Saturday, July 17, 2004

Oh! What a great time we had last evening.... It was yet another wedding reception.... This time it was held at the grand ballroom of the Mutiara Hotel in the golden triangle of Kuala Lumpur.. This hotel use to be the Kuala Lumpur Hilton, the place to be in the seventies and the eighties... It was closed for some time and renovated and back as a new five star hotel of a class of its own, now it is know as Mutiara.... Mutiara is pearl in Malay..... It is indeed a jewel in this part of the city.... The hotel, then Kuala Lumpur Hilton was our play ground in those days, being back to this hotel after a lapse of  sometimes... Seem like going back in time to the great time we have had in the days of our youth.... Now entering the grand ballroom which still use the name Nirwana, it remind me of the many days and night that I organized official function at this great hall, it was then the only ballroom that could accommodate two thousand guest at a go.... The new renovation have been given a  face lift and a new life of it own, though the hall is still known as the Nirwana.... To me personally it bring pleasant memories of our days together attending dinner and dance at this great hall....  Now in our golden age, my wife and me are happy that this venue once where we had enjoyed the party and the dinner in another period of our life.... is still there in its glory.... For this wedding reception this hall were decorated with the pomp and splendor that befitting the King for the day.... We call the new wed couple the King and Queen for the Day.... It is one of those day of a Malay wedding where tradition and contemporary blended together into a glamorous fusion of today's culture... in the making..... As we arrived we were greeted by the host, a closed friend and his charming wife... with all the cheerfulness in their greeting and the happiness that come to parents at such an occasion, a wedding of their daughter.... We makes our way into the great hall and met the others that had arrived earlier and saw the arrival of others in their best dress, some like us came in our tradition dress and the young would come in their fashioned contemporary dress.... in all the color of the rainbows, so vibrant and blended well with the event of the day..... The wedding reception of  a young couple...... After all the guests had arrived, the guest were treated with serenade of great music and song of bygone era... era of the Ma and Pa that host this wedding reception.... They were of our age and soon the music and songs  transported us back in times to those days of the seventies and early eighty... I guessed all the music and songs were specially selected by the host.... It bring me back memories of the great time we have had in this same hall years ago......  We makes ourselves comfortable at one of the table where a couple, a friend of ours were already sited, we greet each other and talk about this new renovated hall, soon more guests arrived and three more couple join us at our table..... The table were beautifully laid, with a bouquet of flowers placed on the centre together with the menu, it shows a mixture of Chinese food and traditional Malaysian cooking, we enjoy the chat as the musician play on entertain us with the oldies.... Beautiful songs accompany by a combo of three professional musician...... It was really well presented and personally I really enjoy listen to those old melodies and songs..... Soon the bride and the groom parade in leads by little children, proudly dressed for the occasion... It was like in those Cinderella scene, with music to company, making it a colorful scene to watch, the bride and the groom follows behind dress smart in contemporary clothing, specially made for this occasion, a gorgeous couple indeed..... They parade on to the main dais where they present themselves to the public for the first time as husband and wife..... Then they seated at the main table for the dinner to start..... First as a starter, the famous Chinese dish 'shark fin soup' were served, it was well done and refreshing to enjoy such a wonderful cooking, I enjoy shark fin soup and it is only at the Chinese restaurant that such dish are served.... It has a flavor of its own and only the Chinese know how to create the greatness of the taste of the wonder this starter dish.... We enjoy the dish while the waiter brought more foods to the tables,.... And soon another waiter served rice, for those dishes that were placed on the table were best eaten with white rice, as it is usually done in this country.... Rice being our staple food, no dinner is complete without rice..... It has been our tradition and we love it, for rice is the miracle food that have been with us all along our civilization..... The spread of foods laid on the table in varieties... ranging from grilled prawns, roasted chicken, beef in Soya sauce with spring anions, soft taufoo in mix vegetables, fried fish, and many more.... It all goes very well with white rice..... We sat to enjoy the meals while listening to the music and the song that were serenaded by three youth, who themselves played string instruments, it was indeed a great performance a la the Spanish quintet, once make popular by young Filipinos....... As usual there were speeches, but it was done well, short and sweet..... And the Host were seen going from table to table to meet the guests, and at our table, being a close friend that live in the same neighborhood, I took some pictures with my digital camera.... Just to immortalize some of the scene of this great traditional event...... We chat and continue eating and then watch the couple taking picture with a change of dress, first in their western dress, than a sorts of a traditional Asian dress.... It was indeed a beautiful sight to watch.... These young couple enjoying the moment of their life.... Like we say here ' King and Queen' for a day.... They then dance to the tune of a slow waltz...... Enjoying themselves and at the same time provide the quest a scene of the loving couple at their best......What a day..... The music continue to play some oldies and to me it was real entertaining...... At the break outside.... I then met the young musician and congratulate them for the great performance........ Like all good thing, wedding events like this brings back old memories and it was real nice to recall some of the same event of our wedding that took place some forty years ago........ Now in our golden age..... We sit to enjoy another events in the ever going tradition that are pass from generation to generation, the pomp and the splendor of Malay wedding still the same, well preserved and adapting to the time, the time of our grandchildren....... One of the most important aspect of Malay wedding reception is that guests would arrived in their best clothes, whether traditional or contemporary..... Which in a way add color to the already colorful events...... Soon the event draws to an end with the serving of dessert and coffee or tea...... I love coffee..... And enjoy the great coffee that were served at the table.... With that, the event ended at just after eleven in the evening...... We then congratulate the couple who had waited at the entrance and thanks the hosts for a great evening that we all enjoyed...... What an Evening..... A night to remember and talk about.., a receptions well done...... Great thanks to those proud parents that hosted this glorious event.....















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