Bloggies,
I have travelled a fair bit in my 35 years. Crossed the Atlantic, South China, been to countries picking up pieces of war, countries that have moved ahead.
Yet in the countries that I have visited, I have never quite seen marriages being bandied around like a festival. I have seen ceremonies which make the wedding seem like a festival yes... but being touted like a festival? No.
It's school break again, and a week has passed. Wedding invites are the norm around this time. My parents typically receive 10 invites over a two-week school holiday period.
Mind you, the 14 days of freedom for our children mean only two weekends. That's four days, unless of course we have a public holiday during the 14 days.
At 10 invites over 4, the odds of my parents going to each of these invites are drastically reduced. So the plan is if there are date clashes, which inevitably happen, then my parents would go to the ones that only invite them, and one of their offsprings would represent them to invites that are extended to Abdul Razak Bahaman dan keluarga.
But hey, this entry is not about the many wedding invites that we receive (for which we are truly thankful. Amin!).
This entry is about how these lovebirds display their ceremonies at each junction that leads to the location of their festivity.
What's wrong with that, you ask? What's wrong with showing guests where to go and to ensure that they don't get lost?
Nothing wrong, but did I ask you where your wedding was going to be held Mr. John Doe? Did I ask you to show me the way?
Of course not.
Yesterday, at the Kerinchi exit of the Federal Highway towards KL, I saw six placards of wedding directions happily posted on the pole of an unsuspecting road sign.
Six. One above another, some done with creativity and effort that would put some graphic designer in ASTRO to shame.
Each carried two names, obviously of the bride and groom (hmmm... to see one with three or five names would be dandy. "Majlis Perkahwinan Kadir & Rosnah, Noraini, Muzlifah & Kartini". Polygamy!)
Some of the placards have the sticks of bunga manggar pasted on them for distinction.
My point?
First, we have laws in this country. The last time I checked, anyway.
You cannot put public notices of the sort without a permit from the local authority. It has to come with insurance, and if you're tagging on an existing structure, the written permission of the rightful owner of the structure must be presented.
But then again, enforcement in Malaysia is a joke. It's always the tidak apa attitude. Kao tim.
Second, if you didn't invite me then can you PLEASE not tell me where you are going to hold this grand wedding of yours?
As my friend would say, please lah.
You did not invite me (for which I hold no grudges because I don't even know you), and yet you show me the way? Taking this further, let's say you decided not to invite that distant relative Makcik Timah because you hate her guts for telling you off when you dropped out of school to main muzik.
How would she feel if she saw your placard? On the same note, how would your other friends that know of your big day but for some inexplicable reason (to them, that is) never made it to your invite list?
Third, you've already paid an extra 1 sen to the printers to put the bloody map on your perfumed card, so why do you have to put the placard up? Not confident of you mapping abilities?
Fourth, and perhaps finally and more importantly, the shady characters of the society now know that you're getting hitched. The house will be full of well-dressed people bedecked in their finest garb and jewellery.
Great robbery target! You? The unwilling accomplice!
I think all these people that sell their weddings liek a festival should really keep their joy to themselves. Hey, I'm happy you're buying the cow instead of just buying the milk at the corner store, but please.
Leave me out of the festivities. If you want me to attend, then invite me properly.
I don't need another headache. Or another wedding for that matter.
I'm taking this to the Parliament. Maybe they can sort it out.
I have travelled a fair bit in my 35 years. Crossed the Atlantic, South China, been to countries picking up pieces of war, countries that have moved ahead.
Yet in the countries that I have visited, I have never quite seen marriages being bandied around like a festival. I have seen ceremonies which make the wedding seem like a festival yes... but being touted like a festival? No.
It's school break again, and a week has passed. Wedding invites are the norm around this time. My parents typically receive 10 invites over a two-week school holiday period.
Mind you, the 14 days of freedom for our children mean only two weekends. That's four days, unless of course we have a public holiday during the 14 days.
At 10 invites over 4, the odds of my parents going to each of these invites are drastically reduced. So the plan is if there are date clashes, which inevitably happen, then my parents would go to the ones that only invite them, and one of their offsprings would represent them to invites that are extended to Abdul Razak Bahaman dan keluarga.
But hey, this entry is not about the many wedding invites that we receive (for which we are truly thankful. Amin!).
This entry is about how these lovebirds display their ceremonies at each junction that leads to the location of their festivity.
What's wrong with that, you ask? What's wrong with showing guests where to go and to ensure that they don't get lost?
Nothing wrong, but did I ask you where your wedding was going to be held Mr. John Doe? Did I ask you to show me the way?
Of course not.
Yesterday, at the Kerinchi exit of the Federal Highway towards KL, I saw six placards of wedding directions happily posted on the pole of an unsuspecting road sign.
Six. One above another, some done with creativity and effort that would put some graphic designer in ASTRO to shame.
Each carried two names, obviously of the bride and groom (hmmm... to see one with three or five names would be dandy. "Majlis Perkahwinan Kadir & Rosnah, Noraini, Muzlifah & Kartini". Polygamy!)
Some of the placards have the sticks of bunga manggar pasted on them for distinction.
My point?
First, we have laws in this country. The last time I checked, anyway.
You cannot put public notices of the sort without a permit from the local authority. It has to come with insurance, and if you're tagging on an existing structure, the written permission of the rightful owner of the structure must be presented.
But then again, enforcement in Malaysia is a joke. It's always the tidak apa attitude. Kao tim.
Second, if you didn't invite me then can you PLEASE not tell me where you are going to hold this grand wedding of yours?
As my friend would say, please lah.
You did not invite me (for which I hold no grudges because I don't even know you), and yet you show me the way? Taking this further, let's say you decided not to invite that distant relative Makcik Timah because you hate her guts for telling you off when you dropped out of school to main muzik.
How would she feel if she saw your placard? On the same note, how would your other friends that know of your big day but for some inexplicable reason (to them, that is) never made it to your invite list?
Third, you've already paid an extra 1 sen to the printers to put the bloody map on your perfumed card, so why do you have to put the placard up? Not confident of you mapping abilities?
Fourth, and perhaps finally and more importantly, the shady characters of the society now know that you're getting hitched. The house will be full of well-dressed people bedecked in their finest garb and jewellery.
Great robbery target! You? The unwilling accomplice!
I think all these people that sell their weddings liek a festival should really keep their joy to themselves. Hey, I'm happy you're buying the cow instead of just buying the milk at the corner store, but please.
Leave me out of the festivities. If you want me to attend, then invite me properly.
I don't need another headache. Or another wedding for that matter.
I'm taking this to the Parliament. Maybe they can sort it out.
Comments
ada sekali harrr, my fren wan harrr, from de hai skoor wan harrr, kahwin oso harrr never korr me oso.
i so sad wan youknowornot.
PLEASE LAH.
;)
I'm glad that most of my batch is married. The ones that aren't have already decided to do theirs during off-peak periods (where it's easy to get hotels, easy to travel as there are no jams etc) so that those who ikhlas nak datang, can datang in peace. OH.. and they've decided to do it at night, when it's not so hot.
Glad to see you blogging.. :D