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Asia Pants – Let’s all go to the ballgame… and a wedding!

Hey everyone!

Well, it’s been a busy week, I won’t lie. Before the week started, though, I had a chance to relax for the weekend. My dad was in town for our friend Nina’s wedding (more on that in just a bit) and a fellow academic had offered to take me to a baseball game to sample the Taiwanese atmosphere.

Despite picking a baseball-related topic for my dissertation, my interest in the game is really a work in progress. I’m more of a football guy. Yes, yes. Soccer to you. Still, I’m getting more and more interested in baseball all the time, and although present day professional Taiwanese baseball probably has little in common with elementary school baseball in the 1930s, it seemed like a good idea.

As you can see, space is a bit of a premium in Taipei. The stadium is in Tianmu, which is known for being a wee bit fancy, and also known for being full of foreigners. Despite my clear association with both of these things, it was my second time ever being to Tianmu. My first visit was instigated by a friend from Hong Kong, who wanted to go shopping in the famous shopping mall across the street from the stadium and then stand in line for an hour to order something at Mr. Donut. Mr. Donut was a big deal at the time.

The game was great, and as you can see (in this REALLY short video), the crowd gets into it slightly more than is common at a Rangers game. They were doing that because one of their better players was getting ready to bat. Nothing had actually happened yet!! The teams playing were the Brother Elephants and the LA New Bears (from Kaohsiung). I really wanted an Elephants jersey but they somehow cost US$200. I guess they don’t want anybody to own one.

I had to leave early and grab plenty of sleep because the following day was really important. My friend Nina was getting married!!

Nina is an old family friend. I first met her when I was fourteen years old. She started working for my dad when she was around twenty-one or so, and they have worked together on and off since. She is now the country manager for an international telecoms company. In addition to being very good at her job, Nina is awesome, and regularly takes care of me. I’m not sure how many of you know, but I can’t manage it on my own.

Along the way, Nina met George, and they had finally decided to get married. They went for a Western-style ceremony for a few friends before the main banquet, at which they expected around three hundred guests. The western theme was very heavy on flowers…

… and children.

And here are Nina and George! Don’t they look great?

George proceeded to tell Nina how much she meant to him, and recited for all the guests the story of their relationship, how they met, fell in love, and decided to get married. Nina, who was a fantastic mix of tears and giggling, showed George up completely by singing him a love song!

Still, the ring bearer looked a little nervous.

George and Nina have been together a long time, and a lot of people had been waiting for this. The ceremony finished, and that was it. Nina is married now! Don’t they look relieved?

In a good way.

So, baseball and a wedding. It’s one way to spend a weekend. I could go on and discuss my ten hour days in the library, but I’m not sure Sarah’s blog can handle the imminent Internet traffic drawn by such exciting tales. I’m not entirely sure what’s coming in the next week, but I pledge this to you now: there will be more pictures of food.

© 2009 Poshdeluxe.