True Love and a Flowerless Wedding

Went to See Ming and Sim's "almost flowerless" wedding reception yesterday evening - really a lovely informal party at by the poolside at Luna on the 33rd floor of the Pacific Regency with a stunning view of the KL skyline.

Am so very happy for them both ... you can sense the love between them without any words needing to be spoken ... and the fact that they can't quite believe their luck in having found their soul mates. (Was so touched by the way sim kept touching her hair as they cut the wedding cake ... .) See Ming looked gorgeous in a most unusual brilliant orange dress with decorative beadwork by a local designer.



She and Sim had each prepared a list of things to do at the wedding party. In typical See Ming style, she began with the instructions with "network network network ... who knows you will meet your next boss, editor, neighbour, best friend etc."

Sharanya Manivannan read a couple of favourite love poems beautifully. One was Openness by Polish novel laureate Wislawa Szymborska:

Here we are, naked lovers,
beautiful to each other—and that's enough.
The leaves of our eyelids our only covers,
we're lying amidst deep night.

But they know about us, they know,
the four corners, and the chairs nearby us.
Discerning shadows also know,
and even the table keeps quiet.

Our teacups know full well
why the tea is getting cold.
And old Swift can surely tell
that his book's been put on hold.

Even the birds are in the know:
I saw them writing in the sky
brazenly and openly
the very name I call you by.

The trees? Could you explain to me
their unrelenting whispering?
The wind may know, you say to me,
but how is just a mystery.

A moth surprised us through the blinds,
its wings in fuzzy flutter.
Its silent path—see how it winds
in a stubborn holding pattern.

Maybe it sees where our eyes fail
with an insect's inborn sharpness.
I never sensed, nor could you tell
that our hearts were aglow in the darkness.

The other was the Neruda poem I wrote about last week. I have an automatic burst into tears response to this one (usually by the last stanza, but here I managed it by the first) and someone had to hand me a tissue. Well that is a kind of networking, isn't it?

A young man poked video camera into my face and asked me to record my good wishes for the couple. I said I'm sorry for being so blur, I know I know you from somewhere but quite where ... (I am a very confused individual by nature, always forgetting names and faces). He laughed and said "Did you see the movie Sepet?". "Ohhh, now I know you!" This was Linus who had played the part of Keong. "Tell Yasmin what you thought of the film," he said, poking the camera into my face again, and I burbled something suitably inane. We then exchanged blog addresses (in lieu of business cards) before he went off to film someone else.

What else? The buffet spread was great and I made friends with one of See Ming's cousing from Teluk Intan as we stood in line. Janet Lee sang golden-oldie love songs in a creamy, jazzy voice. See Ming made a from the heart and very beautiful speech. We toasted and yam singed 'em. The cake was cut, and cute little cupcakes were handed out. Chatted to Jerome, Amir Mohammad, Danny Lim, who had just come from the launch of Wilayah Kutu at Silverfish.

And when it was time to go, I wisked Sharanaya and her guy Ashok of with me to go and hear romantic guitar music at The Dewan Philharmonic.

To Sim and See Ming - health, wealth, loads of happiness, beautiful kids ... and may you keep the love you share - always.