professional photographer, Ke Wynn. His works can be viewed at http://wedding.whizarts.com/blog/?cat=3
