Back In The USA

[bobmal99]

Get to work pronto, got to pay for that next trip to China

[se_lang]

but I'll have to tell you about that in the next installment, I've gotta go to work now.

 

Your cruel Mark ya know that, You really need to work for those soap opera folks Great story I will wait impatiently for the rest.

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

I'm glad my stories are appreciated. I'll keep them coming as long as you guys want to hear them.

 

A quick aside from the wedding story. ShuPing and I were on the train from Beijing, approaching QiQIHaer and I asked her how to say "Pleased to meet you". She told me "Gee yen dow ni, hun gow shein". I practiced and practiced and practiced. I had it down pat. When I met her family I couldn't remember it to save my life. I mumbled something about "gun jow knee" and everyone got a big laugh out of it.

 

Where were we? Oh, ShuPing and I sitting in the Honda at the banquet hall. ShuPing told me we had to wait before we could get out. I looked and saw her brothers unrolling something in front of the doors. No, not a red carpet. I realized what they were about the time the firecrackers started popping. There were 2 rolls about 10' each popping like crazy! People were plugging their ears and turning away. I swear the firecrackers popped for a good minute straight. Then, at the end, were 2 boxes. These boxes contained M-80s or the Chinese equivalent, they exploded with 2 and 3 loud booms on each. I thought that was the coolest thing I'd seen, and heard, in a long time.

 

We got out of the car and were immediately showered with confetti and sprayed with silly string. People were cheering as we were directed inside the banquet hall.

 

We entered the large banquet hall and went right into a side room where a sofa and some desks were. We sat down and waited as people came in and out. The photographer took some pictures and we had to provide our little red books to the guy I assumed was the priest or minister. I made arrangements for the sound guy to play our song when it was time for the first dance.

 

There was a live band that played a few songs while we waited and a karaoke machine that played something funky like, "She'll Be Comin' 'Round The Mountain" or "My Darling Clementine". Finally we were asked to walk to the back of the hall.

 

We walked to the back of the hall and I met with ShuPing's nephew's wife, an English teacher. I had met her the night before and she was to be my interpreter. We waited for the announcement and began walking to the sound of "Here Comes The Bride". We reached the stage and stepped up.

 

The announcer (I'll call him "Mr. MC") talked for a few minutes, introducing us. He asked us a few questions which my interpreter deciphered for me. The questions centered around how we had met and how could two people, so different and from so far apart, fall in love. He talked quite a bit and then we exchanged rings. I expected to exchange vows or say some things, but Mr. MC never asked anything of the sort, but he did talk a lot.

 

Finally he invited us to dance and announced us as Mr. and Mrs. The song we had chosen was the Chinese version of Coco Lee's "A Love Before Time" from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. (OK, it was my choice, but she definitely agreed with it.) It isn't a very easy song to dance to, but we could barely hear it anyway since Mr. MC kept talking. Didn't matter though, I was in another place, far away, with an angel in my arms.

 

Soon the music stopped and we went back in to the side room. A few minutes passed and ShuPing's neice came in to take her away. I sat alone for several minutes as the band played and Mr. MC sang. Soon ShuPing returned and was wearing her red wedding dress. Talk about your China dolls! She was simply beautiful.

 

We went out again, this time directly to the stage. Mr. MC talked some more and then asked us to make a toast "American" style. Huh? Do we, as Americans, have "a toast"? I had no idea what he meant. Through the interpreter, I gathered that he wanted us to clink glasses. We were also supposed to do the intertwined arms toast as well. This proved to be comical as I had to squat down to be on the same level as ShuPing.

 

Then we had bowing to do. Mama was called up to the stage, interviewed, and then ShuPing and I had to bow 3 times to her to show our respect. Then we bowed to our guests 3 times. Then we bowed to each other 3 times. It was at this point that I began to feel hungry. There was all this food on all these tables and a table reserved for us, but every time we sat down to eat, after the bowing, we had to get up.

 

We had to go to all the tables and make toasts with all the guests. We drank Coke, they drank many different things. There were 10 or 11 tables and we hit each one of them. I'd never drank so much Coke.

 

There were so many people and I knew nearly none of them. Still, it was nice to have so many people share our special event with us. Then it was time to take pictures with them all. The photo opp took at least 30 mins and during that time I became more and more hungry. Finally, the last of the pictures were being taken. Then I realized that they were also taking the food.

