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SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1991
THEY DO NOT HAVE TIME FOR DOING MORE, HE CONFIDED.
MR TANG SAID MOST OF THE COUPLES CAME FOR POST-REGISTRATION. SEVENTY-FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHENG HING-FAT SAID HE AND HIS WIFE TO POST-REGISTER THEIR MARRIAGE BECAUSE THEY HAD LOST THEIR DOCUMENTS AT WARTIME, AND THEIR CHILDREN NEEDED CERTIFICATE TO APPLY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING.
CAME
RELEVANT THEIR MARRIAGE
"IT IS A CONVENIENT SERVICE AS WE DON'T HAVE TO TRAVEL AFAR FOR REGISTRATION. ALL WE HAVE TO DO IS TO WALK OUR WAY REGISTERED,"
-HERE AND BE
MR CHENG SAID.
THOSE WHO WANT TO POST-REGISTER THEIR MARRIAGES NEED TO PRESENT PROOFS THAT THEY WERE MARRIED IN HONG KONG BEFORE OCTOBER WHETHER OR NOT IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE CUSTOMS.
7. 1971,
"QUITE OFTEN, WE HAVE TO RESORT TO THE CHINESE ALMANAC TO TRACE THEIR ORIGINAL WEDDING DAYS AND MATCH THE DATES CALENDAR,"
WESTERN
MR TANG SAID.
WITH THE
AGAINST AN OLD WORLD SETTING, THE CEREMONIES ARE PERFORMED WITH NO POMP AND FRILL, NO CONFETTI, AND NO SOUND OF GONGS AND DRUMS,
IT IS SIMPLE. A LONG WOODEN TABLE IN THE MIDDLE OF MAKESHIFT IMMIGRATION OFFICE CUM MARRIAGE HALL.
A PACKED
MR TANG ALSO SAID THE OTHER COUPLES MAY ACT AS THE WITNESSES OF THE PAIR IN THE CEREMONY.
"THIS PRACTICE IS QUITE RARE IN OTHER MARRIAGE REGISTRIES,
REMARKED.
HE BELIEVED THAT THE CLOSE TIES BETWEEN THE VILLAGE FOLKS MAY BE ONE REASON.
ם
HE
HERE
ANOTHER UNIQUE FEATURE HERE IS THAT SOME MAY CERTIFICATE WITH FINGER, NOT WITH PEN.
SIGN THEIR
"WE TOOK THEIR FINGER-PRINTS FOR THEY CAN'T WRITE,"
SAID.
MR TANG
ALTHOUGH THE KIND OF CEREMONIAL SOLEMNITY CANNOT BE SEEN IN TAI THE AMICABLE AND INTIMATE ATMOSPHERE MAKES EVERYONE FEEL EASY RELAX, MR TANG SAID.
AND
0,
BUT IT IS NOT WITHOUT A PRICE.
AMONG OTHER
MR TANG AND HIS COLLEAGUES HAVE TO SACRIFICE, THINGS, TIME TO FULFIL THEIR DUTIES. THEY NEED BOTH A WILL AND A TO DO GOOD THEIR JOB.
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