Yum!

Now, I'm not all hormonal and suddenly thinking that I want to get married.. But I was thinking how it's been a while since I've been to a Chinese wedding banquet - And I really want to go to one. Of course, it would be nice to see 2 people committing to each other for the rest of their lives. But the wedding banquet is by FAR, the highlight of any chinese wedding. Why so? Because it's the only way you will be treated to a 10 course meal of high class dishes that you wouldn't normally eat (unless you were an Emperor) - And it's virutally free (well, the banquest is traditionally paid for by the groom's family).

So what dishes am I on about? Well, all the dishes have chinese names that are poetic and have "good" meanings (Again, back to Chinese superstition and how things should have "good" meanings). So instead of "lobster stir fried with ginger and garlic", it's "Ocean Royalty balanced with ying and yang"

So yes, I want a good lobster dish (that someone else has cooked). I want some shark's fin soup (OK, that may horrify some ppl. But what you haven't tried...) I want abalone with chinese broccolli... Oh, and traditionally, there is a bottle of brandy/whisky, a few cans of lager and some cans of soft drinks on each table which you help yourself too. See, this is why I have a problem with English weddings.. I don't get how you spend money on a present.. Then you go to their reception and you have to pay for your own drinks! That ain't on! I tell ya, the Chinese have got it sorted ;)

Right, am going to see what Wedding Banquet I can gatecrash...