December is “winter season” in Singapore, which means that the weather is hot, not extremely hot, and it rains most of the time.

On New Year’s Eve 2004 it rained almost incessantly but the events of the day went smoothly enough.  A few hiccups, which could all be blamed on the weather, did not spoil the day but rather spiced it up.  For instance, the priest who was to preside over the ceremony was stuck in traffic and arrived late, so that at one point puzzled guests who watched the Groom waiting anxiously at the Altar began to wonder if the Bride had changed her mind at the last minute.  After the Church ceremony a few Bridesmaids were left stranded on the roadside because anticipated taxies failed to turn up.  But soon kind-hearted guests with cars came to their rescue.

"Having Constance is one of the best things, if not THE best thing, that has happened to me in my life."

The Priest from England who baptized Constance years ago in Reading flew all the way to give the Bride and Groom his blessings.  Eleven girls whom Constance befriended in her boarding school days came from different corners of the world to cheer her on.  As they marched up the aisle in pairs, guests could not help being stunned by the beauty of youth.

The dinner reception was lovely.  The setting and décor at the historical Raffles Hotel were elegant but not imposing.  Faces were all smiles, cheerful and welcoming.  The atmosphere was warm and joyous.  The father of the Bride gave a charming speech, a mixture of humour and nostalgia that moved the Bride to tears.  The guests ate and drank heartily but no one got drunk.  They stayed on until midnight to welcome the New Year.  The party ended at around 1 a.m. when the young ones, including the newly-weds, got ready to enjoy their night (or morning) out in town.

Faces were all smiles, cheerful and welcoming.  The atmosphere was warm and joyous

Back in Hong Kong there was more wining and dining, which culminated in a banquet for close relatives and family friends.  Again there were guests who came from far away for the occasion, and everybody agreed that a wedding was a wonderful excuse for long-time friends who had parted different ways to get together for a good catching up.

Friends have been asking me about how I feel on marrying off my one and only daughter.  Well I am not ashamed to say that Constance is my treasure and my consolation.  Having Constance is one of the best things, if not THE best thing, that has happened to me in my life.  She is beautiful and she has a heart of gold.  She has left home to study and then to work overseas since seventeen.  She has proved herself to be sensible and independent, fully capable of taking care of herself.  So at the wedding I was quite at ease, she was not leaving home for the first time.  I have had my emotional moment, more than one and a half years ago when Constance decided to leave London for Singapore.  I knew then that she was ready to close a chapter in her life.  Shortly after she left I went back to our London home, where she still seemed to have a strong presence.  There in the empty flat I missed Constance beyond words.

And now she has entered another stage in life.  On the day of her departure back to Singapore, we saw her off and she was uncharacteristically silent and reluctant to leave.  Perhaps she was overwhelmed by the feeling of emptiness that usually greets the ending of a much anticipated and joyous event.  Or perhaps the solemnity of her newly-acquired status had finally sunk in.

I remember distinctly what a very English Englishman said to me at my own wedding.  He said, one doesn’t congratulate the bride at a wedding; one congratulates the groom, and extends one’s best wishes to the bride.  That, on reflection, says a lot about marriage.  I extend to Constance my best wishes, and I pray that she be blessed with the courage, the wisdom, the resilience, the confidence, the optimism, and most of all, the sense of hope, as she faces her future challenges.

Jan. 11, 2005,  Beijing