From Grits to Chopsticks

Every year, a very helpful member of the school foreign affairs office assists us in renewing our work visas.  She invited us to attend her wedding on Sunday evening, a huge event held in this dinner theater:
As westerners, we arrived about 30 minutes before the 5:30pm starting time.  Of course, that meant that we showed up about an hour earlier than the other guests, giving us time to browse around the lobby (actually, a museum) and surf the internet:At about 6:00pm, the bride and groom came out front to greet guests:We then entered the huge dining hall with 1000 other guests:
Since this was a fancy place, the meal included some exotic foods.  The appetizers arrived, featuring roasted duck stomach and grasshoppers:They don’t taste too bad, although it can be a bit difficult to swallow the longer legs.  Eventually, the lights were dimmed, introductions were made, the big video screen behind the stage split, and the bride entered to a musical soundtrack in English (click for video: Wedding Entrance):During the brief ceremony, the bride and groom professed their love for each other, as well as their respect for their parents: The food was being served and people were toasting each other at the time, so the ceremony wasn’t always the center of attention.  There were 100 tables, and each one was loaded with food: While we were eating, the bride changed her dress and visited each table to toast the guests. Fortunately, she used plain water for this activity to make it all the way around:We are thankful for good relationships with our friends in the foreign affairs office.