大妗,我觉得他们好像挣扎在这个矛盾的时代。年轻一代主张西式的花园婚礼,大妗已经少了存在价值;可是就是因为什么都年轻化,已经没有多少人记得几十年前的上一代的结婚步骤,又托不少长辈坚持要孩子行传统华人婚礼之福,大妗这个行业总算还有得做。既然选择传统婚礼,把一对新人好好的带入家门、拜神拜祖先、斟茶、 送入洞房之类的步骤谁敢出错?不想以后会有“婚礼步骤搞错了”这样荒唐的籍口离婚,最好找个专业的顾问:当然是大妗!
I think that the Tai Kum (Chaperon) is a struggling job in this era. The young generation generally prefer western style garden wedding ceremony and do not need Tai Kum. Having said that, there are still many elders insist their kids to have Chinese traditional wedding ceremony, the Tai Kum is still surviving. Since traditional ceremony is selected, nobody will ever want to make mistake in the steps – fetching bride, prayers, tea ceremony, etc. To avoid “wrong steps during wedding” is being used as excuse for divorce in the future, we should seek for a professional advisor, which is, Tai Kum!
对于大妗姐的恐惧感,是在三年前开始的。话说,那次表妹结婚,男家因为不熟悉华人传统婚礼习俗所以请了个大妗姐。新娘车回到男家,身为伴娘的本人马上很尽责的替表妹捧着裙摆进屋。可是来送嫁的新娘父母和亲戚竟然被那个很巴闭的大妗姐下旨禁止入屋,也不准男家任何人出去招呼客人。没有人敢犯禁,只好照大妗姐的吩咐做。那个大妗姐俨然自己最有地位了,不但没有好面色,说话也不顾人家感受,双方家人合照时还特地对着录影机强调:(指着男家)“这是上家”,(指着女家)“这是下家”。混帐!什么上家下家?我表妹现在在高攀她老公家哦!?
那一刻,我发誓,到我结婚时一定不要请大妗姐!
偏偏,人生就是:想到流口水的从来不会发生;想要摆脱的却肯定会找上门。KM家竟然说不熟悉结婚习俗,要请大妗!我反对了好久,还是逃不过命运的摆布,只为了三个字:长辈要。好吧,既然逃不过,只好由我亲自挑选,确定找到的大妗姐不会巴闭的。
自从订好酒席和婚纱配套后,我就全心全意等着拍照,到我终于如梦初醒应该找大妗姐时,已经距离婚期只剩八个月了。
“我表姐结婚请了个大妗哥,叫做劲哥,很劲一下的,好玩又随和,你联络他。”表妹介绍。电话打去,已经被人订走了。
“我替你找到一个师父级的大妗姐,叫‘英姑’”劲哥介绍给我。
“吓,会不会巴闭的?我不要她kacau我的姐妹玩兄弟的喔”师父级喔!
“阿Chloe我跟你说,你请她你就是老板,你可以跟她说你的要求的。”也对,于是就约了见面。
果然是师父级,英姐(英姑叫起来怪怪的,叫英姐比较好)是拜过师,有十多年大妗经验,上过报纸的。还很专业,一坐下来互相介绍后就直接开始跟我们解说过大礼要准备什么,结婚当天她会怎样帮忙之类的。虽然说话太大声也太喋喋不休,基本上我们还是挺满意的,反正其他细节可以迟些再见面谈,我是老板嘛。唯一让我介意的是她要我的姐妹开门让新郎和兄弟们进屋玩游戏,寓意富贵进门来。
那还得了?兄弟一进门就什么游戏都不用玩了。
My TaiKum-phobia was built since my cousin sister’s wedding three years ago. The groom’s family hired a tai kum jie (female chaperon) as they were totally unfamiliar with Chinese traditional wedding. When we reached at the groom’s house, as a bridemaid, I went into the house with the bride, but the unlucky parents and relatives of the bride were prohibited to enter the house, as instructed by the tai kum jie. Neither do anyone from the groom’s family is allowed to step out to serve their guests. Nobody dared to break the rule. The tai kum jie behaved like she has the highest status on the day, unfriendly to the max and never conderate about people’s feeling when she talks.
At that moment, I swore that I WILL NOT ENGAGE A TAI KUM JIE in my wedding.
BUT, it appeared that KM’s family wanted to hire a tai kum jie because they are unfamiliar with Chinese traditional wedding! I opposed for so long yet I was unable to change KM’s mind, merely because: it’s the elder’s requirement. Well, that’s life. The only thing I can do is to look for tai kum jie by myself to ensure I don’t get an arrogant one.
This thing had been dragging for months, until 8 months before my wedding when I suddenly realized it.
“You may contact this Gengko, he is a male tai kum, my cousins sister hired him and he is quite fun and friendly” my cousin sister introduced. But he was booked when I contacted him. He managed to introduce me another tai kum jie for me, Madam Ying. She is a master level tai kum jie according to Gengko.
“Huh, is she arrogant? I don’t want her to disturb my jimui’s game session.”
“Ah Chloe I tell you what, you are the boss, you can tell her your requirements.” Gengko told me. That’s very true, so we made appoitnment with this Ying Jie.
Ying Jie is really a master level! She learned tai kum from other master and has more than 10 years experience and was even interviewed and published on newspaper. She was quite professional that after introduce each other, she started to explain what need to be prepared during Guo Dai Lai, how she will help during wedding, even before we start asking. Basically, we were quite satisfy with her despite speaking too loud and non-stop, afterall, we can discuss about other details later, I am the boss, I remind myself. The only thing that I mind was that she suggested to let the groom and his friends to enter my house for game session, which implies “bring in wealthy”.
How can! The heng dai will not play game anymore if we let them in.