Are we there yet?

Well it looks like things have finally started moving toward the endgame of this long seemingly neverending process. I continue to be told that I should not have to renew my fingerprints--which expire on the 29th of this month. I'm not convinced that I won't still have to renew but at least that has provided some sort of deadline that seems to have pushed the process along.



The pictures I have posted are the wedding pictures of my mother's friends Loc and Hoi. They are to be married next week in a two day traditional ceremony. If the timeline allows it we will travel to Danang for the wedding. Loc has been particularly helpful in making phone calls for us to track down the progress of the adoption. Both of them speak English very well.

It looks like we will just be able to sandwich in a visit to Danang for the ceremony and q quick flight back to Saigon. Before we leave for Danang I am trying to make certain whether or not I should renew my fingerprint clearance.

Wikipedia has an interesting article about the traditional ceremony ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_wedding). Here is the way Loc described the marriage ceremony:

I also want to say something to introduce about the wedding ceremony in Vietnam, but I am afraid my English is not good enough to express the ideas and to convey the extremely beautiful meaning of the ceremony. Anyway, I will try to make you know the main things of this once-in-life ceremony.

Let begin at the beginning, When a matured boy and a matured girl fall in love to each other, after 1 or 2 year time discovery about the other's ( such as manner, temper, characteristic, hobbies ...ect) and in the permission of the parents, if they decide to marry each other, they have to inform the two parents. Then the parents of the boy will come to the girl family to ask for permission from the parents of the girl. When boy's parents come at the first time, they don't need to bring any gift or if they want, they can bring a couple of wine bottles and a couple of tea bags. Vietnamese call this : "Gate-touch ceremony" ,which means the boy's family step into the girl family's gate (or doors) the first time.Then one or some months later, it will come the engage ceremony. It is simple nowadays than in the past. Because in the old days, there must be some other ceremonies before the engage (such as : Name asking ceremony, relative introduction ceremony ...).

In the engage ceremony, the boy's family has to bring gifts including 2 bottle of wine, two bags of tea, 105 betel nut and areca, some kilograms of fruit (apples), some cakes, some gold. These are called "betrothal gifts". Depending on each region, the gifts can be more or less but usually they are arranged into 5 or 7 or 9 trays. The number is also a traditional belief of luck and happy. The 2 family will celebrate the engage ceremony in the girl's family. After that they will have a warmly party of the two family.

At least one month later, it is the time for wedding party. We also have a ceremony in church before party in house or restaurant. There will be much difference from Vietnamese wedding and western wedding, but I will let you discover yourself when you enjoy our wedding ceremony and party. I hope you can come and join our wedding ceremony on the 25 and 26 of October.