My wedding took place last month, on the 6th of July 2017.
Cambodia is known as a low income country, but Cambodian wedding is known as one of the most expensive one. Let say that a normal wedding in Cambodia spend more than 10k USD.
Drag you back a little bit backward before my wedding. Actually I have known my wife since last two years, when I jointed my friend wedding in her homeland. She was a bridesmaid in the wedding. I asked to my friend about her. He told me that she is still in high-school, it would take another year for her to finish high-school. When I know that she is still too young, I just cannot go further than that; and keep asking my friend from time to time how has she been.
After that a few month, I went to do research in La Rochelle, France for almost 1 year and when I got back, I also have a relationship with someone immediately, but the relationship was not last that long. Then in the mid of April 2017, my friend who is the cousin-in-law of my wife; he came to me and asking me about a book that I translated. When he came to me, it remind me about my wife, so I asked him about her. He told me that she finished her high-school, but she has not come to continue her bachelor in Phnom Penh yet; she was helping his wife selling books in the local market there. At the same time, she was studying Korean preparing for an exam to be a laborer to Korea in the late of June. I asked my friend for her facebook account, she didn't accepted my account at first; she thought that I am a foreigner; until my friend told her about me; and then we become friend of facebook.
A photo taken when my parents went to see her in her hometown
We started to chat on facebook, I told her that I got crush on her since last two years. When we get a little bit close; I ask if it is possible for me to court her, as I am 10 years old older than her. She didn't reject, but she said that she has never seen me in person so it is quite difficult for her to say yes. Actually, I planned to visit her in the late of May, since I would have a trip to France for 2 weeks; but since soon she would take a Korean exam to go to Korea as a laborer; so I changed my mind and came to meet her immediately in a weekend of April 2017. I went to meet her, her family, her grand-mum and her relatives. We went to visit a durian farm of her aunt and also to have dinner together with her cousins in her hometown.
After getting back from her hometown, I asked her again, if I am acceptable for her; and she replied to me YES :D Just following that 1 week; I dragged my parents and siblings to come to see her and her family in her hometown. My parents didn't want to come, because I got to know my wife really quick and we haven't learn from each other that much; but finally my negotiation skill could lobby them to come. During the meet, my parents asked for her birth-date, so that they can check with the horoscope if our birth-date are match. It is quite common for Cambodian people to check the birth-date if it is match or not before getting married. And why I need to rush like that? Of course yes, she is beautiful; but there are more things beside that. And for many Cambodian family, they don't allow their daughters to have a boyfriend or any strong relationship until engagement or married; it was another reason that I was rush to drag my parents to see her and prepare for an engagement.
Let wait and see the following stories of my wedding! It is quite interesting and the way to get to the wedding was short, just less than 2 months; but there were many obstacles in between ;)
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