Our first Chinese Wedding

There are a number of events upon which I can report this week, but I suspect the headliner is the one from which we have just returned - Puchin and Claire’s wedding. No, not our Claire, another Claire (there is more than one Dear Reader, though there is only one that’s dear to me (it’s getting near Christmas again!!)).

Puchin is the son of Amy and Victor, a lovely Chinese couple who Nicky worked with at New Lynn library. They invited a number of members of current and past New Lynn library staff, and also asked me to take informal photographs both at the wedding today, and prior to the wedding yesterday. Yesterday’s photographs involved going out and about to the Arataki Visitor Centre and Blockhouse Bay beach, along with some in Amy and Victors front garden. Today’s event was at the Markovina Vineyard in Kumeu.

The invitation stated 3pm, so we assumed that was when the ceremony was scheduled to commence. We duly arrived around 2.30pm, and discovered we were some of the first there. Amy, poor thing, was on the verge of having kittens because it was due to take place outside, but the weather was damp and threatening, and even when it was dry is was very windy. It turned out that time was a very flexible thing, as they had the venue to themselves, the celebrant was also one of the guests, and everything was being done in the one location. So, when Amy agreed that it should be moved indoors there was much relived rushing around by the staff, and not long afterwards we had a torrential downpour. However, by the time the bride and groom arrived over an hour later, we have lovely windy sunshine. No matter, many arrival photos were taken, the ceremony proceeded and everyone looked very happy. We then had a period of about three hours where the bride and groom were ushered around the grounds being photographed by the official crew (there were about 5 of them, including a drone operator!). The guests were left to amuse themselves while the staff plied us with scrummy hot and cold nibbles. When we finally got to the buffet, the selection and quality very very good, and of course more than required was consumed. We had speeches and singing from an excellent professional opera singer, and then cake cutting and dessert, followed by a bijou amount of dancing. A very enjoyable if long affair.

It was unfortunate that the weather wasn’t better today, as with the exception of Friday where we had some major downpours, it has been a good week, and noticeably warmer. We had our first 40º+ in the roof on Thursday and had dinner on the Rattigan one evening.

Nicky has been busy at the library and on Tuesday evening they had the staff Christmas gathering at Mix Moon in New Lynn, which was more enjoyable than expected. Nicky was reading at a church service on Wednesday evening and on Thursday evening we went to Glen Eden library to hear Graeme Simsion speak, author of The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect. He was very good, and an extra bonus was meeting Stella there which wasn’t planned and was a lovely surprise.

Work has been good for me too, culminating with a very long day on-site in Takapuna on Friday. I also did a taste testing session at the Food Research lab on Tuesday afternoon which was interesting. My other achievement has been to finish reading Britain at War part one, which has been very good. Along with the military events, Daniel Todman also covers the political and economic ramifications of the time, and accounts of the reactions of the “common man”, giving a very rounded coverage which is very readably written.

I am now in need of my bed, so will close with a couple of photos from today of Nicky and Amy, and the happy couple.

Take care, especially those with damaged limbs. Rick