Party time...Malaysian style!

OK, enough about travel for the time being...but there will be lots more of that to come over the next few months, I guarantee! This blog will focus on two very different parties held in Kuantan on July 15th, 2006...one was a wedding buffet reception poolside at the Hyatt Resort on the beach (which we did not attend but witnessed much of the set-up during the afternoon) and the other was a baby's first birthday party in our neighbourhood, which we did attend! Check it out...


Wedding buffet
preparations
beside the South
China Sea.
Coals Restaurant
at The Hyatt
(good BBQ)
is located
just beyond.





















Flower arrangements on the corner of the head table... we heard that RM 20,000 ~$6,250CAD) was the flower budget! (See more below!)






Tables all set
poolside















The bride
and groom's
initials in
flowers,
floating
in the kiddie pool











Pat beside
an elaborate
tabletop
decoration.













We understand the couple are originally from Kuantan but are currently living in London, and decided to come home to be married. The ceremony took place overlooking the sea in the morning and the dinner reception was held at 7:30 p.m. Luckily there was no rain but a stiff breeze blowing off the sea!




















That same evening, we attended Baby Hua Jzim's first birthday party with about 150 other guests under a huge tent set-up, just outside his family home! This is one end of the dining area...

















and here is the other! The Ng family home is to the right. To keep us cool and the air moving,
there were big fans set up under the awning.

I neglected to bring along my camera so do not have pictures of the actual party itself. The guest of honour was sleeping when we arrived but appeared later on to pose for some family pictures (there are three boys in the family) and enjoy some cake! A clown was hired from Kuala Lumpur to provide entertainment for all the children present...he was kept busy making balloon animals for them! There were two buffet stations with food galore: chicken satay with peanut sauce, various rice dishes, fried noodles, curries, fish, (stuff I didn't recognize!), fresh fruit and later "ais kacang", which is a popular shaved ice dessert. It is touted as "a delicious blend of sweet beans and jelly cubes under an avalanche of shaved ice, washed in lashings of milk and ripples of rose syrup". It is colourful and is definitely an acquired taste! Kidney beans aren't something I normally enjoy in my dessert! There was free flow red wine and beer all evening at a bar station just inside the auto-gates. The caterers were from a local restaurant downtown and were kept hopping all evening! It was quite an event for a one-year-old! The Malays know how to party in fine style!

Jumpa lagi...