CHAPTER 0.3.1: I'M NEW IN TOWN, AND I KEEP GETTING LOST... IN YOUR EYES.
OK. This next set is is huge to say the least. Welcome to the 2nd Day of the Great Miri Escape. It is 1st August 2010 and I'm going for the ride of my life!
As the photog of the day, I'm bound by convention to trail the wedded couple without care or concern for myself - of which I did with great enthusiasm and gusto. It's not everyday one of your close friends get married. Hopefully not anyways. We woke up tired and groggy from the night before and we hurriedly got ready to leave. Some of the Miri heng dai was coming to the Imperial to ferry us to Leo's house where the morning's ceremony was about to begin.
At Leo's house we were treated to some Miri breakfast - Kolok Mee, Bee Hoon or Kuey Tiau. Took some 'pre' photos there:-
After that it was a short convoy to the hootel ('Short' because everything in Miri is sorta close by) for the 'games' or 'obstacle course'. For the uninitiated, when Chinese people get married, traditionally the bride and groom get together to argue over the menu, break plates, dance in a circle and sacrifice one-eyed goats. Wait. That's not it. That was my family-related event last week.
Anyways, the groom, assisted by his buddies or 'heng dai' is supposed to show his commitment to the union by making his way past 'obstacles' set up by the bridesmaids or 'chi mui'. If I got anything wrong there you can't blame me. I'm from Tyne up North-East. Nevertheless, you can get the details from Leo. I was taking pictures.
Once the groom has 'obtained' the title deed to his new bride, they both set out back to Leo's house for the tea ceremony.
After that its back to the hoootel for some R and R. The boys and I went out for some non-dodgy massage across the road and had tea before rushing back for the nights events.
To be continued.
DAY 1: THE GRAND OLD LADY
Having never been to Miri before, I was real excited to visit my heng dai’s hometown. Playing the tourist part comes easy to me, what with my bulky camera and all.
Saturday, 31st July 2010 started out funny enough. I was out dancing a storm on Friday night and decided in all my wiseness (or was that ‘wisdom’?) that I should not sleep, since my flight departs at 7.20 am. After re-hydrating I was back home at 3.30 am, packed my bags there and then, slept for 15 minutes and headed out to pick-up David and Sam. Then it was off to LCCT for the Great Miri Escape. Daniel, Alvin and Jess were in Gary’s car. The rest of the crew were MIA due to various reasons.
Gary suggested we park in the nearby Tune Hotel for about RM 20.00 a day. Much cheaper than LCCT’s parking valued at about RM 146.00 for 4 days. The downside is there is a 1.5KM (approx) walk to the terminal. Regardless, I suggest you folks do the same when you do travel.
After 2 uncomfortabubble hours in AirAsia’s finest, we arrived at the Miri Airport close to 10 am. I am grateful I’ve got reasonabubbly pretty Air Stewardesses. One, a squinty-eyed blonde Chinese with a permanently set Joker-Juice smile, another a younger, depressed, unsmiling Malay girl. No Ah Qua’s this time. Boom!
Leo and PPJ greeted us at the airport and The Great Escape started out with a bang. First off: Sarawak Kolok Mee and Sarawak Laksa at one of Leo’s regular haunts. As stereotyped as it was, we could not resist.
Next stop was our rented service apartment – The Imperial Something. The place looked pretty amazing. Here's a picture of a picture behind the Hootel Reception.
After checking in, we headed out to tourist-y destinations. Well, just one actually: The Petroleum Museum, where we were acquainted with the Grand Old Lady of Miri, who is actually the nagging, overweight first wife of a former British colonist. Or maybe it was an oil rig.
After that it was more food. A local pork dish was pretty good if not for the fact that this was our 3rd meal today. And it was only 1 pm.
We returned to the hotel after that and we all slept for a bit. Halfway through, Gary, David and myself woke up and wanted to sauna at the gym downstairs. Following which there was a dinner at Leo’s restaurant and some drinking games at BARcelona (Miri) nearby the hotel. 0-0-7-piang! Ahh! Oddly enough, BARcelona was playing salsa and merengue music.
