Khmer Weddings

Saturday the 19th

Chris’s Wedding Reception

The invite was for 16:00 thankfully. Khmer wedding ceremonies start at 06:00 and are performed in stages right the way through the day until midnight?!?!
Suspect that Chris knew most of his ex-pat friends would not be getting up at 05:00 so he just invited them to evening do.

The car that I had booked for 16:00 informed me that it would be there at 16:30, at 17:00 I am phoning up to complain, when he finally turned up at 17:20 the first thing that he said was that he had no petrol, so, via the petrol station – and me parting with US$5 for petrol – I finally end up arriving at the reception. As I cross the road the driver then decides that he will reverse back out the road, rather than drive the whole 10 yards to the next turning, and almost runs me over.

Now, as you enter a Khmer wedding, you are first greeted by the bridge and groom, then the three best men and bridesmaids and the parents, somewhere in the middle of all this, you will be handed a small silver or gold gift as a thank you for coming - (I currently have a small collection consisting of a gold bell, a silver elephant and a silver turtle)

Once inside, the seating is pretty much a free for all. In fact, no matter what time you arrive, there will be half a dozens tables full and in various stages of eating – finished, on deserts, just getting starters, this goes on all day.
With people drifting in and out all day long. It is all a very casual affair !

The highlight of the evening occurred about 19:00, when a woman sat at my table informed a friend of mine, that she had replaced him at work with a new teacher while he was on his sabbatical, being somewhat irked about being sacked in public, at his best mates wedding, after having had her approve the sabbatical, proved to be more than his self restraint allowed. The full glass of beer in his hand was duly poured over her head!

Unfortunately, the 22 stone Maori friend of beer bath girl took slight exception to this, picked up my friend and tossed him through the air and over a table as if her were no more than a rag doll.

Fortunately for all concerned, at this point all of the Khmer men in the vicinity leapt up and surrounded everyone so that no more brawling would take place.

Not bad cabaret for early evening on a Saturday !?!