Long and short of a wedding, Chinese-style
<p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="once">once</span>, <span word="words">words</span> <span word="failed">failed</span> <span word="me">me</span>. </p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="microphone">microphone</span> <span word="had">had</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="thrust">thrust</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="expected">expected</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="least">least</span> <span word="talk">talk</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="sing">sing</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="praises">praises</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="my">my</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="bride">bride</span>. </p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="detail">detail</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="any">any</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="elude">elude</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="gentleman">gentleman</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="badgering">badgering</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="still">still</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="do">do</span> <span word="so">so</span>, <span word="if">if</span> <span word="Ellen">Ellen</span> <span word="hadn">hadn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="rescued">rescued</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="grasp">grasp</span>. </p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="proud">proud</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="don">don</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="speak">speak</span> <span word="Mandarin">Mandarin</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="take">take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="convince">convince</span> <span word="me">me</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="should">should</span>. </p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="ve">ve</span> <span word="already">already</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="past">past</span> <span word="two">two</span> <span word="years">years</span> <span word="teaching">teaching</span> <span word="Ellen">Ellen</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="enormous">enormous</span> <span word="amount">amount</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="English">English</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="we">we</span>'<span word="re">re</span> <span word="very">very</span>, <span word="very">very</span> <span word="happy">happy</span>. </p><p><span word="I">I</span>'<span word="m">m</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="longer">longer</span> <span word="worried">worried</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="whatever">whatever</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="me">me</span>, <span word="as">as</span> <span word="long">long</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="Ellen">Ellen</span> <span word="deems">deems</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="it">it</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="not">not</span> <span word="worth">worth</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="effort">effort</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="translate">translate</span>. </p><p><span word="And">And</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="stood">stood</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="stage">stage</span>, <span word="clutching">clutching</span> <span word="Ellen">Ellen</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="hand">hand</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="unleashed">unleashed</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Chinese">Chinese</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="think">think</span> <span word="of">of</span>: </p><p>"<span word="Xie">Xie</span> <span word="xie">xie</span>! <span word="Gan">Gan</span> <span word="Bei">Bei</span>! <span word="Xing">Xing</span> <span word="Fu">Fu</span> <span word="Mei">Mei</span> <span word="Man">Man</span>!" (<span word="Thank">Thank</span> <span word="you">you</span>! <span word="Bottoms">Bottoms</span> <span word="up">up</span>! <span word="Happy">Happy</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="all">all</span>!) </p><p><span word="Which">Which</span> <span word="worked">worked</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="treat">treat</span>. </p><p><span word="Ellen">Ellen</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="spent">spent</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="rest">rest</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wedding">wedding</span> <span word="touring">touring</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="tables">tables</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="pretending">pretending</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="drink">drink</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="awful">awful</span> <span word="concoctions">concoctions</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="were">were</span> <span word="thrust">thrust</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="hands">hands</span>. <span word="At">At</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="first">first</span> <span word="table">table</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="seemed">seemed</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="mixture">mixture</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="bai">bai</span> <span word="jiu">jiu</span>, <span word="tea">tea</span>, <span word="red">red</span> <span word="wine">wine</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="Coke">Coke</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="got">got</span> <span word="worse">worse</span>. </p><p><span word="Looking">Looking</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cup">cup</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="told">told</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="par">par</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="course">course</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="I">I</span> <span word="shouldn">shouldn</span>'<span word="t">t</span> <span word="worry">worry</span>. </p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="imbibe">imbibe</span>. </p><p><span word="After">After</span> <span word="that">that</span>, <span word="it">it</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="became">became</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="blur">blur</span> - <span word="between">between</span> <span word="faux">faux</span> <span word="toasts">toasts</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="mock">mock</span> <span word="bows">bows</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="becoming">becoming</span> <span word="exhausted">exhausted</span>. </p>
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