Jauh Perjalanan Indah Permandangan

The Malay title of this post can be loosely translated into English as beautiful scenes (or scenery) from distant travelling. The gang of scientists and psudoscientists made their way to Sungai Siput, Perak to attend the akad nikah (Malay for marriage solemnization) between lab supervisor Dr Normi Yahaya and Prof Dr. Basyaruddin Abdul Rahman.

The gang from Lab 418, two MIA

It's a first for me, I mean the traditional Malay wedding. If we have lots of banana leaves and Hindu priests in the Indian wedding; the everything-red plus lots of food in the Chinese, here I experience first hand the event right from the beginning to the end, one so steeped in culture and religious (Islamic) values. And yeah, they have tea ceremony just like the Chinese thanks to Dr Normi's mixed parentage.

The kadi, the witnesses, the groom and the bride's dad (second from left)

The bride is lovely and the groom complemented her perfectly. There were wedding gifts spread over a part of the hall, both from the bride and the groom's family. After prayer and a short sermon by the kadi (see here for explanation; some men knowledgeable in religious matters), it proceeded with the groom accepting the mas kahwin and witnessed by the two witnesses as well as the bride's father (as the wali representing her daughter). The kadi then pronounced them as husband and wife.


Armed with my Olympus digital camera (with the light sensitivity set to the highest, ISO 640), I fought tooth and claw (not) with the pros and their DSLRs. I'm glad I got some really nice pictures. The rest, I think, is history. The food's good and the place is great. The pelamin (wedding stage) looks great and word has it that the bride's father is the master craftsman behind it.

The bride's family. From left: Daddy dearest, hubby, lil' sister, bride, mommy

The gang left the place at around 3 pm and head towards Ipoh. Some, of course, elected to head straight for home. I brought with me an unforgettable day, one filled with laughter and the grins of the newlywed. Whilst in Ipoh, I was in the bookstore and a book caught my attention. It's by Leil Lowndes with the title How to Talk to Anyone - 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships.

Behold, the following excerpt from one of the chapters; something which I will elaborate on next time.

The exact moment that two humans lay eyes on each other has awesome potency. The first sight of you is a brilliant holograph. It burns its way into your new acquaintance's eyes and can stay emblazoned in his or her memory forever.

Not sure what really happened but I think the holograph and the emblazon parts were missing in whilst we were there in the wedding reception. Yeah, the cat's tail is out of the bag. Hanging almost lifelessly from between the zippers. I met someone there.