Showing posts with label Chinese. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinese. Show all posts

Thursday, July 2, 2009

More Culture Clashes



My parents have told me that if some people are invited, we have to invite their whole family, adult children included. The adult children don't get their own invite not because we're trying to save trees, but because it's what you're "supposed to do" in Chinese culture (these people aren't considered full adults until they're officially out of the house (i.e. married...an exception MIGHT be made if said "kidult" moved to the other side of the country/continent/other part of the world because they're so far away). To send a second invite to adult children means that you're expecting another gift. They don't even think that we need to put the kidults' names on the invitation (I am ok with sending one invite per household, of course, but I am NOT ok with not including names of the kids, whether they're of age or NOT, unless I don't know the kids' names. It's as if the kids aren't "real people" if their names weren't included.) I think my parents really should have stuck with the "green" thing because they SHOULD know that I won't necessarily"get" it. Not all first generation Canadian-born kids are going to fully understand ALL old country customs. I think immigrant parents sometimes forget that. Actually, a lot of people forget that, including the media. There are some that we like, of course, but there are also ones that we don't.


Am I turning into a bridezilla already?

Monday, June 29, 2009

Potential Conflicts (Probably Part One of Many)

As you know, our marriage is going to be both interracial or interfaith. While we haven't come across any family members which have issues with us getting married (at least not publicly), we may have issues regarding the ceremony and traditions. My family, for example. They're from Hong Kong, and many seem to want me to have a more traditional Chinese wedding (don't they get it that many of the so-called "traditions" in Hong Kong weddings aren't all that tradtional? I mean, women in a bridal party in China several hundred years ago would NOT be teasing the groom and his groomsmen. I'm sorry, but passing candy with your mouth wouldn't have even been done in the 70s when my parents married), but I, having grown up in Canada want something more Anglo-Canadian. Not that I'm going to nix the tea ceremony or anything. It HAS to be done. Just not before the "official" ceremony, please.

Possible other issues will likely include registries, etc...

People who've married and those who're planning weddings: Have you had conflicts like this?