Two Firsts

After living in China for a few years, my to-do list is getting more difficult to check off. The easy stuff is done, but there are still a lot of bigger items that I have yet to accomplish. To name a few from my list: Someday I'd like to visit Tibet and China's western provinces. I've never driven a car in China (or abroad in general--not that China's the best place to start, I suppose).  I've always wanted to go camping in some remote Chinese mountain, or perhaps on the Great Wall. I've also never attended a Chinese wedding.

That last one, actually, seems to be one I will have to check off part by part. Just recently I attended my good friend's Beijing wedding banquet. They had had the ceremony itself in the groom's home province in the south. In Beijing they organized a banquet for the bride's family and friends. Fittingly, all us northerners were invited to a well-known Peking Duck restaurant for a very delicious dinner in honor of the newlyweds. After wedding banquet--I can check that one off!

Then I got hired for this performing job. They asked me to sing a couple of English songs at a wedding. I've been trying to get my foot in the door on this front for a while now and this wedding was my first gig.

We arrive early in the morning to a country-club-like location outside Changchun. A young Russian guy and I are both set to sing three songs. We chat on the way to the wedding hall and both decide that we've seen each other before. At the wedding hall we wait for about thirty minutes as they prepare to start the ceremony. 

This place is where couples go to order a "pre-fabricated" wedding. There are "sets" that they can choose from, including the color scheme, photography, decorations, mood, and more. Surprisingly, I find it all mostly tasteful. A set costs about 30,000 RMB or about 5,000 USD. This is on the lower end. The most expensive at this particular place runs at 150,000 RMB. Of course, the sets don't include the banquet afterward or all the alcohol and cigarettes that are a must at Chinese weddings. With everything included, I'm sure that today's couple spent close to 50,000 RMB.

The wedding begins with the MC welcoming everyone and then introducing the two foreigners who will perform. I'm up! I stand under the arch at the end of the flower-strewn walkway. I sing Norah Jones' Don't Know Why (I know, not a typical wedding song in English speaking countries). My second song was supposed to be Celine Dion's A New Day has Come, but they skipped over it and went straight to my third choice, a Chinese song called 我的歌声里, In My Song. My mistake was deciding on that song last minute and learning the lyrics the night before. Shameful to say, I mumble and hum through forty percent. Luckily, I'm able to make up for it with the strong, easy chorus parts. The Russian guy sings his songs, and just as quickly as it all began, we're finished and each 500 yuan richer. My two firsts might not have been ultimate successes, but here's hoping for second chances!