Congratulations, Mary and John!

I just got back from a Chinese engagement party that I was very honored to have been invited to. This was Chinese culture 101. A Chinese staff worker here, Mary, celebrates her birthday today and so when she got to a classroom for a suprise birthday party, her boyfriend (not a staff worker) was here as well with a little something else in mind. It was a very romantic, very fun evening and I noticed a lot of similarities between American engagement parties and Asian celebrations. For instance, is there anywhere in the world that doesn't do the Chicken Dance? However, the bride to be was given a very ornately wrapped gift that turned out to be a small turtle in an aquarium. Everybody oohed and ahhhed and a million pictures were taken of Mary and the turtle and I heard something that sounded suspiciously like "ceremonial reptile." Yeah, not sure what that was all about. She either has a new pet or an awful raw Hors d'œuvre. The rest of the night was filled with cake, music and dancing. Several chinese pop love songs were played as well as some American including the Carpenters and Steven Curtis Chapman. Though I could understand precious little of the toasts and speeches, it was wonderful and exciting evening.