15 and life, you're crying

perhaps, if you are a white girl like me, you have never been to a quincenera. but i got myself invited to one today, and people, i must tell you. YOU ARE MISSING OUT! BIG TIME!

things i saw today that i have never seen before:

* a party that had THREE, count them, THREE separate bands playing, sometimes overlapping, and always LOUD
* a roomful of taffeta
* boys (attendents) doing a little shuffle, shuffle dance with roses in their hands
* a fire dance of some sort, where all the boys held cups of fire and did a dance. around all that taffeta! i was nervous!
* a dance similar to the horah, but instead of sitting in chairs, the girl sat (and then stood!) on some wrapping-paper covered piece of wood. i was nervous!
* a creepy looking quincenera doll that will probably give me nightmares
* a cake with more layers than i could count
* fake roses with fake water drops on them
* hairstyles that seemed so wild, i was afraid they were going to get up and head out on their own