Traditions from home Asian American

From NY to LA: Traditions in Between

I left NY for LA six days ago. For me, LA has two very distinctive sides: it has always been a stop quick after a work trip or the destination of a family function. The latter fervently includes the following: Cantonese food for days, endless hospitality, and my newfound discovery: bubble tea servings the size of a small child (seriously). It is also the chance to discover traditions that my family back home in New York has diluted or forgotten.

I stopped in LA for my cousin’s wedding; nothing speaks more true to tradition than celebrations and food. If you have never been to a Chinese-style wedding, make a friend and get yourself to one. Think ten-course banquet with a show: the bride goes through series of three to four outfits throughout the day and wedding games are played at the expense of the newlyweds. You want to blindfold the bride and have her feel out her hubby from a line-up? You got it. It’s less raunchy than it sounds, but you get the idea.  

Weddings epitomize what I think are the best parts of Chinese culture: the importance of food and family, the significance of eating together, and the ability to laugh at yourself, even on one of the most important days of your life.