A Swedish-Taiwanese Wedding

Introducing the illustrious bride and groom

The celebration was wonderful and surprisingly not heavily drawn out, as often happens with Taiwanese weddings. For example, the tradition of the bride disappearing from time to time in order to change dresses was not adhered to. This made the event feel more like a community of family and friends, rather than a a stage on which the bride is shown off.

The bride and her bridesmaids.

The groom and his parents.

As there were numerous cameras dominating the scene I decided to focus on the things often forgotten about - various family members and friends, bits of decor, food and this guest's tattoo.

Speeches presided in the preliminary stages of the event to a captivated audience, shifting between a video and words from various individuals.

Even the children were still... mostly.

Then came the announcement that food was ready. Table were laid with a delightful spread, and more tables were brought in on which to lay out the sweeter items.

Seafood pasta

More pasta

Stir-fried chicken and peppers

The obligatory Swedish meatballs.

Mini dumplings

Fried rice topped with powdered pork

Beef with onions

A kind of tofu

Children rarely need to be told twice when it comes to things they enjoy, like eating. The mention of food had they scrambling to fill plates.

Or having the luxury of being fed by others.

As grown-ups we had a more subtle approach. We first surveyed what was on offer, picking gamely at this and that before selecting. Of course this is more formality than anything else, but, living in a different culture, it's always a good idea to analyse what you're about to eat. Especially where there were three overlapping cultures with their respective food palates.

We scrutinised everything.

Being people I choose to associate myself with, my friends are never far from the edge of good humour. We allowed that aspect of ourselves to bleed through into the festivities.

Yes, my foot.

It was good to see that we weren't the only ones exhibiting our humour.

It wasn't long before music began, but not the regular songs played off CDs and records by some DJ. This was live music played by friends and family. 

It began with a group of youngsters playing a love some for the new couple.

This trend was followed up by various others.

Including the groom.

This is quite understandable. It turns out the entire family is musical and their chosen style of music gravitates toward rock 'n roll.

The groom with his parents.

 Then came the inevitable part of the evening when music and certain couples must intertwine for the amusement of all. Bride and groom, accompanies by their bridesmaids and groomsmen respectively, entered the stage.

(Sadly I didn't get too many good photos, but there were enough cameras on them that I'm sure it all got recorded).

Of course no wedding (or indeed no major function) is complete without its cool cats. There were a few that I managed to span pictures of.

The guy with the hat.

The one too cool to get involved.

The one who finds a tablet game more involving.

Some final pictures of people enjoying themselves that night - family and friends.

A Hint and a Conclusion

So a friend of mine got married on Sunday leading me to attend my third Taiwanese wedding (or technically second; the other was a wedding engagement party which they ran like a wedding).
Per usual the actually signing of marriage certificates happened elsewhere with just a few people (immediate family and a few close friends, probably). Then everyone gets invited to attend the wedding celebration, usually on a different day. We met up in a school hall which had been charmingly decorated to accommodate us and had a procession arrive in front of us, beginning with the bridesmaids and groomsmen arriving together along with either parties' parents. Then the groom arrived, dressed from head to toe in rock attire complete with electric guitar, followed lastly by the bride dressed like a Greek goddess in a flowing robe, golden wreath and barefoot.

That being said, I'm still sorting through my photographs and trying to catch up on work, so I'm going to save the full details for a post tomorrow night. Instead I'm going to tell you a tale of late walks and the importance of a good cobbler.

Having not worn my "smart" (i.e. black) shoes in a while I had forgotten that not too long ago the soles on them had begun to loosen. I had patched them with the appropriate glue, but hadn't fully comprehended the damage to the underside of the leather part of the shoe.
Imagine my surprise when, upon retrieving my shoes at the end of the evening, I find one sole coming loose. I try to walk as carefully as possible, but it's not long before it breaks off.

So I'm sitting on the train coming home. A few people give me odd looks because I still have a ribbon tied around my neck in mockery of a bow-tie. Their expressions were somewhat altered when, upon arriving at my chosen destination, I lean down and pluck the rubber underside of my shoes up and depart with it over my shoulder.

The streets of Taibei.

On reaching home I decided to assess the damage. My conclusions have found me in need of new shoes. Let's just hope there will be no fancy events which I need attend in the immediate future.