Last weekend was my first American Easter. I stayed with my host family on Saturday and came back Sunday night.
Saturday was spent trying to find a suitable dress for their daughter so she could go to church on Sunday. We shopped till the evening and ended up meeting her friend to borrow one of her dresses.
Unfortunately we didn't go to Church on Sunday as their son was ill so we all stayed in the house. We ate Boston Butt for dinner and all the family came round. Then we watched the film Syriana.
I spent most of the day sketching for my costume design class.

This week at school I went to another play. The students performed Arms and the Man by Shaw which was very funny and performed well.

On Friday night I went to the Annual International Dinner. Students were asked to either cook a traditional meal or do some kind of performance. I realised that it is cheaper and less time consuming to perform a Burns poem instead of cook enough shortbread for the 200 guests. It was a nice evening. My room mate from Colombia sang a Shakira song in Spanish. Brazilian girls danced, there was an American Blue Grass band (with a Japanese guitarist) and also a fashion show with people in their national dress. It was wonderful to see all the different costumes. Also made me appreciate how manageable the kilt is to walk around comfortably in.

After the dinner there was a big house party which was fun. I made friends with some lovely people and we went out to Mellow Mushroom where a band were playing. We arrived to Hotel California so I was pleased. The last time I went there I heard Jack Johnston on the ukulele which was lovely but didn't really put me in a partying mood.
I went out with my new friend last night also. He is friends with the whole tennis team it seems. One of them is a lady from Manchester but she used to live in France so if I hadn't been told I would have thought she was French. Anyway they were lovely, we went to a Fraternity house but didn't stay too long as there wasn't a lot of people there.

Now I have the whole day to myself to do some work. I have finished my brass sculpture and now we are to do something in mixed media. We have far too many options that I am a little confused. We can work in glass or paper as well as metal, wood, stone, plaster, cement, almost anything really.

I am just back in Valdosta from spending my weekend with my friend and her family who stay in Thomasville which is around 45 minutes from Valdosta.
Her family was invited to a wedding and I was asked if I would like to join them to experience an American wedding.

After my classes on Friday I drove to the house with my friend and we went to a restaurant in Thomasville called Mom and Dads. It is an Italian, family run restaurant and I was told they had the best lasagna (they have not had my dads). We then watched a little of 'Flight of the Conchords' which is a silly but very funny television show.
Saturday morning we woke up late and had some waffles in the new George Foreman Grill. Then we popped out to Belks (Georgia's answer to Debenhams) to see if we could find an outfit for my friends mother. With the wedding being outside it was important to look smart without freezing. So I ended up picking up a few bargains for myself and for some friends. After our shopping trip we rushed home to get ready and went to Gin Creek where the wedding was being held. It was almost in a field with a large lake around it. There were lots of little white chairs for the ceremony facing a wee wooden deck which was decorated with flowers and small trees.
Firstly the parents and grandparents were seated before the bridesmaids came down the aisle. The the best man, minister and groom. Then the bride arrived on a white horse and carriage (as you do) and the groom started crying which got everyone going-even me and I have never met these people.
It was a very traditional ceremony, the only thing I had not seen before was the pouring of two different kinds of sand to symbolize them coming together as one. Then a short walk away down 'lovers lane' the reception. It looked like a little house and had a chandelier and a few small round tables with pastel coloured mints. The food was fabulous. There was cheese and mash, pasta salad, green beans, pulled pork (it is good but sounds odd I know) and also grilled chicken.
It is common here to have a cake for the bride and the groom. The brides is the traditional teared cake and the grooms is usually more of a novelty cake. This one was a walnut cake with a duck sitting on top of it. I am not sure if the man works with ducks, shoots them possibly. Who knows.

It was a lovely wedding and I had a great time. The next morning we went to church and it turned out the ministers son works in Paisley, Scotland which was interesting. I have not been to Paisley before though so didn't have much to say but I have seen pictures and it does have a pretty high street. His son and wife are having a wonderful time and love it in Scotland which is nice to hear.