Oh the joys of
weddings. The decorations, the beautiful bride, the superb ambience…all
romantic and super fine; or NOT.
I don’t hate
weddings. I just hate the complications of the weddings and anything that is
related to the process. Of course, not all weddings are alike in sharing both
its bad or good sides but sometimes, I wonder why people act so heartlessly
during wedding banquets, especially. Yes, that’s what I’m talking about.
Weddings’ banquets. Buffet. Food spread. Wedding Feasts. Jamuan makan. Kenduri
kawin. Call it by any other names but the same thing always, over and over
again.
I’ve not been to
many weddings because of this alone. I just hate how some people can be so
selfish and rude during the feast time. Its worst when it’s buffet. Queuing is
already a problem; I don’t need people cutting in line no matter if they’re
kids or old. If we all should line up to get our food then please be more
sensitive and line up too. Seeing adults who cut in line made the smaller kids
act the same too. As simple as it is, they followed what they see. So if it’s
alright for the adults to do so then perhaps it’s ok for them kids too. And so
the generations of ill manners continue and the legacy lives on.
Just the other day,
I attended two weddings. One is an acquaintance whose daughter got married. Hers was
done at home. A feat that many think is quite impossible to do but I have to
applaud her and her family for making the affair a smooth one although space is
always a problem when you’re having a feast at home. I had no complaints for
hers, I thought hers was done superbly smooth. Perhaps because she’s a teacher
and is used of organizing things. Although hers was also a buffet, it was wonderful.
They were food booth in a few places therefore the crowd doesn’t rush or push
their way. It was well done, enough said.
The one that I’m
simply disappointed is the one that I attended today; the wedding of a daughter
of a friend of my parents. First of all, it was done in a rented hall, with
air-cond, ample parking space and lots of rooms. So I’m guessing that it must
be good since when we had our sister’s wedding feast at the same hall, it was
really well done and we received many compliments for it after.
When I got there
with my mother, I was shocked to see that the parking spot is full so we had to
wait for cars to come out before we got our spot. As we went inside, we did the
usual greetings with the family of the bride. And then we went inside for the
feast. That was the beginning of the series of the worst thing to happen
afterwards.
First of all, there
were too many people; at the table and also at the buffet. What a long line of
queue. Seeing that, I lined up with my mother too. When it was our turn at the
table, the plain rice is finished. Pity my mother who’s a diabetic and can’t
eat the ghee rice. So she scooped whatever that is left at the rice barrel. Is
that how a guest should be treated? The leftovers’ rice?
I took the ghee rice
a bit but that was before a boy in red and white stripes t-shirt suddenly cut a
line in front of me and rudely scooping his rice into his plate. Thank god it’s
a wedding otherwise I would have given a word or two at this boy. But wait,
that’s not the real shocker.
As we move on to the
dish, we found ourselves standing in front of empty dish racks. Where are all
the dishes gone too? And where is the food assistant? Aren’t they supposed to
constantly filling in the food racks before they actually ran out? This is not
good at all and so unwelcomed for. And so my mom and me stood there and
hopefully they will replenish.
Then came a man with
a bucket (?) and started filling in one of the rack with a prawn + potato curry.
And before I can take any - A short, STOCKY auntie behind me quickly took them
by the dozens especially the prawns. And she had three plates. Wow. Is she
eating alone or is she taking for her other family members? Then I saw her
taking the fried chicken too….too many even for a single plate. And she took
the meat dish as well…all full three plates - doing this without looking guilty
at all. I bet she thinks it’s perfectly alright for her to do it and I wonder
whether she will give some ang-pow or gifts to the family of the bride
afterwards.
After we had taken
our food, we began scouting for table. My God, they’re all full. Are we
supposed to eat standing up? Thank God one of my mother’s relatives saw us and
offered two seats next to her. So we sat in the middle of another family and
that of my mother’s relative. The empty plates were not cleared as we sat down.
No glasses for us to pour our drinks and no tissue at all. No Sirree.
We are thankful that
we got to sit down and eat but as I was eating, I couldn’t help but looking at
the others especially the senior citizens who had to scout for seats also. It’s
a battle out there at the wedding feast with everyone trying to secure their
own seats. So that explains a lot if everyone acted so ruthlessly. The running
children don’t help at all.
While we were
eating, that relative of my mother is busy talking while eating cendol at the
same time. A feat that not even trained acrobats can easily do but she did that
and what do you know? The spoon and some of the cendol’s content came flying at
me and smeared my tudung, my handbag and my outfit. Hell and damnation, what is
this? I know you’re much older and you’re connected to my mom in some way but
please watch your table manners! How can you eat and move your hands at the
same time? And just laugh about it? Thank God I can still hold my patience
because you’re related to my mother and you’re older. Thank God too I brought
my tissues with me, in case of emergency.
Then a man who sat
at the same table who belongs to a different family took some cake and left the
empty plastic bowl lying in front. Little did he realize that that thing can
easily fly here and there since it’s so light. And seriously enough, it flew to
my plate! I know that he saw that happened but he simply looked away as if
nothing happened. Not even a sorry face, let alone a word of apology. Damn you
man, I hope you get diarrhea on your way home. How can you be so disrespectful
towards others just because we are strangers? And they say the Malay folks are
famous for courtesy. O’ bullshit.
On and on he came
back from the desserts’ table with heaps of bubur, ice cream and so on. And every
time he is feeding his equally rude wife too. I hope both of them get diarrhea;
and their children too.
There was another
family who’s trying to get a seat as my mother and I were still eating. They
stood behind us like some flies trapped to a spider’s web. Can’t they see we
haven’t finished? Must you make us feel so guilty? And why didn’t you wait
behind that dastardly couple? Heck we haven’t even got to drink yet.
But my mom and me,
we are not the twisted souls unlike others. Though it’s annoying, we do
understand the lack of seats in the hall. So we poured our drinks and only
drink it half way. That’s how sensitive we are but that couple were still
eating and sitting at their seats, refusing to budge in, not even an inch. They
must think they’re some royal couple or what. The face were ugly, the manners
even more so.
We wanted to get the
ice cream for desserts and to my astonishment; an old lady is scooping the ice
cream for everyone. When I asked her, she said the ice cream man who is supposed
to be doing the job went missing. And I was like, huh? Can it be more tragic
than this?
O gosh, it was one
tiring wedding. I’m tired with the crowd, the buffet, the table manners,
everything. I hate to say bad things about people’s weddings but sometimes I
can’t help it. Been to many weddings, seen the bad, ugly and worst. All I can
say is there’s only a few that I can give some credits for. Even my sister’s
wedding too had its own flaws here and there. But she wanted things to be done
her way so be it. At least we were complimented on the food service. Something
that people will remember for a long time to come.
Will I go to another
wedding? I seriously don’t have the answer for this. Now I remember vividly why
I hate going to weddings’ feast. Perhaps I should avoid it at all cost too.
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| i know i'm crossing the line here but this pic sometimes is on my mind whenever i see the scenario as what i have written about |
