We checked into our very swanky hotel, a huge upgrade from our previous locations but we decided for ease to stay with everyone else. The backpacks look a little out of place....
Staying across from the Petronas Towers, two huge beacons of light that worked well as a navigation point the entire time we were there, we were in a convenient location to explore KL. We started off our stay with a delicious curry dinner in KLCC, a gigantic shopping mall with designer shops and restaurants galore, catching up with our good friends.
We had some time to explore KL before the wedding festivities so we took a trip to the Central Market and China Town to do some shopping. Ross picked up some traditional Chinese clothing to wear to the wedding and we had fun walking the stalls of Chinatown haggling over hawked goods and tasting some of the local fare, the curry puffs were very tasty!
That evening we headed over to the food hawker stands for some more local cuisine and got to meet some of Lisa's good friends who also traveled up from Singapore for the wedding. A meal of stingray, prawns, duck, pork, fried rice and cold beer was a success with the group.
We started Sunday bright and early, around 8am, to begin the wedding day with the gate crashing festivities. As part of the wedding the groom and all of his male friends have to "break through" the gate at the front of the home by doing silly tricks, eating gross food and paying all of the women and friends of the bride red packets of money (um pao). A very fun tradition that I wish Americans would adopt! After torturing the boys for about an hour by putting them through numerous stunts including limbo, suck and blow, and taking shots we finally let Ben into the room where Lisa was waiting patiently.
Immediately preceding the gate crashing was a tea ceremony were Ben and Lisa poured tea for all of the elders of her family. A lot of um pao and jewelry was exchanged during the ceremony and after they went through the serving the elder family members the younger members of the family served tea to Ben & Lisa. Following this ceremony they performed another tea ceremony back at the hotel for Ben's family. It was a really fun morning and very interesting to see another culture's wedding traditions.
That evening we all got dolled up and headed over for the wedding dinner, about a 9 course meal of traditional Chinese fare, followed by wedding cake. The wedding dinner was nothing short of amazing. The food was outstanding, the wine was flowing and the guests were all having a great time. Lisa's friends and family were so welcoming we all felt at home celebrating with them. After a group toast Lisa and Ben went to every table at the wedding to sing out the toast of the evening, "yummmmmm seng"! Each table trying to outdo the last and hold the "yummmmmmmm" for as long as possible. We finished off the night with some good old fashioned American pop music, dancing our hearts out, and a hotel after-party with lots of drinking games and celebrating.
It was a beautiful wedding for our great friends and we are so glad we could be there to help them celebrate, congratulations Ben & Yok Mee!
Nice account of the action. Really glad you guys could make it. Great to see ya. Good luck with your trek and we will keep checking in. By the way, pictures look great as always, glad to see two chinese brothers together again.
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