Day two started off late, after last night's lack of sleep. I wandered off into town and explored.I fond the indoor market. It was interesting, but I took no photos. There was so much there! The usual vegetables and tofu, and meet but there were fish, crabs, eels molluscs etc etc. Animal welfare people would have had a field day, as would the food inspectors! No one seemed to surprised to see me. I wandered here and there trying to find a simple path through the maze whilst still looking at the myriad of 'things'! eventually I had wandered enough and decided to go back to the outside market. This was a little easier to navigate. It was mainly full of very old people trying to sell small amounts of produce. I felt really at home here. I can't quite explain why. I said a few words to a few people as I walked by but could have just sat and watched for hours.. it was fascinating! I emerged from teh market and back to the main street. I wandered past the KFC, a real one and headed to the underground market that Angela had taken me to last time I met her in Tongren. I was clean and bright, a complete contrast to the 'poor market' nearby. There were designer shops and shops selling fluffy things that nobody really needs, the only part reminiscent of the old market was the food area. This was a mixture of expensive 'designer foods' and traditional 10 yuan dishes. And again I felt more at home in the poor parts. Finally I surfaced again and got a call from Wendy. Would I like to go to a wedding! Well, I thought I was going the next day, but I was open to offers! I have since discovered that when there is a wedding in China, there is a party for the future wife first and then for the future husband. More of a.meal and social events than a drunken hen and stag night. Anyhow, I accepted and Wendy told me to meet her at her school. Should have been easy, but there is something about China, I am usually completely disoriented (no pun intended!). My sense of direction is usually fairly OK, but in China, I seem to have no idea!
Eventually I found my way to her school with the help of GPS real time location! When I eventually arrived we went oout to the street and got a lift in her sisters car.
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We got to the block of flats which contained Wendy's family's flat, we drove through the gate and met up with a lot of other cars which were being decorated for the journey. Wendy got out and told me to get out to. She had a chat with a few people and eventually told me to get in to a car. I sat in theback seat. I leaned forward to the driver and introduced myself. Haha!, I felt a little stupid as it was her boyfriend.....we had already met on numerous occasions!
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| Wendy's sister's car. Her sister is in the front seat. The red symbol on the windscreen represents two people together thus marriage. |
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| Wendy's boyfriend Anthony in the black pullover with the red stripe. The other group were preparing firecrackers. |
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| Wendy in the fur waistcoat, her father on the left and her sister by is side. I don't know who the guy in blue is/was. |
Eventually the cars loaded up and we were off, but not before the hundreds of firecrackers and bagpipes! Well not actually bagpipes, but a sort of horn that sounded like bagpipes. We left the compound and proceeded in procession to, hazard warning lights flashing, to her brother's fiance's village; somewhere outside Tongren. I suppose the journey took about an hour, and was a little off the beaten track.
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| The bridge and the village |
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| The bridge and the village |
Just as we were about to cross the river we stopped on the bridge. Wendy told me I could get out. I was puzzled, but not for long. The guys were lining up boxes of firecrackers on the bridge to announce the arrival of the groom. A local dog came from the village side to investigate. It left very rabidly after sniffing the lit fuse of a box of firecrackers as it exploded! I bet it's never run so fast in its life! Made me laugh!
After all this, the 'bagpipes' started again and we headed over the bridge, only to stop shortly afterwards, whilst the obligatory boxes of cigarettes were handed out and the drivers got 'red envelopes' containing their petrol money. Then we arrived in the village.
It was in full swing and ready for the 'onslaught'.
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| The view opposite the house |
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| The balcony of the house and Wendy's boyfriend's Audi! |
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| The balcony of the house |
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| The people opposite the house. I got on really well with the guy in the camouflage coat on the left of the picture. |
I really had no idea what to expect. Wendy pointed out to me the building that contained her brother's fiance's wife. The groom and his 'boys' got ready and approached the house. They threw out some red envelopes (containing money) and I watched as the kids, and adults, scrambled for them. They then drunk the required drinks and entered the house. The next obstacle was the brides 'guards'. Some quite formidable women!
There were a few rushes for the door that were blocked. The 'guards' fought well. Then they required the guys to do certain forfeits such as singing and flower hands (search YouTube for this one). |Then they finally entered the bride to be's room. Further forfeits were required of them, and eventually one last song from the groom. Unusually for someone in China, he could not sing. I thought he was joking but I was acting as live feed for the bride;s cousin who was in another province and she assured me that he could not sing!
After that we waited around for a while and then ate food and returned to Tongren. A very interesting day! There are far more videos and pictures than I could fit in here, especially what happened inside the house! But space does not permit. However, the full set are here:
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