IPOH: When L. Manimaran, 57, and Ooi Mei Kim, 50, got married in 2005, they would never have thought that their mixed marriage would have strengthened their bonds of love over time.
Manimaran and Ooi came from different religions and cultures which were initially awkward for them to embrace, but with the passing of time, they said it was truly 'practice makes perfect'.
"Every time Chinese New Year comes around, I gather with my wife's family to celebrate it. Similarly, when it is Deepavali, my wife celebrates it too," said Manimaran.
The father of four said this to Bernama when met at a restaurant for the reunion dinner today ahead of celebrating Chinese New Year tomorrow.
Manimaran, who works as a part-time photographer with a local media here, said due to their mixed marriage, all their children have mastered five languages namely Malay, English, Tamil, Cantonese and Hokkien.
Meanwhile, Ooi said their intermarriage allowed her and her husband to learn and understand each other's traditions.
"At the beginning of our marriage, I admit that I was a bit awkward when it came to my husband's religion and customs, and would ask him if I had done anything wrong, " said Ooi, the third of four siblings.
"It was the same for my husband. He would refer to me if he didn't know something or wanted to know about something. This actually helped us to be more open and positive in addition to being able to accept each other's cultures."
The Ipoh-born Ooi said preparations for the Chinese New Year celebrations have been scaled down after her mother's death in 2020, and the reunion dinner is now held in restaurants instead of at home like before.
"After my mother died, we celebrated the festival simply. When my mother was alive, every time Chinese New Year came, she was one who was busy making preparations for the reunion dinner." she said.
"In those days, my mother made it a point to celebrate the reunion dinner at home and not in restaurants like today."