Wednesday, November 28, 2007

An Indian Wedding Dinner

Last weekend, I travelled with my bunch of colleagues cum friends to another close friend's wedding in Ipoh which was held at a old school hall in town (Methodist/ACS hall I think).
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We arrived there in good time; upon descending from Cameron Highlands after a short day trip for our shopping, etc :)
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The hall was fully air-conditioned and there were about 20+ tables arranged in sight.
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We were greeted by our friend's mother and this little girl seemed really excited as she kept smiling at us all the way:)
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The wedding cake set up on the stage
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Decorations onstage
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We couldn't resist taking pics with this adorable little girl who seemed beckoning to us at the entrance:D
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We were one of the early ones and we were busy chattering among ourselves at our table. We noticed that the caterers started serving or rather, placing plates of food on each table; regardless of whether the table is occupied or vacant.
The first one was their local favorite bites; the Murukku.
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We were not really sure whether we were really supposed to start; but 2 of our friends were kinda starving and they started in on the food before we came to a decision.

The next dish was more of an appetizer; it was some preserved fruits or the Asam jeruk stuffs with sauce.
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The third one served were eggs
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By then, one of our friends related her experience that we should not zone into these dishes anymore as these will go along with the rice which will be served last in an Indian wedding (similar to the one she attended where she was served with rice on a banana leaf).

The next dish which came up was this plate of red sausages
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Fried Chicken
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Mixed Vegetables
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The only thing I could actually eat:p

Rendang Mutton
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Curry Dhal ( I think)
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And the last; Fried Tomato rice
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The guests are starting to fill up the hall; anxiously anticipating the arrival of the hosts (newly weds)
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The bride and groom arrived; making their way to the stage
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After the welcoming speech by the MC, the newly weds lighted 2 candles which symbolize the light of happiness for their marriage.
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Shortly after, they were seated on the chairs on the stage while there were ongoing performances and speeches made by their family members and relatives.
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Cake cutting ceremony
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The elders (mothers, fathers, in-laws) would take turn to feed a small piece of the cake to the newly weds before the couple feeds each other.
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The guests will be busy satiating their own appetites while this is going on; and some of the guests even started leaving after they are done eating (oblivious to whether the ceremony has ended). That was a rather surprising change from our Chinese wedding dinners where the guests will feel compelled to stay until the end of the dinner.

The bride and groom basically only seats themselves at the host table after all the ceremonies were completed at the stage.
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One blunder I found about the MC was what she said which struck me, " Let's wish happiness for this newly wed couple as they are married today. Let's keep our fingers crossed"

"Keep our fingers crossed???"
What kind of a blessing was that? (pardon me, I am rather particular with the usage of words in any context:p)

Anyway, we do pray for the blessed union of our dear friend and we definitely want it to be that way for ever:)
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5 comments:

  1. Anonymous5:36 PM

    I also attended an Indian friend's wedding ceremony in Taiping a couple of years ago. I remember the bride & bridegroom will sit on the stage all day long...

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  2. There are many ppl getting married at this time. I haven't attended Indian wedding before. Haven't seen some of the food there but they look quite interesting. Thanks for the information!

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  3. interesting! great knowing about another culture too.

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  4. Anonymous7:57 AM

    Nicely narrated:)
    Many Indians cross their fingers and touch wood when things are going well, it's a form of warding away the 'evil eye" of envy.
    In happy occassions like marriages and the birth of a child, many Indians will praise the newlywed or the newborn and then touch wood, or say something,
    Hope this clears up your confusion about the MC:)

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  5. Hey Celine, yea...I was surprised too...but this one was still okay, they came down after the cake cutting ceremony (after the guests are almost done with eating). Isn't that just interesting?:)

    sugarbean, No prob!!:D And I agree, there's so many weddings coming soon...I have 4 up my sleeve at the moment for this month alone:p

    daphne, yeah!! It was definitely an eye-opener!!:D

    mita, OH I see!!! Thanks so much for the clarification!!! Now I know...haha, (embarassed) that I was the one who misinterpreted the MC:p

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