Summer ball 2006: the trouble with real life is that there is no danger music
This is the second part of my two-part Sunday post-the first part was my world cup reflections. Yes, I have plenty of time on my hands. Might as well blog.
Anyway we had the summer ball yesterday and not suprisingly it was completely nuts. I wasn't too happy about having to wear a tie in the heat-even at 7 it was fairly hot. The free punch run out very quickly but if you know the right people then alcohol is never a problem- Australian Rich had some fantastic scotch and this is what I found myself working on when the party finally came to life around 8.
I'm sitting in the grass with Bromwen after Quena leaves. She knows I'm from Rwanda and I'm a bit suprised at this. "I've talked to you before" She says. I can't for the life of me remember where or when. I can't help thinking that her name really must be from a Tolkien novel.
Adam shows up and sits with us. Over the next ten minutes he manages to remove any doubt in my mind about his mental state. I have the clear realization that he must have real mental problems because of the things he says to Bromwen none of which I could reproduce here. He is laughing as he says them, but it still comes across as quite rude and offensive. Bromwen doesn't seem to be taking it too badly. The knives are out but only one of them is being civil. Adam is trying hard to annoy her. he also makes a few slavery jokes to me later on in the tent which make me laugh out loud ("What do you know? Your people were slaves- the only thing you would know about are banjos and lemons")
There's one of those bouncy things for kids next to the giant tent. Like a bouncy castle, but it's divided in two and it doesn't have a 'roof'. At first I can't figure out what it's for- people just seem to be running inside it. I find myself wishing there was the ordinary bouncy castle but this is obviously the alcohol talking loud and clear. Here I am- 23 years old, just about to graduate and I'm standing drunk under a star-less sky wishing I was on a bouncy castle like a little kid. I have absolutely no problem with this.
The bouncy thingy is very popular but eventually I realize there is no one on it. I tell Rama and it turns out we are on the same wavelength because he's up for it. We jump into it and it's hard to keep your balance because it's so soft and bouncy and fairly narrow as well. Some guy takes my glasses and I tie the harness around my waist. My brother is doing the same on the other side- I have to stretch my neck to see him.
"Are you ready?" I ask him.
"Hang on!" He's still doing his harness. Then he's done and wer'e off. We run along it until we are nearly at the end and then the harness jerks us back. We go flying backwards like cartoon characters. It is unbelievably fun. We both do it again and again. Run a few steps and then the harness jerks you right back and you land on your ass. No wonder people didn't want to get off the dammn thing in the first place.
I wander away and later find my brother talking to Nathan who is listening very attentively. He's talking about evolution and whether social evolution is going to have a big effect on biological evolution. It doesn't require a rocket scientist to figure out that my brother is now in 'the zone'. Once he gets going, he really gets going especially with alcohol in the picture. He later moves to architecture and the move towards modernism in building design. Adam wanders over again and says a few more offensive things. Then he starts singing Bob Dylan's classic hit 'Blowin in the wind' turning it into a sort of sex narrative.
"You've crossed the line Adam" I tell him "That's Bob Dylan! Don't you have any shame?"
"I'm going to sing it for my people" He says and starts to walk off. I ask him who these people are but he keeps walking.
I repeat this, shouting after him "And who are your people Adam?"
He says something I can't hear and disappears. I wonder what is going to become of him. My brother is now talking about Courbosier the French architect and strict minimalism in architecture. Quena and the rest have vanished now. Most people walking by seem to be keeping to their feet only by the power of a collective and almost impossible miracle.
Rich is virtually passed out on his bed.
"It's only twelve" I'm telling him but he's just mumbling a one-syllable word I can't hear. I get him some water, but he can barely open his eyes let alone sit up and drink it.
Then he says "Are you drunk?"
"I'm getting there" I tell him. This isn't entirely true-infact it's entirely false. I'm already there. I've been in that state for a while.
Rich goes back to mumbling.
Adam keeps coming back to our small group sitting on the bench outside. He is trying his best to shock everyone around and he is succeeding. Let's just say nothing he said the entire night is actually printable unless I want this blog to have an R-18 rating. Even Nathan is getting quite uncomfortable. There is a girl still hovering around first asking Nathan if 'there is going to be a party in your room' and then asking Adam the same thing. She is making everyone quite uncomfortable and in a bad way.
At 2am the music is finally switched off and everyone who is still conscious gathers for a big group photo that is being called 'the survivor's photo'. Then we stay outside on the benches for a while with everyone trying to ignore Adam whose rantings are growing increasingly disturbing. My brother disappears, but I find myself somehow in a new court kitchen with Adam, Nathan and the girl who is still sounding pretty desperate. Nathan puts a white substance on a CD, cuts it with a card and says it's coke while pretending to sniff it. I know he's lying, but the girl doesn't and she nearly sniffs it before Nathan snatches it away laughing. I have a feeling it's just sugar. I drink some wine and realize that in the last 4 hours I've had punch, whisky, beer and wine. It's a very unwise combination.
I say goodnight and wander back to my room. There is no one outside but a girl sitting on a guy's lap kissing him passionately. Neither of them notices me walking by. it's just past 4, but the sun is already beginning to make it's present felt.
it's going to be a new day soon.
Anyway we had the summer ball yesterday and not suprisingly it was completely nuts. I wasn't too happy about having to wear a tie in the heat-even at 7 it was fairly hot. The free punch run out very quickly but if you know the right people then alcohol is never a problem- Australian Rich had some fantastic scotch and this is what I found myself working on when the party finally came to life around 8.
