A wedding

On Saturday I went to the wedding of a co-worker in Taipei. It was really beautiful, and an interesting mixture between Chinese and Western traditions. The bride wore a white dress instead of the traditional red "qipao." And there was a ceremony in the church before the huge dinner/reception which is very Taiwanese (I didn't attend the reception though). Usually there isn't much of a ceremony, if any, in a church, since most Taiwanese people aren't Christian - less than 3%. This couple is though, and we even sang a couple of hymns during the ceremony, including "How great thou art" in Taiwanese, Mandarin, and English (sung by the foreigner section of the audience). There were also 3 singing groups that performed, and speeches from a lot of pastors. After which came vows and exchange of rings (supplied by the pastor); there was a bridal party but it didn't stay up at the front with the couple during the almost 2-hour ceremony. They just walked in at the beginning. My favorite part was the speeches by the bride and groom, and a powerpoint with their story on it. In a few months my friends Ariel and Richard are getting married, and I'm excited to attend their wedding! I expect it will be a little more traditional.

It was a quick trip, but it was nice to attend, and to connect with all my Taipei co-workers who I rarely see. Since then, I've been having a regular, non-rainy week. Stay tuned for pictures from my little mid-week slumber party!