No classes until 16:00 today, so I had plenty of time to put together some more words and images on the PC for later printing and laminating into the kind of new flash cards that I wrote about in yesterday's blog.
During my last class of the day, which started at 19:00, the topic of discussion turned to marriage and wedding preparations, because one of the students announced that her long time friend was going to get married this year.
This student herself has just gotten married about one year ago, and in fact both she and the other lady in question, used to come to my classroom together every week, about 5 or 6 years ago.
The discussion turned towards the custom of paying YuiNoo 結納 to the bride's family from the groom's family.
I remember a word something like "dowery" but I can't find it in any dictionary.
Nowadays they use the term "exchange betrothal gifts (money)" instead.
The students asked me if this was the custom in the USA and I replied that it is much more common to have a Bridal Registry at some department store, somewhere.
Then I explained to them, in brief, about how that system works.
They all seemed to think that it was a very good idea.
Maybe even better than the traditional Japanese YuiNoo system.
By the way, speaking of weddings, my wife Ikuko and I were married right here in Asahikawa at the very well known 花月会館, in a traditional Japanese style wedding ceremony 神前式.
See the photo on the left to form an image of what it looked like.
Unfortunately, my parents and little sister didn't attend, even though they most certainly had the time and the money to do so.
Why didn't they come?
Read my blog of 2007 February 6, to get some idea about that decision of theirs.
The photo you can see above, shows the actual wedding ceremony itself.
After this was finished, there was a gorgeous banquet in another room of the same facility.
I must say, that on that day, I felt so happy deep inside, that I thought I was going to explode, and burst into flames.
I will never forget that feeling.
It really was that wonderful.
It was a family members only 身内だけ wedding party of about 35 people.
It was a first class affair, where no expenses were spared, and no short-cuts taken.
It was the real deal.
After all, it is a once in a lifetime deal, to find a happy life together with your very own soul-mate.
And I do mean that literally.
Is it for LOVE, or MONEY?
For us, it was for LOVE.
Anything for love.
Focus on LOVE, the prime mover of the universe, and everything else falls into place naturally.
Including the "money" part of the equation.
By the way, congratulations to any and all, newlywed or soon to be newlywed couples out there, who may be reading this blog right now.
Focus on the love and everything else will be alright.
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