The Wedding

Well...it's over and things are starting to wind down. It has been crazy and I pulled out all the stops to be able to cope with it all. The whole thing was fantastic, and I must say Oi and her family did a massive and great job of holding the wedding. I can hardly remember the exact sequence.

Mum, Nick, Joel, Don and Tom went up in the minibus to Chum Pon last Friday. Very sadly, Matt Beck and Jenny could not make it, but I hope to see them soon.


We got to the hotel which looked like something out of the Eastern Bloc or North Korea. Oi was there with Rob and Maria (Mojo). We found some beer. Oi went home and a couple of hours later Tony appears with Taryn. We had a big bear hug and he was grinning from cheek to cheek as ever. We drank more beer and just basically buzzed at the sheer awesomeness of the occasion. It was quite something. Eventually we got to bed. I shared a room with Joely.



Next morning, very early we got up and after brekker and the usual amount of faffing around made for Oi's farm.

Joel, mum and I went in a big black car with a police escort. The drive took about 15 minutes and I was rushed into a room where Oi was waiting (looking totally beautiful) and knelt down before four monks. They chanting starting and Oi told me when to bow and stuff like that. I was a bit concerned because the others hadn't arrived. It was just Joel and Mum with me. After about half an hour it finished and Oi went off to another room. I went outside and we were taken to a farmhouse across the road and were given coffee. We were told that we had to go again and we went out onto the road where a procession of people were waiting. Rob and the others were here and lots of Thais hold banana leaves and stuff like that.

Then the bangs and fireworks went off and this crazy music started. It felt like Jamaica or something, as we started to slowly approach the house. A little boy held my hand and everyone was laughing and having fun. As we appraoched the house I was carried forward and people held gold chains in front of me. A fat woman rushed forward with a bag of whiskey and started paying the gatekeepers. We went through about 4 of them. Then they tried to get my shoes off my feet, but I managed to hold onto them. I was led up to a door and was finally allowed in. Oi was sitting on a bed in this small room.

I sat down with her and she fed me a tray of different foods. Then I fed her. Then we came back into the main room and knelt down as we exchanged rings and I put some jewelery on her. After this, we knelt and bowed to a whole circle of people. Mum and Nicholas joined in here. We were splashed with water and handed out little leaves and things to Oi's relatives. Finally, we were allowed out and sat at a dias as people poured water on our hands. Then we were married.

We separated again and us lot went back to the hotel for a rest.

At four o'clock we were driven back to the farm for the party. Everyone sat down and started eating. Alas, I had to stand with Oi, Oi's mum and my mum and this arch of flowers and greet the arriving guest. It was quite tiring and we were there for a long time as piles of people arrived. We had our photo taken about a Ga-zillion times.Then we went around every table waiing and thanking the guests. At last, I could sit down and eat. There was a great Mussaman curry which I love.

Later we were dragged up on stage and Phit did a Q&A thing and I answered questions in Thai. Oi said this was great so the people could understand I was not some flake stealing some Thai pussy as some are led to believe. Everyone cheered when I spoke Thai. Nicholas said something funny and Mum cried. Oi's mum (who is also quite a beauty) was also very emotional and spoke little.

I was supposed to stay the night but the music was so loud and I was dead. Oi came with me back to the hotel. It was important that we spend the first night together. It was lovely to be in a quiet air-con room and on our own.

The next day, it was time to leave.

We stopped off at the farm to say goodbye. Oi's mum gave me back the 100,000 Baht I had given her the day before as part of the dowry. I gave it to Oi as Mum had given it to me. Oi gave some to her aunt's and brothers. All of them started crying. It was a very humbling experience. These people had very little and refused every offer. Then when Oi asked them to accept they broke into tears. I think all us Whiteys felt something then.

We hit the road for the long trip back to Hat Yai.