When I heard an excited voice of this American mom over
the phone, I was like ‘Hmmm….what is with all this jollification? Why is this mom so overly excited?’ The one-sided
lecture of this mother about the upcoming prom
over the phone just sounded like a trivial fuss to me in the midst of joggling
with busy thoughts about my son’s college prep and future. Contrary to most
high school kids’ excited moms and dads with the junior or senior prom coming
near at hand, my husband and I were very apathetic
to this whole hustle and bustle…..which
seemed more like unnecessary kerfuffle.
This mom on the other side of the phone asked “Where would you like to get a
beautiful corsage for my daughter
and boutonniere for your son?”, and
I was thinking ‘When are you gonna get serious about your daughter’s GPA or SAT
scores?’ I bet she must have felt that I was very uninterested in this prom
preparation and considered my nonchalant
attitude even a perfidious manner in
dealing with American high schoolers’ favorite and fun-filled event!
Prom is one of the biggest events of high school
students – normally for juniors and seniors - in the States. They sell prom
tickets and students are asked to turn in a completed permission slip when they
purchase their tickets. The one who goes to the prom is supposed to work up the courage to ask his or her
own crush to be their date on the
prom night. (However, it doesn’t matter if you go solo to the prom.) Some girls and boys hoard money to buy a dress and a tuxedo to wear for their prom date
night, and some others ask their parents to buy the most unique and fancy
attire that would stand out in the crowd.
When I was invited to a photo session of the group of
boys and girls – where my son was included – before the prom night, I was a bit
shocked to see some of the girls’ revealing dresses that would be better on the
red carpet for the Oscar night. That moment, I was thinking of Shakespeare’s synesthesia used in King Lear. LOL…
“Thou
art a lady: if only to go warm were gorgeous,
Why
nature needs not what thou gorgeous wear’st,
Which
scarcely keeps thee warm.”
Although I’m still not quite sold on the festive mood
and the big idea of “prom” as a dull, nerdy Asian mother, I must admit that
American high school kids have always been and will be in love with their
romantic prom date and dance. Yes, it marks as one of the happiest days in
their high school life, and I have no right to be a wet blanket in the middle
of their traditional event. Alright, young ones, just enjoy the day and make a
beautiful memory……as long as you guys are responsible for your own behavior! I
feel as if my son were saying to me somewhere “Oh, c’mon! Give them a break,
mom!” ;)
Expressions
jollification:
(noun) lively celebration with others; merrymaking
prom:
(noun) short for promenade; a formal dance, especially one held by a class in
high school or college at the end of a year.
apathetic
to…:
(adjective) not at all interested in or enthusiastic about anything, and not
willing to make any effort to change things
hustle
and bustle: (noun) a lot of noisy activity/ commotion
kerfuffle:
(noun) a fuss/ commotion
corsage:
(noun) a small bouquet worn at the waist, on the shoulder, on the wrist, etc.,
by a woman
*For
the prom dance night, normally boys’ moms prepare/ buy the corsage for their
sons’ dates.
boutonniere:
(noun) a flower or small bouquet worn, usually by a man, in the buttonhole of a
lapel
nonchalant:
(adjective) coolly unconcerned, indifferent, or unexcited; casual
perfidious:
(adjective) deliberately faithless; treacherous; deceitful
to
work up the courage: (verb) to gather/ accumulate courage
steadily
crush:
(noun) a brief but intense infatuation for someone, especially someone
unattainable or inappropriate
to
go solo: (verb) to do something alone
to
hoard money: (verb) to get and keep a large amount of
something because it might be valuable or useful later
synesthesia:
(noun) a condition in which two or more of the five senses that most people
experience separately are mixed so that, for example, a person may see colour
when they hear a particular sound or read a particular word
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