 

I saw things being boxed up and I thought maybe they were saving it for us. It was quite the spread, and I was hungry, so maybe you can imagine why I was apprehensive about the meal.

 

Well, I save that for later. Did Mark and ShuPing get to eat at their own wedding? Tune in next time for another episode.

[se_lang]

Well, I save that for later.  Did Mark and ShuPing get to eat at their own wedding?  Tune in next time for another episode.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEVIL EVIL EVIL Mark you better be a writer keep up the good story.

 

 

 

Ya want to know how to keep a fool in suspence................................................................................................................................................................... I'll tell you tomorrow

[Mick]

Great stories Mark. Keep 'em coming!

[warpedbored]

Darrell's right you need to write for the soaps. good story Mark I have enjoyed it immensely

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

Thanks Michael, glad I could be of service. Of course, we'll expect a full report when you and Yan get married.

 

I don't know how "typical" our wedding was, but it was definitely big. ShuPing has a large family and she is the baby of the family, plus she just turned 35. It may have been a real celebration for her family to finally "give her away".

 

I know you guys are waiting for the next installment, but I've been wiped out lately. I'm back to my overnight job tonight and I should be able to post more.

[frank1538]

Thanks Michael, glad I could be of service.  Of course, we'll expect a full report when you and Yan get married.

 

I don't know how "typical" our wedding was, but it was definitely big.  ShuPing has a large family and she is the baby of the family, plus she just turned 35.  It may have been a real celebration for her family to finally "give her away".

 

I know you guys are waiting for the next installment, but I've been wiped out lately.  I'm back to my overnight job tonight and I should be able to post more.

I guess we'll have to watch/read the re-runs until the next episode comes out. I've been enjoying this immensely. Thanks for sharing.

[natrigon]

Examples include: "I fear no longer your small."; "I love you when the brushing of the rain"; "Fresh Fashions for Spring"; "give me, I keep you satisfy, one mor chance to keep you satisfy"; and my two personal favorites - "Solo Love" and "Right here wailing". 

I am sitting here standing besides myself!!

 

Those quotes crack me up. It is the same in Sri Lanka...

 

"Standard Indian Resteraunt, The Name Says It All"

 

and

 

" Best Bank, We Will Keep Your Money"

 

 

Great story and great writing.

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

So, once the pictures had been taken and most people were walking out the door, ShuPing's niece ushered us to the elevator. I asked my new wife what we were going to do, she said, "We go to eat some somethings". My hunger pangs disappeared immediately.

 

We went to a private room attended by a few brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and the photographer. I was happy to see the large, round table filled with delicious looking food in the middle of the room, I could hardly wait to get to it.

 

We had squid soup, pork ribs, beef, fish, vegetables of various sorts, some kind of caramel covered potato type thing and finally the jiao dz <sp>(pot stickers or filled dumplings for those who aren't familiar with the Chinese name). Almost all meals are accompanied by jiao dz, but we had several different types for this meal. It really was a special feast.

 

For those who don't know about dining in China, the various dishes of a meal are served in separate bowls on the table and everyone uses their chop sticks to take mouthfuls of what they want to eat. You get a small plate or bowl for rice or to put very small portions on, but no big plates to pile food onto. If the dinner is served at a large table, there is a "lazy Susan" or rotating table sitting on the table. It makes it much easier to eat from all the dishes at the table.

 

When we finished eating we sat for a few minutes to let the food digest and for some to smoke and then it was time to leave. We walked out of the banquet hall to a photo opp with the blow up Santa that stood outside. The rented car was gone and we, along with the photographer and most everyone who ate dinner with us, all jumped into taxi cabs. This was another one of those "I guess I'm just along for the ride" trips. I had no idea where we were going or why.

 

A few short minutes later we stopped outside a local shopping mall. I figured I was about to spend more money for something, but we walked into the middle courtyard of this open-air mall. The temperature was 5 to 10 degrees and everyone had coats but ShuPing and I. There was a sense of urgency for this reason, but I still didn't know what the heck we were doing.

 

This courtyard area is plush and green all year long, thanks to the modern miracle of plastic. There are different types of artificial trees there and at night the palm trees are lit with colored flood lights. There is a playground for the kiddies and park benches to sit on. The place looks nice, the thing is, there's nobody there because of the frigid cold. No one, that is, except us. We were a source of great interest to anyone walking by. I finally figured out what we were doing when I was told to sit on the park bench with ShuPing. We were there to have our pictures taken.

