So, a friend of mine celebrated his getting married the other day. Hmmm. Let’s keep him anonymous and we’ll call him “Sam Sadeghi”. Yes, that will do. He finally stopped playing with his Mr. Happy long enough to actually get hitched to his girlfriend of the past few years. This was all well and good and it was great to see him and his new wife. The thing that was fascinating to observe, though, was how different cultures behave in get togethers.

“Sam” is Persian. His wife is Lebanese. They are an absolutely wonderful couple. The majority of the people at his reception were Persians. So here we are, me and my white as white can be wife, enjoying the company of what amounts to a small get together of close friends and family. And that’s exactly what it felt like.

Well, ok. That’s just a little bit of a fib. My wife and I stuck out like sore thumbs.

Nevermind the fact that my wife was the only WASP there. She was absolutely gorgeous. Me? I decided to wear earthy tones – green linen pants with an orange shirt. Ugh. Nobody told me that it was going to be a gathering of the young Euro set. Who knew that the uniform for trendy Persian men would be a dark suit with no tie? It didn’t really matter though. Everyone was genuinely friendly and great to talk to. Ok, so I clung to Lila like a piece of saran wrap. Leave me alone.

Maybe it is the same with all cultures and I’m just not aware of it. I must be socially stunted in some form or another. I really enjoy just going places and hanging out with people I know. My wife and I have a great time laughing, smiling, and making conversation no matter where we are. The great thing is that we treat every occaission and every person the same.

We Filippinos are different. Unless it is strictly a family affair, whenever there is a group of us meeting for an event we make it a point to be catty. We’ll check out what you’re wearing, make small talk while secretly digging into your personal life. All the good stuff just so we could talk about you behind your back after the party.

I’m sure all the Persians were saying “Wow. Nice shirt, Chink.” To which I would have to say, “Yeah. I won’t get shot by other hunters. And I’m a Flip. IMMIGRATION!!!”

Oh, of course I’m kidding. It really was great being there and being able to see them as man and wife for the first time. This is why I really enjoy making meaningful friendships – I get to see people change and grow.