Crazy Busy Weekend = Hella Good Time

This weekend was another fun-filled crazy busy weekend, but not as hectic as last weekend. The weekend was great and I had a blasty blast, but will look forward to when things slow down a bit and I can sit back and relax.

Saturday night I took my cousins and their friend to Apex, a gay club in DC. My friend Kiah came along for the ride. I never offered to take my cousins out before because I honestly didn’t think they wanted to go out and didn’t seem like the type that likes clubs or bars. I think the main reason they wanted to go out was because they had a friend in town, who likes to party. I was actually nervous cause I kept thinking, “What if my cousins are closeted freaks? OMG, I will die if that’s the case.”

It turns out my cousins aren’t closeted freaks, and I think Kiah and I had a better time than they did. We danced our asses off and gawked at all the gorgeous men. Such a shame too; so many beautiful men and none wanted anything to do with us. I felt like the roles were reversed. Usually when I go to a club, men will try to creep up behind you and start dancing with you. I liken them to vultures. This time I felt like I was a vulture, trying to sneak up on a guy so I could get my freak on. At least I could dance unabashedly and not worry about some boy trying to grab me inappropriately.

Sunday was Gwen’s wedding. The wedding ceremony was so beautiful. It was outside and it was performed right before a huge thunderstorm. It wasn’t too hot and since a storm was coming, there was a nice breeze in the air. Gwen looked so beautiful and her husband, Mike, had a smile on his face the entire time. Their friend officiated the wedding, and told fun stories about the couple, which made it that much more intimate. It took Gwen and Mike seven long years to make it to the altar, but well worth the wait.

Her cake was stunning. She made it herself and pictures do not do it justice. Each flower on that cake is handmade and hand-painted. The flowers match the flowers in her bouquet. Gwen spent days up to the wedding making all the flowers for it. I didn’t want them to cut the cake; it was too pretty. It tasted great too.



The reception was lots of fun. Not as fun as Sylvia’s, but still a good time. The DJ played a lot of oldies and swing music. Gwen and Mike are big into swing dancing, and apparently all of their friends are too. Everyone was on the dance floor, swinging around. The clumsy girl that I am cannot partake in coordinated dancing, or dancing where someone leads me. I stumble and trip over my own two feet and just feel plain stupid out there. I am much better dancing on my own, shaking my hips.

Gwen and Mike looked so happy. Both were beaming all throughout the night. I am so happy that they have made it to this point in their lives. Gwen deserves nothing but the best, and Mike is truly her perfect match.

I am such a sucker for weddings. I love them. I love seeing two people committing themselves to one another in front of their family and friends. I love seeing the bride aglow with happiness and the groom standing tall with pride as she walks down the aisle. I love witnessing the couple’s first dance as they gaze tenderly into each other’s eyes, lost to the world around them. It’s such a cherished moment and I’m always glad to be a part of it. What can I say, deep down, I'm a hopeless romantic.

Cultural Differences

My cousins are visiting from Thailand. Pong, who is 24, is here taking English classes so that she can pass her TOEFL, and from there get into grad school. She is staying with my parents indefinitely. Pam, her younger sister, who is 20, also came for a visit while on summer break from Uni. She is staying until Memorial Day weekend. Their cousin from their mother’s side, Ploy, is also visiting. I believe she is the same age as Pam. All of them live in Thailand and have only visited the States a handful of times. We’re pretty close in age, but it’s amazing how different we are.

Pong, Pam and Ploy

My cousins are pretty sheltered. Just recently, since attending University have their parents eased up on them. Now they go out on weekends and hang out with their friends such as going to the movies or out to dinner. They go to sporting events and concerts without any parental supervision. It’s probably a great and exciting time in their life. But for me, I have been doing activities like that since I was in high school. As soon as I got my driver’s license, my foot was already out the door and on the gas pedal.

My cousins have never had any boyfriends or even kissed a boy. I know that they want boyfriends and talk about guys all the time, but have never dated anyone. I think part of the reason is that before University they went to an all girl’s school and secondly, I’m sure their parents would have disapproved of them dating in high school. From their pictures, I know that they have male friends, but so far they haven’t met any guys that they have liked or vice versa.

And when it comes to fashion, we couldn’t be any more different than night and day. Pong bought a sweater with Tinkerbell on it and wears it all the time. It reminds me of a sweater a six year old would wear, but she could care less. Pam and Ploy are more fashion forward and like things that are trendy (in Thailand standards, they do follow some of our fashion trends, but also Japanese trends). Chucks are insanely popular in Thailand, and that is all they wear. I couldn’t imagine them in any pumps, stilettos or even strappy sandals.

They both still live at home and won’t move out until their married. Even then, their father has talked about building them homes either on their property or in the same neighborhood. My cousins have said that they would prefer to continue living with their parents when they are married than with their husbands. Here in the United States, kids cannot wait to gain their independence from their parents and get their first taste of real freedom when they go off to college. I wonder if they think its weird that I live by myself.

It can be hard for me to hang out with them because I feel like we can’t relate on certain topics. I would never take them with me to a bar where I’m meeting up with friends. They don’t drink and I think would be shocked and embarrassed by our conversations. So I try to stick with safe topics such as school, work, movies, family, and things that interest them so that I can get a better understanding of them and learn who they really are. I’m sure Pong after staying here and studying will shed some of her Thainess and adapt to some American ways.