Speaking of smiles (last blog entry), we received a few of those on Saturday night, but they didn't come immediately. We had a really interesting experience and one that turned out to be a good time for us. Victoria's niece was turning 15 years old and Saturday afternoon/evening was her party. In Mexico, la fiesta de quince años (15 year birthday party) is as big a deal as weddings in the U.S. Jesica Gabriela had a very elegant party that her parents hosted for some 300 people in a salon in Cuernavaca. While Gabriela seemed to enjoy herself, it was quite evident that the fiesta was just as much for the adults. (I don't remember ever seeing so much beer-drinking in one place in my life!)
Usually, the party follows mass at the Catholic Church, which to my understanding, is a time to present the girls as adults before God and the church. We arrived at the party after the family had attended mass.
Upon walking in, the three of us (Miranda, Bobby, and I) weren't really sure what to expect and it was obvious. We clearly looked differently than the other guests at the party, we talked differently, and everyone was watching us. It felt like we were being paraded across a stage...at least for a few minutes until we found a seat in the back corner of the facility. Interesting how we had to walk all the way to the very back to find an already used table where we could sit. All the way through the crowd, Victoria was warmly greeted by family and friends. So we found our place and were immediately served a typical Mexican meal - tortillas, pork, rice, beans, and salsa.
The dancing picked up pretty much as soon as we got there. Don't get me wrong, I like to dance, but I just can't do it. Usually I end up looking like somebody without any clue of what they are doing or supposed to be doing. So when Fernando - Victoria's nephew - asked me to dance, I was very unsure of myself. I winced at the thought of having to learn from someone I didn't know and in a language unfamiliar to me. We got along all right - some dances were easier than others, but it was still pretty bad.
Before we left, we did get to try some of the cake and it was good - although very different from our cakes, not as sweet with a lot of marmalada - which I don't think we eat much of on our cakes. Finally, when the bottles of tequila were brought out we knew it was time to go. (Miranda had to preach in the morning...this particular night we were thankful that the worship service on Sunday didn't start until 12 noon.)
It was a fun time all the same and great to experience an event that is such a strong part of Mexican culture.
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