What a week!
So we're back to school... I don't know whether to be relieved or cry for the vacations already gone. I mean, with my daughter in school , I have mornings for myself again. On the other hand, school is school, and it implies to look over her shoulder, and watch (discretely, after all she is a teenager) if everything that needs to be done is actually done. Not to mention the extra drainage that means to have a teen, with teen dramas at home, which are increased when it's school season. You know the drill, friends that are not so friendly after all, bullies (that are promptly dealt with. After all, he takes after me, and she is a no-nonsense girl), teachers that are not to her liking, etc, etc, etc.
This year has also the added "pleasure" of the 15 years old birthday parties. In Latin America, reaching their fifteen birthday for girls is a very important thing. It's the age where they begin to be considered young girls/women, and no longer children.
All in all, it's a complex social ritual, which in my younger years included very expensive parties, with all the family, even distant relatives, friends of the girl, school companions, and friends of the family. Not having a party for your fifteen birthday was a social disgrace for both you and your parents. It was like admitting you were poor, and God forbid, here no middle class family (and no working class family either) would want that. Image and appearances before family finances. *sighs* Though nowadays the social pressures have diminished considerably, for many girls and their families, having the proper party is a priority.
Families prepared for the event with years in advance, because of the high costs. Sometimes, the party meant that the family might put into debt for months, even years. Excessive, you say? Now, do the math, the close family, plus cousins, plus the distant relatives. We are already talking about no less than 20 people. Add the school mates, no less than 20 or 25 kids more, if you are lucky. You already have 40/45/50 people. Add the family friends (and their spouses and kids). At the very least, you'll be having 60 guests. Obviously, such a gathering cannot be performed at home, right? So, you have to rent a place. Of course, you cannot wait at the tables, can you? So you have to hire at least one (preferably two) waiters. And the food. And a DJ, because, of course, people will dance (though a nice cousin/young uncle wiling to help could save you a few bucks). The girl has to dance the ritual waltz of the 15 years with her father, uncles, grandfathers...
Let's not forget that, since this is a formal occasion, you and everybody else for that matter, will need formal dress. And hairstyle.
Man,doesn't it sound like a marriage reception? Very much so, I'm afraid. And the costs are surprisingly similar, sometimes.
Now, you do get what I mean with "expensive", no?
Fortunately, our child is a sensible girl, and she choose to have her room fully redecorated, new furniture included. It is less expensive than a party, even a small one, And every time you open the door to her room, you still see the new closet, the new dresser, the bean bag chair, and the carpeting. You see the new desk. A party goes up the path of memories, and if you are lucky, all you have are those and pictures (that of course you have to pay for to a photographer).
Her original wish was to have a family trip to Iguazú Falls, but we could not give her the room and the trip, at least at the same time. So, the room it was. Anyway, God willing, we might be going this Winter to Iguazú Falls. But it depends if the dengue epidemics is controlled or not yet. I don't think either of us need to contract dengue fever...
Anyway, her fifteen birthday came and went, and so did the family... They came to visit yesterday. Originally, they had planned to come the same day of her birthday, but the weather plotted against us, and we had to postpone at the very last minute. Fortunately, I saved most of what I had already cooked. I would have hated to do it twice.
We had a good time, despite that my brother and his wife visited when the rest were leaving, which left me attending two shifts of guests.So I had an added dinner to the lunch that I had already made. Not a happy camper here, I tell you.
Aside that, everything went smoothly. Of course, my grandmother can't help herself and keep putting her foot into her mouth every four words, being quite bossy and suggesting things that we should do that leave me seething sometimes, but I digress.
I had a shock when I saw my father. It turns that my brother decided he has too much silver hairs in his own head, so he bought those awful products to dye men's hair, but as he has a very short hairstyle (and very little brain cells to figure that he could split the thing and use only half of it at a time), he thought that he'd waste half of it. So why waste it when it can be shared? (Maybe because sharing it with Dad might be a bad idea? Yeah, that's why). Anyway, half of the mess went to my father's head. *shudders*
To make a long story short, if *I* were my father, after this, I'd disinherit my son. Seriously. The results were beyond awful, and being the diplomatic person I'm (not), I told him bluntly. It seems I wasn't the only one since his wife, my grandmother and my husband proceeded to be quite honest about the awful mess crowning his head.
Anyway, despite all, much fun had been had by all, and we can leave my daughter's fifteens behind.
Only that we can't. *cries*
While she has already gone through them, most of her school mates haven't yet. So, yeah, we start the long string of social compromises. This week, we have to pick a gift and clothing for the party, which will be held in a nice receptions' hall, fortunately not far from our home. Fortunately also, my aunt solved part of it in advance, sending me a shirt my cousin had sewn a couple of months ago. She is a clothing designer for an Italian's Haute Couture house, in Milan, and the shirt belonged to one of her collections. Save for the model who wore it in London and Milan, the shirt is untouched, and very original and beautiful. It would have cost us a new one if we had wanted to buy it, so the addition is welcomed. However, as it is, we will need to buy a shirt to match, and that won't be cheap. But anyway, we'll have to buy another outfit, in a way that the pieces could be exchanged to make two new outfits, and it can save us some grief for the upcoming invitations.
