NEW KID ON THE BLOCK

Dear Auntie Patti Koh,

Last week, the brother of my friend arrived in the states. He was petitioned by his American girl friend, who has been in the Phils. three times for the past two years. This girl was so enamored by this guy. The girl is 25 years old and boy is 21 years old.

The girl is a German, French stock and the boy is a pure breed pinoy from Cebu city. A young, robust and dark skinned, typical young man from the south.

I have invited them for dinner at the house, together with my friend and his wife, so as not to make it look like that I was trying to check on the fiance of the brother of my friend.

During the course of the dinner, we were talking and getting some inputs from the two love birds on their intentions on how they want their wedding to be celebrated and be done. The girl wanted a garden wedding, at the backyard of her girl friend and her best friend. She is a Pentecostal and he is a Roman Catholic. The girl does not want a joint ceremony, but only wants the pure Pentecostal wedding ceremony. (I hope nobody will speak in different tongues and starts wiggling and shaking during the ceremony).

I was telling the brother of this kid, who is my best friend, that it is customary in the U.S. that the girl takes care of her wedding and the groom takes care of the rehearsal dinner with the family of the girl and the family of the groom and their wedding entourage. Myself and my wife was invited for the dinner rehearsal.My best friend said they dont have family in the States. It was only him and this youing man who is about to get married next month, June 24 to be exact. ON the insinuation of my best friend, him and his wife considers my and my wife as part of their family and wants us to be part of the rehearsal dinner. My wife agreed to it easily and I still have to see if I can be off on that particular day.

There is a big problem though. According to my best friend, her future sister in law is so domineering and trying to overshadow and underestimate the fiance. The girl demands that the fiance be baptized first as a Pentecostal before they get married. The boy said that he will and have already agreed on all the demands of the girl, but will never give into her demands that he be baptized as a Pentecostal.

And so dear Auntie Patti Koh ---- if the two are really in love with each other, so I told my best friend, religion should not be the issue. The greatest issue is getting married and live a happy married life. That is my fear for my two boys also. Their girlfriends are from a different faith. The girls are Jewish.

I think, I will watch the Passion of Christ no stop, if any of my boys gets married to a Jewish girl.