A Journey to Thailand and Japan: Day Four
May 18th, 2008My friends Siam and Meow went off to Bangkok to get married. A group of us decided to go to the ceremony and get a chance to see a part of the world we’d never been before. So, we bought the plane tickets and set off on our grand adventure!
WEDDING DAY
The day gets off to an early start. The wedding ceremonies are in our hotel, but Siam informs us that we need to be down at 7 AM. We stayed out fairly late the night before, so the alarm clock in the morning was not a welcome sound.
We get in our suits and head down to the mezzanine. It’s practically empty. It turns out, things don’t really start until 8. I silently shake my fist at Siam, sit down on the couch with Jon, and think of that comfortable bed upstairs…
Eventually, people show up, and we’re ready to begin. First up is the engagement ceremony. Apparently, at one time, people had two ceremonies up to a year apart: an engagement ceremony and a wedding ceremony. Nowadays, though, they do them on the same day. It’s just more convenient this way.
We all file into the room. Well, we try to, but Siam is being blocked by a kid with a rope. He has to beg and plead his way to get permission to enter. Finally, the kid relents, and we’re in. Siam’s dad leads us Americans to the front row. This is a little awkward, mainly because we’re bigger and taller than the average Thai, and I think we blocked the view of about half the crowd. But, I’m not one to argue with the groom’s parents on wedding day.
The engagement ceremony mainly consists of bribing the fiancee’s parents with a bunch of gold, in exchange for letting their daughter go. Siam and Meow spend the entire ceremony on their knees in front of their family, and I can tell that Siam’s not used to this position. He’s also sweating profusely in his traditional Thai white suit.
After a bunch of pictures, the ceremony is over, and now it’s snack time. There’s a bunch of pastries and coffee in the back of the room, and everyone chows down. Surprisingly, the big hit seems to be the mini-cheeseburgers. You fly halfway around the world, and you still find burgers.
Now it’s time for the wedding. We return to our seats and watch the ceremony. There’s a lot going on, and I can’t really say I know what any of it means. At one point, Siam and Meow kneel before an altar and light a candle together… that seems pretty self-explanatory. But, people are saying stuff in Thai and for some reason aren’t providing an English translation. I think the highlight was the pouring of the water. Siam and Meow both kneel and face the room with their hands closed in prayer. Everyone gets in line and pours water on their hands. Even us Americans. It’s pretty cool to be involved in the ceremony.
The ceremony is over, and next up is the reception. We amble down to the reception hall, and it’s huge. It’s got a huge spread of food, and it very well done. The are ice sculptures, a huge cake, and a band. It’s pretty much just like an American reception. We sit at the table labeled ‘Dallas’, and dig in. The food is good. Siam and Meow cut the cake. However, we don’t get any cake! Apparently, only the table marked ‘VIP’ gets cake. They even have VIP service at weddings here!
During the entire reception, Siam and Meow have to have their picture taken with everyone. They don’t even get to eat! Only after the reception is over and everyone is gone do they get to eat. We hang around and provide company while they pig out. Also, Siam’s mom provides us with some karaoke entertainment, which is always appreciated.
It’s late in the afternoon by this time, and everyone decides it’s high time for a nap. We head up to the room and pass out for a few hours.
At night, we all head out to a club called Lizm. Siam and Meow are there, and they brought friends. We order up a bottle of Chivas Regal. There’s a cover band playing. Pretty soon, we’re all having lots of fun. Oh, and I meet Intt. She’s one of Siam’s friends that lives in Bangkok. She’s awesome, and we spend most of the night talking on the couch. She’s got an iPhone. I check it out, and I notice an app on there I’ve never seen before: iWoman. I click on it, and Intt gets embarrassed. I find it hilarious. I’ll let you google it to figure out what it is.
We stay out until 2 AM, and head home. We have to get up early tomorrow — we’re flying to Phuket in the morning!