And so, about my weekend...
I attended DS's wedding banquet at Hotel Sofitel Palm Resort on Saturday. I was really happy for her. Seeing that she has finally found a person who loves and cherishes her, i was almost in tears at several moments during the wedding. Both DS and i had similar fate of having our hearts shattered into pieces by our first love, but then we were blessed to meet the men of our lives who shows us what real happiness is all about. When i looked back sometimes, i couldn't help but wonder if the first heart-break was inevitable so as to lead us to our true love. Indeed, one path leads us to another, and we wouldn't be where we are now if it weren't for all the past experiences, whether good or bad.
While i felt the joy of my best friend's wedding, there were also several things that marred this otherwise beautiful occasion, or at least from my point of view.
The wedding was just like any other typical Chinese wedding dinners. It started 1.5 hour late, with all the "yam seng" and the groom's relatives performing a non-stop karaoke concert. What i didn't expect though was the terrible service standard of the hotel. Our glasses were empty most of the time, even during the toasting ceremony. We could see the waiters and waitresses chit-chatting at a corner and some even fooling around by laughing and pushing each other. It was as if they were having a party of their own while we were having ours. I was so fed-up at one point that i went around looking for their manager, hoping to lodge a complaint (the Singaporean style), but no one who dressed like a supervisor could be seen at all. I guess that was the reason why these people weren't doing their job, because no one was around to give orders and manage them. I would advise whoever planning to have their wedding at Sofitel be aware of this situation and ensure they don't give the same lousy service for your wedding.
And then, there was 贝. We had a minor arguement in the afternoon that left us in wrecked mood. Before we headed to the hotel, 贝 discovered a punctured tyre and had to get it fixed at a workshop, which kinda made me worry about being late to the dinner. Then through out the dinner, 贝 was apparently unhappy because he hates hates hates hates hates hates attending wedding dinners. Yes, that's how much he hates it because he thinks attending wedding dinner is a waste of time, even more so when the bride and groom were someone whom he didn't really know. So it was kinda like i had pointed a pistol to his head and forced him to go along with me.
My mom being there sure didn't help too. My friends at the table were making conversation with her, and being a typical auntie and all, she talked loudly all the time. I felt so embarrassed; if there was a hole, i would have climbed in and hid myself there and then.
Of course, lastly, there was the unwished-for meeting with my ex. DS was considerate enough to arrange him and his girlfriend to be seated at another table, which spared me the torment of more than three hours of awkwardness. I did, however, bumped into him and his girlfriend at the entrance to the ballroom after i had visited the bride at the hotel room with other friends. Funny enough, it was his girlfriend who had noticed me first. I was really surprised that she still recognized me as she and i had only met once, and i really couldn't remember how she looked like at all. Even funnier was how my ex shook hand with us in a business-like manner, as if we were his business acquaintances or something. I just thought a "hi" with a wave of the hand or a pat on the shoulder would be sufficient, but then, that was just me.
The encounter with my ex wasn't that unpleasant. I'm glad that he took the initiative to greet my mom and she returned the greetings too. Well, it has been a long time and whatever animosity would have been diminished to nothingness. People say that time can heal everything, and i think it's indeed so. I had once said to him that if the two of us couldn't be happy together, then we might as well be happy apart. I'm sincerely glad that he has found his happiness, while i've found mine.
But, having said all that, i still wouldn't attend his wedding if i were invited, and i wouldn't invite him to mine either if i were to have one.
Labels: friendship
