A Malay Wedding In A Museum

It was a lovely mild Saturday afternoon when we found Sultan Alam Shah Museum, in the heart of Shah Alam, capital city of Selangor, Malaysia. The crowd moved towards the entrance porch of massive wide steep steps that somehow would be in violation of building codes of a more advance countries.

Then there were the protrusive tabular stainless steel handrails jutting out in rows just like guiderails to stadium ticketing entrances leading to a somber museum entrance - the architect did a good job of unwelcoming anyone to the premise.

No wonder we never knew of it's existence before. As common to most of our public buildings, it's only grand looking from the outside or from passing traffic, but never ever friendly from the users' point of view. Forget about first time or physically challenged visitors.

One of the family members greeted us at the lobby, ushering us inside the dimly lighted hall as we followed the guests ahead to the wedding venue at Dewan Raja Lumu - or King Lumu Hall - at the side. I went detour instead inside the museum for a while to check out the exhibits with my boys - fooling around with the huge traditional Malay drum - without realizing that two ladies behind tracked us as well to the museum hall - much to their amusement...!

The bride's father warmly greeted us in the barren Ante Room as the bride's mother gave a slight hesitation as to who we were - maybe due to her post-accident visual impairment or she could not figure out Madam's social standing among her circle of friends ...!

Nonetheless we made it to the long and narrow hall with barely 3-round tables across. The air-conditioning was added-on afterthought with bulky floor-mounted blowers on one side while the low plain plaster ceiling did not help to space out the room. We could see the nice dais at the opposite end of the hall.

The guests were building up as we settled in with our friends at the end of our short stay. It's a pity we did not get a chance to mingle with the guests of adjoining tables as most of them were looking very, very familiar...! A few of them even smiled and extended acknowledging glances across the tables. Very nice people these friends of the host.

On the way out the young couple & maybe the groom's entourage had just arrived pacing their grand entrance in style. Charming couple indeed...!