 

The photographer and our niece snapped a couple of pictures and we were captured forever in the illusion of eternal spring. (Except for the bit of snow on the ground and the redness of our cheeks). We quickly made our way back to the taxi, but stopped just long enough to get a couple of more pictures in front of an ice sculptured lion. We jumped into the taxi and headed back to her sister's apartment.

 

There were more pictures taken of us in the honeymoon room, fun poses this time. We each received an apple to eat as wedding gifts. Apparently more good luck for the marriage. We hung out for a few hours and had a rest. ShuPing informed me that tradition called for Mama to spend the night with the newly weds. Huh? It was not that big a deal because our wedding night/honeymoon had really been spent in Harbin.

 

As night came it was time to eat again. We walked Mama across the street and down the block to a nice restaurant. We all sat around 2 very large tables and feasted again. ShuPing and I were each given a large bowl of soup. It had a tasty broth and some veggies in it, but it also had one long, thick, flat noodle. I bet the thing was at least 8 feet long. I was told that we had to eat the whole bowl of soup to ensure we would have a happy marriage. More good luck, at this rate we were the luckiest couple in the world. Yes, we did manage to eat the whole thing.

 

With our stomachs full to bursting and our wedding night upon us, we left the restaurant. ShuPing told me that we had to go get our hair washed. Hmmm, OK. I assumed that we would go back to the public baths, but no, we were going to a beauty salon. ShuPing and I and Mama, she needed her hair washed too.

 

We walked Mama out of the restaurant and, amazingly, it was snowing. It was a nice snow and a heavy snow, big flakes falling fast, but without any wind. I had dreamed of a white Christmas - how perfect was this?

 

The beauty salon was an experience in itself. We all sat down in the hair washing stations. They washed our hair without using any more water than what was in the watered down shampoo. The wash included a scalp and back massage. Our hair was rinsed in a sink and then we were handed over to a guy with a blow dryer. Soon we had nice, clean, styled hair.

 

The one thing I noticed about the hairdressers and other shops in China is that everyone seems to have a part of what is typically a one person job here in the states. The hair washer, the hair stylist, the cashier, all were different people. I suspect that if we were to have our hair cut, we would've seen yet another person. I found it interesting and no doubt due to the number of people who need jobs in China.

 

Our wedding day drew to a close. Mama went to bed and then, so did ShuPing and I. But the next day would prove to be a new experience.

[se_lang]

ya know Mark not that I am impatient or anything but you should hurry an write the whole story while it is fresh in you head

 

BTW nice site, I see you went to Ba da ling also an made it to the top, one thing I cant figure out is Chinese are supposed to be short so why are those damn steps on the wall so big I had to walk down back wards for awhile as it was easier on the leg muscles. I think Chinese thought I was crazy but I was going down faster then they were

[MarkLuvsShuPing]

Thanks Darrell.

 

There's that one spot at the bottom of the top set of stairs where they have the fences going half way across and then tires set up at the bottom, that's what got me. I could just imagine someone falling and not stopping until they reached the bottom and bounced off the tires. OUCH!

[Martytb]

Darrel & Mark,

 

I visited both your home pages today. The photos really help put faces to the names. Both sets of photos are great.

I was at the wall just North of Bei Jing. My brother in law didn't point out the cable car to the top untill after the 45 minute climb. If I had the stregnth left I woulda thrown him off, lol. The stairs were not quite as steep as what I see in your photos though, Mark.

Darrel, your photos took me back to ChongQing. Some of the places looked very familiar.

 

Thanks to both of you for putting the photos up .

[se_lang]

Darrel & Mark,

 

I visited both your home pages today. The photos really help put faces to the names. Both sets of photos are great.

I was at the wall just North of Bei Jing. My brother in law didn't point out the cable car to the top untill after the 45 minute climb. If I had the stregnth left I woulda thrown him off, lol. The stairs were not quite as steep as what I see in your photos though, Mark.

Darrel, your photos took me back to ChongQing. Some of the places looked very familiar.

 

Thanks to both of you  for putting the photos up .

I have about 90 more from CQ and a couple hundred I think from Beijing so more to come.

[Mick]

I visited both web sites. The pics are great and it is nice to have faces to go with the posts and the stories.