WEDDING OF THE YEAR

Happy Couple - Jackie & Kim

As much as I loathe wedding receptions, this particular one is exceptional. The bride, Kim, from Jementah, Segamat, Johor, is my very good friend of 10 years and housemate when I was in TAR College.

Hiccups encountered.

- No proper pillows and blankets to sleep on the first night arriving in Johor, in another friend’s house (I have bad back problem)
- Sleeping at 3 a.m., waking up at 7 a.m. and having to do our make up in the car – we need to help “hold the fortress” by 7.30 am.
- the make up artist was late causing the bride to be late for the reception (I won’t pay the make up artist if I were Kim)
- 8 of us from KL and Singapore - having nothing to do between the customary tea ceremony at 10 a.m. and the wedding lunch at 2 p.m., took a short nap, all in one room, looking like a bunch of exhausted refugees

Nevertheless, it still wins my best wedding reception vote this year hands down. It is indeed a delightful pleasure to reunite with my old housemates from TAR College.


Skudai Exit at Mid Night


Beautiful Kim

The wedding reception took place at the Jia Ping Restaurant in Senai, Johor.

Usually, given my large size, I am always designated to secure the door (“hold the fortress”) to the bride. (The Chinese has this tradition for the groom to “work” his way in to win the bride’s hand in marriage). Fortunately, this time round, the door is thick enough to withstand any pressure. I took a video clip of the groom barging in. It was hilarious.

I was appointed as the official photographer instantaneously – since I always go around carrying my little trusty Canon Ixus II… and the other photographer, with the conventional camera, is way vertically challenged. Imagine him taking the “yum seng” (Cantonese: Toast) shots with everyone towering over him. The pictures would probably turned up okay… but with no heads.

I was elated to meet up with friends back in TAR College, catching up old times, seeing how they have aged, grown horizontally much to my delight (Welcome to Fat Club! Confetti! Confetti!), extended their family lives, making progress in their businesses, careers, etc.

After the wedding lunch, we were supposed to go to Singapore but ended up wandering aimlessly in Johor Bahru, due to the massive jam at the causeway. We went sight seeing (Danga Bay, Muzium Sultan Abu Bakar, checking out transvestites at the back alley, etc) and chatting frivolously about old times. The camaraderie was simply heart warming.

P.S. I don't know most of the names of the places coz Seng, our so called tourist guide was too busy talking about himself and didn't properly introduce the places. And some of the pics are taken when we were in a moving car - hence, the quality is a bit.. compromised. Sorry about that.

Architecture I


Architecture II


Architecture III


The Pillars


The Pine Tree


Danga Bay

On the way back to KL, we stopped by Bagan Lalang for some hot and spicy seafood. I ended up looking like a five months pregnant woman (normally three months) and lying uncomfortably flat at the backseat of the car, all the way to KL to ease indigestion.



Bagan Lalang Seaview Restaurant


Fresh Seafood Menu


Cooked Fish and Squids


Spicy Clams


Ikan Bakar with Kick Ass Sauce

How I got to know Kim

When I was 18, I decided to pack my bags for TAR College. I still remember she was the first person who greeted me warmly at the gate. She put me at ease, trying to speak to me in Hokkien when I stammered in my rusty Mandarin. Finally, I spoke to her in broken Mandarin as I also couldn’t comprehend her Hokkien. Glad to say my spoken Mandarin has improved by leaps and bounds since then. I have since befriended Kim’s 16 other hometown friends.