Flying Made

<--- Familiar picture, eh? Nope? It's hong bao.

Few years down the road, I will spend my time in Singapore. Plenty of my friends are still single and have big potentials to get married in Singapore. Chances are, they will invite me to their wedding (if I don't anger them nearing their wedding dates).

I foresee, my question prior to attend the sacred celebration of two human beings from different family would be the same, (In Singlish) "how much to give, ah?". In english, it would be translated as, "How much money do I need to put inside the red packet to be given to the happy couple?"

That's a culture here in Singapoor. The small country which doesn't have much original culture so it happily invents its very own red-packet-wedding tradition. A blend of chinese culture with a litte personal touch from capitalism world.

Chatrin, a friend of mine, posts the same thing in her blog about: Chinese (Singaporean?) Wedding. A commercialization of wedding. for She's right, there's no clear cut criteria about how much to insert to the almighty red packet.

This is what surprises me. In fact, there is a standard to follow. A rather strict one indeed. The amount of cash you have to give depends on several factors: closeness with the couple, the venue of the celebration, the type of the party, and how many people you bring with you.

I'd rather say to my beloved newly-wed-wannabe friends:

I need no food for I will eat mac donald's before coming to your wedding. Big mac... yummy...
I need no ballroom to dance with you, an open-air yard will do
I need no fancy microphone to sing a happy songs for you, I will shout
I do need a toilet, ... in case I have urgent business with nature =)

If you have organised some fancy celebration, I will come over as well. Whatever makes you happy, I will do it even goes along with Singapoor's culture.