Anyway, I must say that I'm relieved the week is over, and the social obligations, fulfilled.
At last, we can resume our normal activities...
This year has also the added "pleasure" of the 15 years old birthday parties. In Latin America, reaching their fifteen birthday for girls is a very important thing. It's the age where they begin to be considered young girls/women, and no longer children.
All in all, it's a complex social ritual, which in my younger years included very expensive parties, with all the family, even distant relatives, friends of the girl, school companions, and friends of the family. Not having a party for your fifteen birthday was a social disgrace for both you and your parents. It was like admitting you were poor, and God forbid, here no middle class family (and no working class family either) would want that. Image and appearances before family finances. *sighs* Though nowadays the social pressures have diminished considerably, for many girls and their families, having the proper party is a priority.
Families prepared for the event with years in advance, because of the high costs. Sometimes, the party meant that the family might put into debt for months, even years. Excessive, you say? Now, do the math, the close family, plus cousins, plus the distant relatives. We are already talking about no less than 20 people. Add the school mates, no less than 20 or 25 kids more, if you are lucky. You already have 40/45/50 people. Add the family friends (and their spouses and kids). At the very least, you'll be having 60 guests. Obviously, such a gathering cannot be performed at home, right? So, you have to rent a place. Of course, you cannot wait at the tables, can you? So you have to hire at least one (preferably two) waiters. And the food. And a DJ, because, of course, people will dance (though a nice cousin/young uncle wiling to help could save you a few bucks). The girl has to dance the ritual waltz of the 15 years with her father, uncles, grandfathers...
Let's not forget that, since this is a formal occasion, you and everybody else for that matter, will need formal dress. And hairstyle.
Man,doesn't it sound like a marriage reception? Very much so, I'm afraid. And the costs are surprisingly similar, sometimes.
Now, you do get what I mean with "expensive", no?
Fortunately, our child is a sensible girl, and she choose to have her room fully redecorated, new furniture included. It is less expensive than a party, even a small one, And every time you open the door to her room, you still see the new closet, the new dresser, the bean bag chair, and the carpeting. You see the new desk. A party goes up the path of memories, and if you are lucky, all you have are those and pictures (that of course you have to pay for to a photographer).
Her original wish was to have a family trip to Iguazú Falls, but we could not give her the room and the trip, at least at the same time. So, the room it was. Anyway, God willing, we might be going this Winter to Iguazú Falls. But it depends if the dengue epidemics is controlled or not yet. I don't think either of us need to contract dengue fever...
Anyway, her fifteen birthday came and went, and so did the family... They came to visit yesterday. Originally, they had planned to come the same day of her birthday, but the weather plotted against us, and we had to postpone at the very last minute. Fortunately, I saved most of what I had already cooked. I would have hated to do it twice.
We had a good time, despite that my brother and his wife visited when the rest were leaving, which left me attending two shifts of guests.So I had an added dinner to the lunch that I had already made. Not a happy camper here, I tell you.
Aside that, everything went smoothly. Of course, my grandmother can't help herself and keep putting her foot into her mouth every four words, being quite bossy and suggesting things that we should do that leave me seething sometimes, but I digress.
I had a shock when I saw my father. It turns that my brother decided he has too much silver hairs in his own head, so he bought those awful products to dye men's hair, but as he has a very short hairstyle (and very little brain cells to figure that he could split the thing and use only half of it at a time), he thought that he'd waste half of it. So why waste it when it can be shared? (Maybe because sharing it with Dad might be a bad idea? Yeah, that's why). Anyway, half of the mess went to my father's head. *shudders*
To make a long story short, if *I* were my father, after this, I'd disinherit my son. Seriously. The results were beyond awful, and being the diplomatic person I'm (not), I told him bluntly. It seems I wasn't the only one since his wife, my grandmother and my husband proceeded to be quite honest about the awful mess crowning his head.
Anyway, despite all, much fun had been had by all, and we can leave my daughter's fifteens behind.
Only that we can't. *cries*
While she has already gone through them, most of her school mates haven't yet. So, yeah, we start the long string of social compromises. This week, we have to pick a gift and clothing for the party, which will be held in a nice receptions' hall, fortunately not far from our home. Fortunately also, my aunt solved part of it in advance, sending me a shirt my cousin had sewn a couple of months ago. She is a clothing designer for an Italian's Haute Couture house, in Milan, and the shirt belonged to one of her collections. Save for the model who wore it in London and Milan, the shirt is untouched, and very original and beautiful. It would have cost us a new one if we had wanted to buy it, so the addition is welcomed. However, as it is, we will need to buy a shirt to match, and that won't be cheap. But anyway, we'll have to buy another outfit, in a way that the pieces could be exchanged to make two new outfits, and it can save us some grief for the upcoming invitations.
Anyway, I must say that I'm relieved the week is over, and the social obligations, fulfilled.
At last, we can resume our normal activities...