Oanh's Wedding

---

Oanh’s Wedding

Oanh, the youngest of the Nguyen girls got married January 18th, 2008. I made a special effort to be there as she wanted. Oanh is the youngest of the Nguyen girls, which means she was the youngest when her Dad died and I think she has had the worst life of all of them. To me she has received the short end of about everything. I have never heard her complain. The night of Bich Lieu’s party she was all dressed up and ready to MC the event and at the last moment Trang showed up and took over and the next time I saw Oanh she had changed clothes and was waiting on tables. She has been taken care of as Trang by either Bich Lieu, Dat or sometimes her Mother. She works as Bich Lieu’s assistant in about everything from piano lessons, choir leader and preschool aerobics instructor. She found a very handsome, tall, nice man who I like very much. I hope they have a great life.
I bought a train ticket for the nineteenth so I left the next day. This was fortunate as I had no idea the wedding celebration would last more than three days.
For several days prior to the wedding the relatives started trickling in. I believe everyone made it. They have tremendous family togetherness in Vietnam and this was an event no one missed.
I believe about everyone participated in getting ready for the wedding. That went on for more than a week. They also hired a caterer who on the actual wedding day had erected a tent in front of Mom Sa’s house and brought in electrical equipment, tables and served the dinner. I imagine about 150 attended the party. More for the Church wedding.
Watching the wedding preparation was amusing for me. All the men thought they were boss and there was a lot of arguing during this event. It all got done though and it did really look good.
One thing for sure that is true of the Nguyen family is they can all sing. I believe all of Trang’s Uncles from rice farmers to merchants by profession all got up and sung something. That was amazing to me. During the many diners I would listen to the girls in the kitchen as they were preparing a meal and one would start singing and the rest would come in like it was all choreographed. That was amazing to me and particularly touching. All the kids sing all the time. We all remember how much Trang loved to sing back in Kansas. It really was something all seem able to do here. Trang’s boy friend fits in good in that department as he is a really good singer.
How they could afford to do what they do is beyond me. They didn’t seem to poor during this celebration. I suspect all the kids helped Mom Sa on this matter. I guess it is the Asian thing about saving face.
The wedding was preparation, the house ceremony, the Church ceremony, the party and a 10 hour round trip to Trang’s (that is Oanh’s husband) village. They said that was traditional but that is why I was glad I had that train ticket, otherwise I would have made this five hour journey staring at three AM, had a two hour lunch, and five hours back.
After all of this, they had no honeymoon. They said honeymoons are not traditional.
They are going to live in Mom Sa’s house so that makes four families living there.

---

Photos

Oanh and Trang
The married couple.

Bich Lieu and one of her flower arrangements
Bich Lieu is a musician, aerobic instructor, author of music books, choir leader, maker of flower arrangements, wife and a lot of things.

cousins
The wedding preparation brought all the cousins, Uncles and Aunts to Saigon. It was a wonderful time for them.

Jello Drink
Not that good.