Prof Marries Cop

5-0! 5-0!

Last week we went to a cop wedding, that is, my friend who is a professor of linguistics married a police officer. His name in Chinese literally means "Strict Steel" -- perfect, huh?
K, so, day one started off with one of Strict Steel's subordinates picking us up in a police car, which we all, small boys to adult mother, thought was the coolest ride ever.

Rode 'cross town to the hotel were the wedding banquet was to be held, for an informal practice. Basically there were a bunch of guys sitting around chain smoking and Titus practiced ring-bearing and the bride told the emcee what she wanted. It was relaxing.

(Btw, Chinese couples shoot their wedding pics before the wedding, that's what you see in the hearts and big poster below.)

Late, late that night, everybody trekked to the other side of Changsha for dinner with the bride's family. 

The restaurant was adjacent to our hotel, where the groom very generously put us up for the night, along with the bride and some of her friends. 

Drew got the kids settled in and I didn't stay long, for we were off again to yet another far corner of the city, to get the bride and groom's house in order. Chinese tradition is to ask a lucky person who has demonstrated fertility ability (eh, that was me, since I have a whopping three kids) to make the bed with new red sheets and little lucky things that symbolize "have a son soon!" And we taped up "double happiness" and "love" signs all over the house. 

I should mention that this couple has been legally married and cohabitating for several months, and now holding their formal wedding banquet. This is really normal in urban China, to have the banquet long after the marriage actually begins.

Next morning came early! Dressing, breakfast, ready just in time.

Oh yes, and poor Drew had to make a hour trip, both ways, back to our house to pick up some more formal clothes for the wedding. See, he and I were gonna perform a song at the banquet and Drew asked the emcee, is what I'm wearing now good enough? (see what he wore for our family pictures last post). Emcee was like, mmm, how bout a jacket and tie? And then we felt obligated to dress up a little more, so Drewbs ran home to get us nicer clothes.

The bride was ready! The groom's party arrived! As is tradition, the bride's party blocks the door and demands more red envelopes stuffed with money until they let the fellows in. It's quite a brawl. Finally the guys get in and the bride's party continues making demands on the groom -- You can't take her unless you give me a BIG, FAT red envelope! Get down on your knees and chew this bread to represent your love for her! (Strict Steel chewed a heart.) Hilarious! Finally, the bride's friends have hidden her shoes and the Strict Steel's guys are searching everywhere...you'd think these cops would have been better detectives! After forever, they thought to look in the girls' purses and following some tackling, they retrieved the shoes and the bride went with her groom!

We rode in the bridal procession, a long line of matching black cars decorated with flowers and ribbons. Now at the banquet hall, the bride and groom greet guests as they enter. Guests' gifts are red envelopes, the amounts recorded by the red-envelope-table-girls. And after delivering your red envelope gift, please help yourself to a favor -- candy or a cigarette!

All the guests are seated at round lunch tables, chowing down, when the short ceremony of sorts begins. A hired emcee runs the show, a mix of western and Chinese traditions, but mostly western at this point. Dad brings in the bride. Titus and a niece are the ring bearer and flowergirl. Titus was on his very best behavior. (Preschool training to thank for that.) There's one bridesmaid and one groomsman. The bride and groom say some 'vows' to each other. Strict Steel kisses her, quite awkwardly, on the forehead. Awww. Two girls sing a love song. A video of well-wishes from friends in Hong Kong is shown. Rachel and Drew perform a song on violin and guitar. Oh yes we did! And it was super fun, and funny.

The blinding light down there is the bride walking in.

Well, lunch finishes up and suddenly, the guests are gone. It was a very merry occasion; we had a blast and thank the bride and groom for their hospitality! We've attended three other weddings, given a special blessing at one, but this is the most we've ever been involved in the inner-circle traditions. Learned a lot and really had a great time. And now we have cop friends. Always good to have some cop friends, right?

counting the graces

thank you Father for

hide and seek in a field with kids

play place at KFC

whole family out for a walk in a light drizzle

fun night with old friends and new friends

multicolored happy flower curtain in the bathroom

little shabby Christmas tree up, Christmas stockings hung

yet another humbling moment, doing a sub-par job as Sunday school teacher

a couple days of sunshine brings people outdoors so we get to see more neighbors

this tune about Paul's shipwreck on Malta! haha! made me happier to hear it