I've said it before and I'm saying it again - it's an honor to be invited to a wedding dinner / lunch, so in utter respect of the bride and groom, make every attempt to arrive on time. Regardless of the local cultural practice of *rubber time*, which is just plain rude. If you're expecting heavy traffic and / or difficulty finding parking, by all means, start the journey EARLY!
Now, it normally took me approximately half an hour to get from my place to the restaurant, Pei Zing, which is situated in Melaka Raya. It was a Sunday, it was Christmas, and it was dinner time. All three combined lit up a warning light in my brain that prompted me to leave at six o'clock - exactly one hour before the dinner was scheduled to start.
The location of my residence made it a wise choice to take the route via Ujong Pasir, which I expected to have a lighter flow of traffic compared to the "other" route which is from Klebang / Melaka Town (Jalan Ong Kim Wee). My gamble paid off, as there was just light traffic all along the way to Melaka Raya. Even the famous Portugis Settlement, which I had to drive by, was relatively void of traffic - perhaps everyone was avoiding this in expectation of the worst, or perhaps I was just very early....
Regardless, I made it to the restaurant with more than a quarter of an hour to spare. As I drove pass the entrance looking for a nice spot to park, I spied my colleague, Chong Wee Kiong, standing at the front of the restaurant, some distance from the main entrance, apparently waiting for the rest of the friends to arrive.
I joined him and engaged in idle banter to pass the time, and soon thereafter, our group of friends (well, most of them anyway) arrived. There were 2 tables allocated for our "company", even though some of us were already ex-staff.
At my table sat Chong Wee Kiong, Chong Fook Chiew (neither 3 of us Chong's were related), an elderly lady who I guess was either the mother of Chong Fook Chiew or his wife, Sim Bee Ling. Further round clock-wise were Florence and Kam (who just left Vishay last month), sans their 2 sons, Cho Lye Yin, a familiar supplier whose name eludes my frail memory (sorry!) and Lai Chiun Yin.
The adjacent table was populated by Lo Chea Thin (who left in 2008 but has since rejoined Vishay) and her little girl, Amelia Low, Tai Hwei Chuan, Tee Sie Yen, Koo Wei Han (who I last met at Kek's Wedding, arriving so late we thought he wasn't coming), Tan Hwee Chuan (frequently confused in mention and e-mail with Tai Hwei Chuan mentioned above), a familiar guy who again I seem to forget, Low Chung Lee, and last but not least, Dennis Tan.
Elsewhere, seated at the "Infineon" table, were my old mates from Product Development, Sean Lee and Lim Fong. Phew, hope that I didn't forget anyone (my memory just isn't what it used to be).
Giving the benefit of caution any of the guest who might have been caught up in the horrible traffic jam that kept my friends who came via the Klebang / Jalan Ong Kim Wee way stuck for half an hour, the actual dinner started around 8.30pm.
For those of you who are not familiar with "local customs", this is somewhat a norm. Though you can't control the actions of others, you can only do your part to ensure you are not fashionably late....
Well, as per the standard operating procedure, the bride and groom marched in as announced and the food was served. The first dish was an assortment of 5 cold dishes, which, frankly speaking, disappeared faster than deer at the sight of a cheetah. A sure sign that everyone was really, really hungry by then. :)
As the dinner progressed, the few of us took the opportunity to catch up with old times and old friends, some of whom I've personally not met up for more than a year. It was a bit hard to talk and hear above the sound of the singers over the speaker system (free flow karaoke, that is).
Thinking back to the "good old days" a decade ago when all of us we younger and single. Back then, we used to organize our own outings. Oh, how time and married life has changed things....
Well, at the end of the wedding dinner, my friends headed off to the house of Clement Fernandez (top guy of Sensor / IRDC Operations) for a second round at his annual Christmas house party, which I usually attended each year. This year, however, I'm making an exception, as it has been quite a hectic day for me, so I wasn't so keen on braving the expected traffic deadlock heading towards Klebang (and also on the way back, should I have decided to go). Perhaps next year, then....
All in all, another old friend ties the knot, and on such an auspicious date - there's no way he can forget his anniversary...! :)
To the newly wedded couple, Teck Sim and Chooi Mei, all the best in your marriage, Merry Christmas, and may you live happily ever after!
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