Weddings

Fool on a Chair

I’ve been to many Chinese weddings (or, as we call them here, “weddings”) during my time in the Middle Kingdom. These days, I’m usually the only foreigner in attendance. So, well, if I’m going to stand-out anyway…

There’s something akin to “trick or treat” that one can play with the bride and groom as they make their rounds after the wedding ceremony. And, in the tradition of the Monkey King, I usually opt for the trick.

That is, to stand on a chair and have the bride light a cigarette. This results in the groom lifting her up. Sometimes the cigarette accidentally moves out her reach. Well, okay, not really accidentally. In any event, depending on how the groom is doing, I’ll eventually stand still and even bend my knees.

So, there you have it, fool on a chair.

Four Lions, the Bride, and the Groom

Which marks the end of the series. Some background… last Sunday, Shanshan and I had walked Leo to the nearby vet’s to get his coat shaved for the summertime. On the way back, we saw the musicians performing and the crowd building outside the restaurant. Since I didn’t have a camera with me (cellphone embedded or otherwise), Shanshan suggested that I go home and get one. And, also, that I bring along her mother –who was over visiting– since it was bound to be a fun occasion.

btw, the shots are with my D300, switching between 14 and 85 mm lenses.