I'm sitting in the grass with Bromwen after Quena leaves. She knows I'm from Rwanda and I'm a bit suprised at this. "I've talked to you before" She says. I can't for the life of me remember where or when. I can't help thinking that her name really must be from a Tolkien novel.
Adam shows up and sits with us. Over the next ten minutes he manages to remove any doubt in my mind about his mental state. I have the clear realization that he must have real mental problems because of the things he says to Bromwen none of which I could reproduce here. He is laughing as he says them, but it still comes across as quite rude and offensive. Bromwen doesn't seem to be taking it too badly. The knives are out but only one of them is being civil. Adam is trying hard to annoy her. he also makes a few slavery jokes to me later on in the tent which make me laugh out loud ("What do you know? Your people were slaves- the only thing you would know about are banjos and lemons")
There's one of those bouncy things for kids next to the giant tent. Like a bouncy castle, but it's divided in two and it doesn't have a 'roof'. At first I can't figure out what it's for- people just seem to be running inside it. I find myself wishing there was the ordinary bouncy castle but this is obviously the alcohol talking loud and clear. Here I am- 23 years old, just about to graduate and I'm standing drunk under a star-less sky wishing I was on a bouncy castle like a little kid. I have absolutely no problem with this.
The bouncy thingy is very popular but eventually I realize there is no one on it. I tell Rama and it turns out we are on the same wavelength because he's up for it. We jump into it and it's hard to keep your balance because it's so soft and bouncy and fairly narrow as well. Some guy takes my glasses and I tie the harness around my waist. My brother is doing the same on the other side- I have to stretch my neck to see him.
"Are you ready?" I ask him.
"Hang on!" He's still doing his harness. Then he's done and wer'e off. We run along it until we are nearly at the end and then the harness jerks us back. We go flying backwards like cartoon characters. It is unbelievably fun. We both do it again and again. Run a few steps and then the harness jerks you right back and you land on your ass. No wonder people didn't want to get off the dammn thing in the first place.
I wander away and later find my brother talking to Nathan who is listening very attentively. He's talking about evolution and whether social evolution is going to have a big effect on biological evolution. It doesn't require a rocket scientist to figure out that my brother is now in 'the zone'. Once he gets going, he really gets going especially with alcohol in the picture. He later moves to architecture and the move towards modernism in building design. Adam wanders over again and says a few more offensive things. Then he starts singing Bob Dylan's classic hit 'Blowin in the wind' turning it into a sort of sex narrative.
"You've crossed the line Adam" I tell him "That's Bob Dylan! Don't you have any shame?"
"I'm going to sing it for my people" He says and starts to walk off. I ask him who these people are but he keeps walking.
I repeat this, shouting after him "And who are your people Adam?"
He says something I can't hear and disappears. I wonder what is going to become of him. My brother is now talking about Courbosier the French architect and strict minimalism in architecture. Quena and the rest have vanished now. Most people walking by seem to be keeping to their feet only by the power of a collective and almost impossible miracle.
Rich is virtually passed out on his bed.
"It's only twelve" I'm telling him but he's just mumbling a one-syllable word I can't hear. I get him some water, but he can barely open his eyes let alone sit up and drink it.
Then he says "Are you drunk?"
"I'm getting there" I tell him. This isn't entirely true-infact it's entirely false. I'm already there. I've been in that state for a while.
Rich goes back to mumbling.
Adam keeps coming back to our small group sitting on the bench outside. He is trying his best to shock everyone around and he is succeeding. Let's just say nothing he said the entire night is actually printable unless I want this blog to have an R-18 rating. Even Nathan is getting quite uncomfortable. There is a girl still hovering around first asking Nathan if 'there is going to be a party in your room' and then asking Adam the same thing. She is making everyone quite uncomfortable and in a bad way.
At 2am the music is finally switched off and everyone who is still conscious gathers for a big group photo that is being called 'the survivor's photo'. Then we stay outside on the benches for a while with everyone trying to ignore Adam whose rantings are growing increasingly disturbing. My brother disappears, but I find myself somehow in a new court kitchen with Adam, Nathan and the girl who is still sounding pretty desperate. Nathan puts a white substance on a CD, cuts it with a card and says it's coke while pretending to sniff it. I know he's lying, but the girl doesn't and she nearly sniffs it before Nathan snatches it away laughing. I have a feeling it's just sugar. I drink some wine and realize that in the last 4 hours I've had punch, whisky, beer and wine. It's a very unwise combination.
I say goodnight and wander back to my room. There is no one outside but a girl sitting on a guy's lap kissing him passionately. Neither of them notices me walking by. it's just past 4, but the sun is already beginning to make it's present felt.
it's going to be a new day soon.
posted by Minzo at 5:14 PM
4 Comments:
that's going to be one hell of a hangover.
who the heck is Adam? Can you please post a pic of that racist mother-fucker!
Ez.
what i dont understand is why on earth you still talk to Adam!!! I totally dont acknowledge him anymo, and he looks more and more like an absolute pothead everyday! for some reason im glad i didnt bother with the wantage summer ball!twiny2
It is a very interesting blog that I never would have run across if Wordnik hadn't picked a quote from it for using the word "wantage". Someone played it on me in Scrabble and I didn't know it so I challenged it, but it was single challenge so I didn't lose my turn.
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