Speech by Elaine Tang

Speech Type: Maid of honour/Best woman
Speech Creator: Elaine Tang
Speech Date: Oct 2001
Before I start, I read in some guidelines that if I get any unexpected laughter, I should check my flies. (CHECK) So it looks like I should be alright.

Let me introduce myself. For those of you who don't already know, my name is Elaine and I'm MayLing's younger sister. When she asked me to make this speech I said to her ‘I'll be really nervous standing in front of so many people and talking.’ Her reassurance was, ‘No problem. You're a teacher. You do this kind of thing every day.’ Well, if that's the case, girls, chewing gum in the bin, boys tuck your shirts in and everyone concentrate or you'll be in detention.

I feel really lucky. I feel lucky to have three sisters with me here today, all of whom I love dearly and are my best friends. But it wasn't always like this. When I was 16, I went through a rebellious phase. I hated my parents, I hated school, but most of all I hated MayLing. She talked to me and I screamed back. I thought she was an obnoxious interfering cow. Unfortunately, I have now realised why I hated her so much. It was because the advice she gave me, the observations she made, the changes she told me to make… were all right. She was right. MayLing, my sister, is a wise, caring, considerate woman and we're all proud of the person she has become. I believe that I am correct in saying that Chris is a lucky man, and MayLing is just as lucky a woman.

When I was writing this speech, I did a bit of canvassing around the staff room, asking my colleagues what they thought the key to a successful marriage is. One in particular, form a colleague called Cliff, stuck in my mind. The advice was ‘being able to ride a tandem’. The explanation was thought-provoking. The first year Cliff and his wife went on a biking holiday, they had solo bikes. It was fun, but the year after they both decided to use a tandem bike. His words were, ‘we didn't want to go in two different directions.’ And I think that he hit the nail on the head. That week they learnt about going in the same direction. In my classroom I have a French postcard on the wall. The quote on it is ‘aimer ce n'est pas se regarder l'un l'autre, c'est regarder dans la meme direction.’ Love is not about looking at each other. It is about looking in the same direction.

May Chris and MayLing always look in the same direction, sharing aspirations, hopes and dreams. I think they've done pretty well so far.

I'd like to end with the words from an Apache song. The translator is unknown, but I think this summarizes what I would like to say. It is called, ‘Now you will feel no rain.’

Now you will feel no rain,

For each of you will be a shelter to the other.

Now you will feel no cold,

For each of you will be warmth to the other.

Now there is no loneliness for you;

Now there is no more loneliness.

Now you are two bodies,

But there is only one life before you.

Go now to your dwelling place,

To enter into your days together.

And may your days be good

And long on the earth.

Now it gives me immense pleasure to invite you all to stand and raise your glasses in a toast to the bride and groom, May and Chris. To love, laughter and happily ever after. Cheers.