Is this the little girl I carried?
Is this the little boy at play?
I don’t remember growing older
When did they?
When did she get to be a beauty?
When did he grow to be so tall?
Wasn’t it yesterday
When they were small?
Sunrise, sunset…
…Sunrise, sunset
Swiftly flow the days
Seedlings turn overnight to sunflowers
Blossoming even as we gaze…
*Lyrics from “Sunrise sunset” from “Fiddler on the Roof*
Well, my friend/ex-classmate, Robert’s son, who happened to be a student of mine in school, now residing in Melbourne, Australia, just had a baby girl not too long ago so of course, Robert and his wife, Angela, have had the honour and privilege of being elevated to the status of grandparents. Quite recently, they were back in Melbourne again and this time, it was for their daughter’s wedding…and last Saturday evening, they hosted a grand banquet here…
…for their relatives and friends in Sibu and I was one of them there to share the joy…
…of that very happy and special occasion.
It was not really bright, the ballroom, so I did not bother to take the photographs of all the dishes we had that night, just this Four Seasons platter…
…and as always, here in Sibu, you can expect more than just four, everytime.
I certainly was glad that they had replaced the not-to-be-named soup with this very much nicer chicken and fish maw soup…
…and it came in such a huge bowl that everyone at my my table had more than just seconds!
Being in one of the leading hotels in town, of course, this place is halal…or pork-free, at least, so the usual stewed pork belly slices for stuffing the steamed mantao was replaced with some other meat…
…and while the guys at my table were debating as to whether it was chicken or duck, I just ate! Hehehehehe!!!!
Among the other dishes, there was also this huge piece of fish…
They said it was cod – I wouldn’t know as I am not all that good at telling one fish from another…but yes, it was very nice and I sure enjoyed it.
Robert got a country & western band all the way from Miri for the entertainment that evening and look at who was in the building!!!…
He’s an old friend of mine – we used to hang out at the same karaoke pub here in the 90’s but of course, he’s a much better singer than I ever was and he is still actively singing, going here, there and everywhere doing his Elvis impersonations while my vocal cords have already called it a day. For one thing, way back then, he was singing all the oldies but goodies by Elvis Presley, Tom Jones and the like while I had a much wider repertoire that included the more current hit songs like this one or this one or this one, just to give a few examples.
Anyway, getting back to the event, thank you, Robert and Angela, for the invitation and congratulations to you two too, the proud and happy parents…and congratulations to Jonathan & missus on your latest addition to the Chew family…and to Jacqueline and Kek Sheng, wishing you two everlasting happiness in the years ahead. God bless, all! Cheers!!!
...STILL CRAZY AFTER ALL THESE YEARS! 
That is a very special event and a sumptuous banquet. Are guest expected to contribute ie a red packet? Do they document it?
In Turkey, weddings can last for three days. I have been told by Turks that people would often document the monetary contribution by video (real close up). If one is attending a wedding of a close friend, one is expected to present the wedded couple with a nugget of gold weighing an ounce.
Here, read this:
https://suituapui.wordpress.com/2014/03/17/give/
In Turkey, they still have the ‘tax collector’ system of naming and shaming what the guests give to the wedded couple at weddings. The monetary amount given in weddings are expected to be reciprocated otherwise the news will Get to the bush telegraph. This is FB, Turkish style. I have seen it in action, not of weddings, mind you.
Just like the Foochows in the “good ol’ days”. There was a reason for the calling out of names and the amount given though, not necessarily to name & shame – it was the accepted traditional cultural practice and everyone was quite comfortable with it. Like I did say in the blogpost, my uncle gave RM100 at my cousin’s wedding…and as he was walking away, he heard his name called out and the amount given was RM50…for the one recording everything to write down in the exercise book. He went back to check – the guy had the ang pao packet in his shirt pocket with the other RM50 note inside.
And yes! My father, true blue Foochow, made me keep the record book of all the ang paos and everything given when I got married so that I could give back the same when I get invited to any of those guests’ family member’s wedding…but of course, I do not bother. After all, RM10 was VERY big in those days and wedding banquets were around RM100 a table, now RM500 and above – nobody would think of giving just RM10 these days.
I think the chicken with fish maw soup is a welcome change. That huge slab of fish looks juicy & meaty. Bravo to your hang out friend for his Elvis impersonation.
Lastly, Congrats to your friend Robert & his family.
Thank you.
I had a second helping, the soup – I love clear soups…and of course, I love fish too!
Sibu’s platter is something I have admit. That chicken soup is good and nourishing. I would enjoy it.
Congrats to the newlyweds.
Thanks. Kuching’s Four Seasons is strictly four too?
Congrats to Roberts and his family… 🙂
Thank you.
I thought i will see you in stage singing, but not you, sobsssssss….
Something you will not get to see ever again…
Looks fun! and as always the food always look tempting. Congratulations to both of them as well =)
Thanks. All good, great evening, all smiles, so much joy, good vibes all around.
Did you go up and render a song with him or solo? Karaoke is great fun especially with a group of friends who can sing and dance along… Nice dinner and congrats to your friends!
Thank you. No. They had live entertainment that night, not karaoke.
What a scrumptious looking feast!!!
You can call it that, a wedding feast! 😉
That four seasons is yum! yum! Always my favorite part of any Chinese dinner.
Me too, and then I would eat so much of everything and in the end, I would be too full to eat much of everything else. That deep fried thing with what looked like noodles stuck to it might not look very nice but I loved it!!! I wonder if they made their own or whether we can buy this at the frozen section in a supermarket.
That is a beautiful sky shot. At first I’d thought you’d been inspired by the beauty and written a poem. Now I see it’s song lyrics. Lovely. Happy weekend. 🙂
Thanks & the same to you. You would know “Fiddler on the roof”, I’m sure. Currently making a comeback and showing in Broadway.
Yay to the soup! Good to see ppl opting for other soups rather than SF.
Yes. people should stop eating that altogether. Once the buying stops, the killing will too…and worse, I hear there are plastic imitations. Wouldn’t be very different, I would think – both tasteless.
Wahh nice deco and the food looks so yummy.
I guess they paid for it – everyone does it these days and no, they do not come cheap.
Wow, I like steamed fish in soy sauce!
If the fish is fresh, it will be very nice and sweet – I would not spoil that by dipping in soy sauce – want to enjoy the taste of the fish to the max. Will only do that when the fish is not fresh, usually bland probably from being frozen too long.
I just made those mantou a while ago and brought it to the office, they loved it!
Steamed buns. I dunno how to make them – they are easily available here and are inexpensive. I guess that is why many do not bother learning to make one’s own.