Saturday, December 16, 2006
I have been back in Singapore for about half a year now, and whilst I've tried to keep every day as different from the one before, it becomes an uphill struggle after a while. My core group's activities (as I call the group of friends that hang out the most together), was starting to get a tad predictable. BBQs at denkas (meaning countless chicken wings and cheese hotdogs followed by KTV) ... chill out sessions at a wine bar ... Don't get me wrong, the reason why we hang out so much with one another is because we're all chill out homebodies. We like doing this stuff. We like familiarity and making fun of ray all the time. But I had decided it was time to mix it up a little. We needed a fresh shot of adrenaline. We needed new blood.
The arrival home for the holidays of one of my best friends, Stanley(from Sydney where he is studying)marked a turning point. Stanley is a crazzzzyyyy guy. We're both extremists to some extent, but he has always lived life on the edge, and having a friend like him is both a challenge and a joy. Below is a file photo. He's put on some weight in Sydney (the result of eating and drinking beer non stop).
Back in the day, we used to be party animals. "Social butterflies" you might call it. We would walk into zouk like we owned the ground before us, and be acknowledged all the way from the entrance to member's bar. We were never under the illusion that these people who waved hi or passed the casual "How's it going" were our friends, but we enjoyed it nonetheless. After arriving at zouk in a convoy of cars, stanley would drink himself silly and I would sit there with my Coca Cola looking all cool and making sure my dear friend did not get into a fight. Trust me, it was a job somebody needed to do. I did not mind it at all, and it taught me one of my most important lessons. If you're sober in a club, you get to see alot more of what's going on. I mean alot moree.
Besides hitting the clubs three times a week, we were also big fans of house parties. This was more of my thing. I've always liked a good house party. It presents a much better opportunity of meeting new people and actually getting to know somebody. I mean seriously, I can't stand the incessant banging of the bass, and having to shout like a bitch to be heard. And the whole supper trick is hardly any better.
Anyway, we threw our share of house parties. Alternating between mine, stanleys, jivesh's and darren's. It was good fun. But the most legendary of them all has got to be the 10 Joan Road party at Stanley's. That was the bomb.
Just like a magic trick, there are three distinct phases of planning a house party.
The first is known as the
Inspiration. This is that single moment, it comes to you and you say, I want to throw a house party.
The second is known as the
Doing. This is where you first overcome the inertia and actually commit to the party by making all necessary purchases and mobilising your friends, exciting them for the cause.
The third is known as the
Appreciation. The appreciation is a two fold affair. During and after the party. Unfortunately, traditionally, the host does not get to enjoy during the party.
I remember vividly the moment we were inspired to throw the 10 joan road party. Me and stanley were doing water point duty (in the army) for a marathon at macritchie reservoir. Stanley's 21st birthday was coming up, and we were thinking what to do what to do? His mother had promised him a significant ang pow that he could use to do anything he wanted with. Probably one of those tests. His mum would have loved for him to deposit it into his savings a/c ... but hey we were young ... 450 people turned up ... 3/4s we did not know at all ... and the host stanley? Asleep like a baby after a trip to the dentist ... at 1 ... just as it picked up ... at least he got to catch the action on a DVD we had produced.
