on board!

i am so glad to get in touch with uncle ken and his families again after all these years, especially bruce, my little cousin (oh well, not so little any more) for a chance to strike back to the nasty nickname he called me about 20 years ago. :)

i am also glad to start weaving the chang's net by sharing about my wedding-- what else can hit a higher note than this as a starter? ...and possibly a little advice for those who are taking the route, sooner or later.

as some of you have seen from our web album, we took our parents and friends to bora bora, tahiti, for the wedding and, of course, the honeymoon as well. to tell you the truth, it wasn't easy to get moms and dads going, let along friends getting mad about the impossibility of making it. some didn't even applaud the idea of having a honeymoon with more than two people. it was hard in the beginning. but the stubborness in the chang's blood kept me going with the idea. in the end, everyone made it and the trip was a blast!

beyond my expectation, all the dads and moms become good friends. the two dads already drank a few times together outside their bungalows, ranting about their views of life. the two moms explored tropical birds and plants whenever there was a chance, and even did cooking together for the big hungry crowd. it's amazing for me to see them bonding in just a few days. they are part of a bigger family after all!

another big surprise to me was that all the parents complied with the pareo dressing code for the wedding. i bought both dads hawaiian shirts before the trip in case they were shy away from being topless. it turend out, that's a needless worry. it's perhaps due to the relaxing and loving atmosphere in bora bora, or just a total underestimation of our parents. who knows?

one thing i am very proud of is that, under the blue sky, in front of tall mountains and the blue lagoon, we exchanged our vows in a can't-be-more -natural setting in modern days. none of the decoration, including crowns, leis, and flowers and leaves for the ceremony, was man-made. they come from the nature and all go back to it. it's also a wedding full of surprises since none of us, including me and ian, had any clue about what to come in the ceremony. everything just seemed so fresh and fun!

looking back to the wedding after a month since then, we have no regrets and still love every single thing we did on the island. so my advice to those who are planning (or just daydreaming) of their wedding is: go remote and spend lots of time with both of your parents. and please don't forget to invite me too!

-jannet