Tony, one of my best Greek friends, got married to one of the best ladies I have had the pleasure of meeting, Miss P.
Naturally, I flew in to make sure she didn’t change her mind, and had an awesome weekend catching up with old Dell friends, and reminding myself what summer is supposed to be like.
Austin – I have a big place in my heart for you!
Palm Springs, located just over one hundred miles from LA, is a traditional playground for the stars of Hollywood. Offering seclusion and a balmy winter climate, it became fashionable after the war, and the well-healed commissions allowed architectural modernists to flourish in the desert.
I was invited by a set of old Glasgow University friends, one of which was getting married at the impossibly cool Parker. Combined with the July 4th weekend, it made for a great get-away for a few days, and a chance to catch up with some of my old mates; plus of course setting up some sofas in LA to crash on when I make the trip down.
I have never been anywhere quite like it. As if air-lifted from space, lush vegetation, palm trees and swimming pools are set against a backdrop of a brutal, arid landscape. The place is entirely unnatural, and feels very much like being on a film set – I found myself tapping rocks and walls to see if they were fibreglass. I felt a touch guilty, thinking of the madness of spraying water mist into the pedestrian areas, the unimaginable volume of water needed to maintain perfect green golf courses, and the energy requirements to keep everyone happily air-conditioned. It was the polar opposite of attitudes in San Francisco (at least on the surface), but accompany the sun setting against the mountains with margaritas sipped by the pool and I can begin to understand the charm.
Diego, from the team, got married on Sunday and we were invited to the post-wedding dinner to celebrate. This was my first Taiwanese wedding and had heard mixed reports about them in the past. However, it was a great evening and very enjoyable.
One of the first things to consider with a Chinese wedding is the Red Envelope. Into this, you stuff money for the newly-weds. The system is rather good, I think, as it avoids the usual palava with wedding lists and racing to the cheapest on the list (don’t tell me I am the only one that does that!).
Rockin’ the dollars – it is typical to write “one hundred years together”, which is close enough to eternity not to matter any more
There are, however, one or two rules to remember when deciding how much to give. First, there must not be a number 4 in the amount (ie: 1400NT$ is not good) since the character for 4 has the same sound as death – rather an oversight if you ask me. I have described before how hotels and hospitals will often not have a fourth floor, and buses might be labelled 3+1.
The amount should also be even, and contain even numbers to signify the ‘pair’ being together. As a result of this, I gave Diego 1600NT$ which is about 20 quid. It all depends on how good friends you are with the couple of course, and I suspect that our bosses gave the couple a nice whack of cash.
Michael & Tanja are mesmerised by the lobster – this time with no LEDs
The food was pretty good. You get ten courses of various types – some soups, some fish dishes, some other meats. A less affluent family might have less courses, and I am sure that richer families may have more. We were also lucky enough to have reasonable quality wine – a rarity out here, unless you are prepared to pay.
Me and m’lady