Honest Letter To David(4)

Hi Dear friend:

Long time no email:) back at home after a 3 day holiday.wish you were here.actually, we were invited to a wedding of one of our relatives. let me tell you about the wedding: here before the marriage ceremony, there is a ceremony called "Aghd" means "to tie" in the groom and bride invite their friends and relatives for dinner ,and  depending on the circumstances,its a custom to bring a gift or give some money as a gift! (as you know, different regions of every country has its own customs and foods,though there are some similarities generally.)ready for the delicious part? these  two foods(chicken and rice _Kebab) are the main foods which are usually served with yogurt, salad, and coke. after dinner we were served with tea, then came fruits based on the season different fruits are served. we had green cucumber, apple, and orange. motivated you enough to go and grab a bite to eat?:) and here is the moving part, almost everybody dances,different kinds ,Kurdish,Iranian style,and other kinds. and the ceremony is usually held in a restaurant or brides house . there were more than 250 people just for the "Aghd" ceremony and you aren't married yet !why because after Aghd the couple start knowing each better . and the money or gifts are for the brides family, seems strange??  we are living in a world of traditions and customs, aren't we?

BTW, which holiday you are close to? when is it?

what's the marriage ceremony like there?

.....are there any thing(s) which bother you a lot in the U.S.? thing(s) you wished didn't exist there? I am not the kind of guy who is impressed by "cheap" movies but, as a Muslim, I couldn't help crying during , the movie "passion of Christ" . and I was thinking and talking  about it in the coming days as well!

Time to go ,

Take care,

Honest

My friend Hussein:

 

I will try to answer your questions............

There are tunnels behind the falls that tourists can walk through without getting too wet. I have seen the Passion of the Christ movie and loved it very much. I was raised a Christian since I was a child. My father was a Christian, and my mother's family are Jewish. As a Christian, the movie touched my heart deeply. I think that mel Gibson made a wonderful film. As for your question regarding American families........ It is true that many Americans don't have the extended family ties that they once had. However, Americans are very family oriented, and love their family and children. My family is very close. I have five sisters and two other brothers. I would give my life for them, and they would do the same for me. We are very close. My mother lives with me since being disabled from a stroke. I take care of my mother. It's part of my faith to always "honor and respect ones parents," this is a commandment from God.  So to answer your question, yes there are some families that don't have an extended family and might not be close. But there are many that have a large extended family which includes aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and cousins. Regarding Texas.... It's one of the largest states in America. It's a hot place to live. There are still cowboys out there. It's a nice place to visit. It's close to the country of Mexico. Many people speak Spanish there. The food is

 

 

spicy and hot. I hope that I answered all your questions. I enjoy sharing and learning from you as well. Take care my friend. I hope to hear from you soon.

 

                                                    your friend,

                                                   John

Hi David:

No my real name isn’t Honest, its Hussein and I have seen Niagara Falls so many times but on T.V.:)  And I have heard that you can go behind the falls and be in close contact with water, right? And there are some fences there so you don’t get too close. Once I had the opportunity to go and visit Turkey and Syria though, we didn’t stay in Turkey for a couple of days then we went to Syria. It’s one of those historical places in which you can find great civilization in. 

BTW, have you seen the movie” The Passion of Christ" by Mel Gibson and also “The Green Mile"? If yes I want to know your idea about them. And how about Texas? What’s it like THERE?

Here, some believe that Americans don’t have a close relationship to their families and especially relatives. Once I heard from one of my friends that Americans relationship is only tied to their mother, father, brothers, or sisters and no close relation to uncles or aunts or cousins. Again, I believe it’s a cliché .isn’t it?    

Yours,

Honest