I used to attend Malay or Melanau weddings in the kampung (village) with my mum when I was young. I remember everyone sitting on the floor to eat – but don’t expect me to do that nowadays! In my present shape and size, getting up would be virtually impossible. I think I would need a forklift for that! LOL!!! All the guests would sit in groups of four and they would be served the food which usually comprised a meat curry dish and some others plus the acar timun (pickled cucumber) and rice.
No cutlery would be provided, so everybody had to eat with their hands – I tried but was not very successful and ended up with all the rice on my face, my shirt and everywhere else. In desperation, I would pinch one of the spoons from one of the dishes which were meant to be used when helping oneself to the food and putting it in one’s plate.
I remember that gifts of money were given to the host, wrapped in plain paper instead of red ang pao packets like in the traditional practice of the Chinese…and it was the norm at the time to give around RM3-5.00 only. After eating, we would leave and the space occupied by us would be cleared for other guests that were to show up later.
After all these years, I was finally invited to another wedding like this – two, in fact…as it was a double wedding – a sister and a brother, Nomie and Syaiffrie, both getting married simultaneously…
They’re my cousin‘s children, so actually they’re my niece (left) and nephew (right)…
It was a grand affair, held at the Sibu Civic Centre on Sunday, 10.10.10 or the 10th October, 2010, a once-in-a-lifetime date and it came as no surprise that there were many couples tying the knot on that same day.
Instead of the traditional bunga telur (literally translated as egg flower, which used to be a nicely decorated egg given away to every guest at such weddings), they had this…and inside, there was a key holder – with a miniature Eiffel Tower, probably a souvenir from the parents’ recent trip to France to attend the youngest daughter’s convocation…
There were a lot more dishes than what we used to have in my younger days at a Malay/Melanau wedding. We had chicken curry…
…and the celebrated Sarawak dish, daging masak hitam (black-cooked beef)…
See! I told you, didn’t I? It was really black, very black…unlike my FAILED attempt to cook this same dish.
Other than that, there was the sweet and sour fish fillet…
…and I liked the acar limau (pickled lime)…
…that went very well with the nasi minyak…
There were also a plate of mixed vegetables and fruits.
The food was good but what I really enjoyed a lot was the very formal affair – solemn, yet very pleasantly special and memorable as all weddings should be. I wonder when I will get to attend another one like this again…
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 