[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bA5bszpcbxM?rel=0]
The ceremony began with a chant by the priest.

This weekend we have been in Los Angeles, attending the wedding of our good friend, Joan Ishibashi to Kantila Vaghela, which has turned out to be a mini-reunion of LCH folks! Those of you who know Joan, however, will understand why it is that 44 people from all over the globe (London, Japan, Brazil, Ohio, Colorado, California and Hawaii) were here to celebrate with her—she becomes a good friend to almost everyone she meets on her life’s adventures. I wrote a post about Joan and her LCH connections when she came through Honolulu last fall which you can read by clicking here.

We were in the second floor banquet room of the Miyako Hotel where we all gathered around the couple, he who came by way of India, Kenya and the United Kingdom, and she by way of Japan, California, Nebraska, Hawaii, and Ohio. The Buddhist ceremony was not too different from a Christian rite. The priest talked about two people and their families joining together for peace and harmony. The big difference in the service was the ritual drinking of Japanese rice wine, sake, by the family members, and instead of kissing, the couple joyfully shook hands at the end! (Everyone laughed!)

It was great to catch up with Ed Gibson and Lynda Ikehara (now living in Colorado), and Charles Berkstrasser (now in Brazil) and to see Jim Sullivan and Ed Ichikawa (still in Honolulu)! I also renewed acquaintance with Joan’s mother, Mary Ishibashi (who lives near our son in Oxnard), and her sister, Jane Ishibashi, who used to live in Honolulu. Of course, we saw our son, Stephen, who went through confirmation under Joan when she was at LCH.

To view a complete album of photos from the wedding, you can click here.