The wedding is finally over, whew! (Hahaha, sounds like my own wedding right, yeah, dream on!) So my roller coaster week has drawn to a close. Now I can look forward to a great Christmas, which as of now, I do not seem to have any plans even with the long weekend coming up. My friends are either spending time with their other halves, or back to their countries for the holidays, or overseas with their friends or families.
It was a real glorious day yesterday for a wedding. The traffic was smooth, the weather was just right - not too hot and not rainy. Even with outdoor location shots, we did not feel too hot or stuffy with our formal wear. What a pity I did not manage to take some shots since I was busy helping the bride out with all the little nitty-gritty details.
It was an interesting event because the groom is from overseas. It was a typical Chinese wedding, but they will be going to the groom's country to hold the ceremony according to his tradition. This is the first time I witnessed a wedding where the couple are of different races, religions and nationalities (Indonesian Chinese weddings do not count, since they are still the typical Chinese way, and my cousin's wedding in Australia did not count as well, since both are Australians).
Some time ago, during one of the Sunday mass sermons, one priest was commenting on how inter-racial marriages will never last because two people brought up in different cultures will find it very hard to stay together, as Chinese people have their way of doing things, Caucasians have their own way, Indians have their own way, Malays have their own way, etc.
He was preaching on this issue because of the recent divorce cases and he had to counsel a few victims of failed marriages, where most married outside their race. I found him a tad too insensitive at that point in time because there just happened to be a couple where the husband happened to be an Indian-Eurasian and the wife happened to be a Chinese standing near the altar. Just imagine how they would feel when he said that.
I have come across inter-racial marriages who work. I grew up with friends who are Eurasians or from mixed marriages. I have friends who married outside their race too and are as happy as everyone else. Where there is true love, I guess race does not really matter.
Christians per se are more open-minded about this issue. They do not mind marrying out of their race as long as the other party is of the same religion. Some Muslims, too, do not mind marrying someone from another race as long as the other party is of the same religion. Rather, I find those more conservative Chinese who have no religion more against mixed marriages. Their children must never marry outside their race.
Then there are also some who converted their religion just to marry the one they love. There are Christians from other denominations becoming Catholics, Catholics becoming Protestants, Buddhists becoming Christians, Christians becoming Muslims, etc. The bottom line is, once these people are sure that the other party is the one for them, they will go all out to do whatever they can to be with the person.
I am not against mixed marriages. In fact, I admire couples in inter-racial marriages, because they overcame prejudices, cultural differences, religious conflict (in some cases), parental disapproval and, in some extreme cases, being ostracised by the society, just to be together. These could probably be the love that lasts a lifetime, since they have overcame problems much more pronounced.
However, somehow the guys I fell for all happened to be of the same race as me. Perhaps that is just my preference then what type of people I like? After all, I believe most of us have our own preferences. I have girl friends who only like Caucasians, and I have guy friends who only like Koreans.
The bride and groom yesterday are both in their mid to late thirties, and to be able to find someone at that point in time, it is already a chance in a million, thus to them, race, religion, cultural differences and distance do not matter. Perhaps younger people are just more choosy. Maybe when I am still unattached at that age, my perspective will then change, who knows?
It was a real glorious day yesterday for a wedding. The traffic was smooth, the weather was just right - not too hot and not rainy. Even with outdoor location shots, we did not feel too hot or stuffy with our formal wear. What a pity I did not manage to take some shots since I was busy helping the bride out with all the little nitty-gritty details.
It was an interesting event because the groom is from overseas. It was a typical Chinese wedding, but they will be going to the groom's country to hold the ceremony according to his tradition. This is the first time I witnessed a wedding where the couple are of different races, religions and nationalities (Indonesian Chinese weddings do not count, since they are still the typical Chinese way, and my cousin's wedding in Australia did not count as well, since both are Australians).
Some time ago, during one of the Sunday mass sermons, one priest was commenting on how inter-racial marriages will never last because two people brought up in different cultures will find it very hard to stay together, as Chinese people have their way of doing things, Caucasians have their own way, Indians have their own way, Malays have their own way, etc.
He was preaching on this issue because of the recent divorce cases and he had to counsel a few victims of failed marriages, where most married outside their race. I found him a tad too insensitive at that point in time because there just happened to be a couple where the husband happened to be an Indian-Eurasian and the wife happened to be a Chinese standing near the altar. Just imagine how they would feel when he said that.
I have come across inter-racial marriages who work. I grew up with friends who are Eurasians or from mixed marriages. I have friends who married outside their race too and are as happy as everyone else. Where there is true love, I guess race does not really matter.
Christians per se are more open-minded about this issue. They do not mind marrying out of their race as long as the other party is of the same religion. Some Muslims, too, do not mind marrying someone from another race as long as the other party is of the same religion. Rather, I find those more conservative Chinese who have no religion more against mixed marriages. Their children must never marry outside their race.
Then there are also some who converted their religion just to marry the one they love. There are Christians from other denominations becoming Catholics, Catholics becoming Protestants, Buddhists becoming Christians, Christians becoming Muslims, etc. The bottom line is, once these people are sure that the other party is the one for them, they will go all out to do whatever they can to be with the person.
I am not against mixed marriages. In fact, I admire couples in inter-racial marriages, because they overcame prejudices, cultural differences, religious conflict (in some cases), parental disapproval and, in some extreme cases, being ostracised by the society, just to be together. These could probably be the love that lasts a lifetime, since they have overcame problems much more pronounced.
However, somehow the guys I fell for all happened to be of the same race as me. Perhaps that is just my preference then what type of people I like? After all, I believe most of us have our own preferences. I have girl friends who only like Caucasians, and I have guy friends who only like Koreans.
The bride and groom yesterday are both in their mid to late thirties, and to be able to find someone at that point in time, it is already a chance in a million, thus to them, race, religion, cultural differences and distance do not matter. Perhaps younger people are just more choosy. Maybe when I am still unattached at that age, my perspective will then change, who knows?
2 comments:
Or be like me, work throughout the holidays. (Yeah, I have plenty of homework.)
Work? Hmmmm.... something to consider if I still don't have anything on by then.
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