Fish out of water

I attended my friend's wedding whose family is from Guatemala and his wife's family is from Mexico. This social event has definitely made me feel like a fish out of water because their culture background and religion are a lot different from mine. As a Filipina-Japanese Asian American, I come from a Catholic family while their religion is Iglesias.

The wedding was colorful, beautiful and very traditional. The reception was held at the Iglesias church's hall. They had long tables were families and friends from their church sat together for this special occasion. The tables were decorated with lots of red and white balloons, and as center pieces there were white baskets filled with red roses to set the romantic mood. There was music playing softly in the background so that guests can bond together and socialize with one another. Old fashion fans decorated with white and red laced ribbons were passed around as wedding favors.

During the wedding I noticed that most of the guests were from the bride’s and groom’s church who all seem very close with each other. There were a lot of children running around and cheering for the bride and groom. While the bride and groom walked down the rows of tables to greet their guests, little girls were blowing bubbles in their direction and about twenty guests would get up to take tons of pictures as if they were the paparazzi.

For dinner there was a delicious feast which was set as a buffet. They had salad, Spanish red rice, grilled steak fajitas, baked potatoes covered with cheese, and chicken in a mushroom sauce. On another table were buckets of different punch drinks called, horchata. And for an appetizer there were two types of salsa and chips served on every table.

A lot of things were done differently in this wedding than weddings that I have been to. Since Inglesians don’t drink alcohol they had bottles of apple cider placed on each table. Instead of sounds of silverware clicking on glasses there were loud noises of cheering and clapping going on to get the bride and groom to kiss.

Although I didn’t understand Spanish, I felt touched by the expressions of joy and laughter from their guests and the couple’s mothers’ heart warming speech that seem to have taken a great impact on everyone.

The guests were very friendly and hospitable towards my friends and me. They made us felt welcomed, asking us if we needed anything as they brought cups and cake to our table. It was more of a family party rather than a wedding which was quite comforting. There were no rules or judgment on wedding behavior, just warm and loving average people having a great time.

Individual Blog #1

The media influences many females to dress, act and physically look a certain way with: Celebrity endorsements, shows, movies, magazines, and advertisements. I have to admit that I am one of those females. I use to always buy People's magazine to read the latest gossip on celebrities. After browsing and reading it I would end up finding myself at the mall looking for the same outfits that celebrities wore. Even though they weren't brand name clothing it still cost me a lot of money to dress to like them. MTV's show, The Hills is another example of the media having a great impact on young females like myself. The Hills is a reality show involving a rich twenty-two year old girl, LC from Laguna Beach, who is trying to make it in the fashion world in LA and at the same time balancing it out with her guys and friends. The girls in the show are slim and are always wearing the latest fashions. They go to upscale night clubs and live in nice condos. Every time when I watch this show I start to feel insecure about my physical appearances and the need to shop or change my image. I have noticed a couple of my friends would style their hair the same way as LC. I have also seen plenty of young women and girls who buy overly priced handbags like, Coach and Michael Jacobs. And women who change their hair color and style to fit the appropriate trend. Women are always visiting the spa for a manicure or a pedicure, or getting a body wax. It's interesting how the media has the power to affect people in many ways.

Mystery Character

He lives his life on the sea, along with his love which he named after a shiny, white round jewel. People are always after him because he knows the sea more than anybody else, with the help of his crafty compass. This unique compass that he holds onto as if it were sacred, takes him to wherever he desires.
He acts and speaks as if he was unintelligent, but don’t let him fool you, he can be very witty and deceitful. He is known for his numerous great escapes from the British soldiers and other enemies of the sea.
He walks in a swaying manner as if his body was malfunctioning, probably because he’s always drunk. Many times people can’t understand him because he speaks of fast-paced gibberish. His teeth are stained and chipped as if he hasn’t brushed them in years. He accessorizes his frizzy unwashed dreads with colorful beads and a piece antique jewelry that dangles. He may be unappealing, but for some reason he still attracts the ladies.
If you’re hanging out with him you’re not only in for trouble, you're also in for quite an adventure.
Who is this weird character?