Think Pink
Chris and I had a special errand to run one of the days when we were working with Trinity, Fremont, in Anapra last week. Panchis (the congregational president/caretaker of San Lucas) asked us if we would be the "padrinos del vestido" for her daughter Gaby's quinceanera, which will take place on July 17 of this year. Basically she was asking us to pay for Gaby's dress, which it turns out is a very customary practice; Hispanic families who cannot afford to pay for these elaborate events will summon friends and family members to sponsor various costs.
Being asked to do such a thing was a catch-22 for both us. As volunteers for the mission, neither of us has very much disposable income, but at the same time it is an immense honor, akin to being asked to be a godparent for someone's child. In the end, we both decided that we didn't really have a choice. We love Gaby and didn't feel we could disappoint her and Panchis by saying no and then still show our faces at the party in a few months, which we wouldn't miss for the world. So, Panchis pulled Gaby out of school on Friday (which apparently wasn't a big deal at all since quinceaneras are such monumental occasions) and the four of us made our way downtown to Modas Princes to put the first downpayment on the dress Gaby had already picked out.
I learned most of what I know about the tradition of the quinceanera at Diana's last May, but wasn't privy to much of the planning since the process of buying a dress was new to me. I thought we were going to walk in, pay, and walk out with a dress in hand, but au contraire. We didn't even really get to see Gaby's actual dress, just the color and the style, which are selected separately. Each dress is custom made--who knew? The down payment we made just initiates the contract. Gaby will have another month or so to change her mind before the seamstresses actually get to work, but she said she doesn't think she's going to. Two weeks before her quince, she will have a final fitting, and then she gets to take the dress home 1 week out, at which point the balance is also due.
So what does this dress look like? Picture a basic princess-style wedding gown...and then think pink! As in bright, fuschia pink! That's right...pictures to come in July!
Until next time, blessings!
Being asked to do such a thing was a catch-22 for both us. As volunteers for the mission, neither of us has very much disposable income, but at the same time it is an immense honor, akin to being asked to be a godparent for someone's child. In the end, we both decided that we didn't really have a choice. We love Gaby and didn't feel we could disappoint her and Panchis by saying no and then still show our faces at the party in a few months, which we wouldn't miss for the world. So, Panchis pulled Gaby out of school on Friday (which apparently wasn't a big deal at all since quinceaneras are such monumental occasions) and the four of us made our way downtown to Modas Princes to put the first downpayment on the dress Gaby had already picked out.
I learned most of what I know about the tradition of the quinceanera at Diana's last May, but wasn't privy to much of the planning since the process of buying a dress was new to me. I thought we were going to walk in, pay, and walk out with a dress in hand, but au contraire. We didn't even really get to see Gaby's actual dress, just the color and the style, which are selected separately. Each dress is custom made--who knew? The down payment we made just initiates the contract. Gaby will have another month or so to change her mind before the seamstresses actually get to work, but she said she doesn't think she's going to. Two weeks before her quince, she will have a final fitting, and then she gets to take the dress home 1 week out, at which point the balance is also due.
So what does this dress look like? Picture a basic princess-style wedding gown...and then think pink! As in bright, fuschia pink! That's right...pictures to come in July!
Until next time, blessings!
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WORD VERIFICATION SENTENCE: Viterim: All the viterim swimming around in my soup made my stomach turn.