I hate big parties. I do sometimes entertain relatives and close friends to an intimate party, usually a small one. I treasure my time so much, so I understand that busy people do too. Most of my close friends are busy people. Whenever I throw a small get together, usually it is to unwind, talk about things around that have affected each other's lives. Usually it will be a sit down dinner, small in number and my guests seated in a way that maximizes interaction among new acquaintances. Throwing a small party to me is always an opportunity to meet new people, expanding my network of acquaintances. It is also an opportunity to learn new things from others, share experiences that make life easier to bear.
Yesterday was my nephew's one year old birthday party. Being a birthday party, throngs of children were expectedly normal. Indeed my expectations were all correct. There were so many children, the number went beyond what was prepared; however, there were plenty of food to satisfy every young child's appetite. Party goodies were a hit. The drag clown was uniquely new, courtesy of my sister's long lost high school classmate. The lively music complemented the games prepared for the occasion. Everyone was happy. Everything was going on smoothly until the cake candles were blown by the young playful guests. No problem. Children are children wherever they be.
But adults are not children, and this is why I hate big parties so much. After the children's party in the afternoon, adult guests (mostly my father's) started arriving for the night party. It was for a thanksgiving of some sort. The details escaped me. My brother-in-law's sisters gamely helped in accommodating the guests. They knew better than I did because party catering is their business. The party, however, had no clear guest list, but invitations were sent though. At around 6 pm, however, we cannot seem to control the deluge of people getting in that we ran out of clean plates. It was too late for us to stop some of our relatives who unfortunately invited their own set of guests. What a problem! Some adults tend to behave like children indeed.
Big parties with guests that are not my close acquaintances are not my cup of tea. I got lost in the sea of funny faces yesterday that I opted to stay inside the bedroom where the birthday celebrant was very sound asleep. My niece with me inside the room was peeking through the French window and commented to her delight that a lot of people still were coming in. I was sad because the celebration was ruined by gate crashers. My father was able to invite his close friends, and I was embarrassed for him. My sister told me to invite my colleagues. I was so thankful I did not. We just came down from a mountain trek, and most of my friends were so tired to even blink an eye. After a while, my brother-in-law got inside the room with the same complaint I had.
I did not get out of the room until the party was over. I was not aware though of what really took place, how terribly a nuisance were most of the uninvited people. I fell soundly asleep as my nephew. I have other reasons for sleeping though besides the unruly gate crashers. My blood pressure, I was sure, shoot up. I ate a lot of chicharon during lunch. I do not want to believe that blood pressure can shoot up that fast in relation to what I have eaten earlier in the day. I was, however, sure that my BP was not anymore near normal yesterday night. I felt light-headed accompanied by headband headache. There was tingly sensation in both my arms. These were my usual symptoms when my blood pressure shoots up beyond 140/90.
Because it was April Fools' Day yesterday was not good reason enough to be acting so insanely foolish. In fact nothing could justify the way people behaved last night in my nephew's birthday party. It was plain and simple stupidity coupled with much insensitivity. A party goes beyond the food served. It goes beyond the music that drowns the laughter of party goers. It is supposed to be very special to the host for whatever purpose he has in mind. It is also as equally important to the celebrant being honored on the day. But if people start acting silly, if people commence to become the irrational animal they were not born to be, these would be too embarrassing on the party host and too unfair to the party honoree. I hate big parties for this sole reason that most people not my acquaintances cannot just simply and plainly behave like the uninvited guests that they are. Sadly yesterday, everything was too late, but happily my small nephew was too young to understand man's folly, may it be April Fools' Day or any ordinary day.
Yesterday was my nephew's one year old birthday party. Being a birthday party, throngs of children were expectedly normal. Indeed my expectations were all correct. There were so many children, the number went beyond what was prepared; however, there were plenty of food to satisfy every young child's appetite. Party goodies were a hit. The drag clown was uniquely new, courtesy of my sister's long lost high school classmate. The lively music complemented the games prepared for the occasion. Everyone was happy. Everything was going on smoothly until the cake candles were blown by the young playful guests. No problem. Children are children wherever they be.
But adults are not children, and this is why I hate big parties so much. After the children's party in the afternoon, adult guests (mostly my father's) started arriving for the night party. It was for a thanksgiving of some sort. The details escaped me. My brother-in-law's sisters gamely helped in accommodating the guests. They knew better than I did because party catering is their business. The party, however, had no clear guest list, but invitations were sent though. At around 6 pm, however, we cannot seem to control the deluge of people getting in that we ran out of clean plates. It was too late for us to stop some of our relatives who unfortunately invited their own set of guests. What a problem! Some adults tend to behave like children indeed.
Big parties with guests that are not my close acquaintances are not my cup of tea. I got lost in the sea of funny faces yesterday that I opted to stay inside the bedroom where the birthday celebrant was very sound asleep. My niece with me inside the room was peeking through the French window and commented to her delight that a lot of people still were coming in. I was sad because the celebration was ruined by gate crashers. My father was able to invite his close friends, and I was embarrassed for him. My sister told me to invite my colleagues. I was so thankful I did not. We just came down from a mountain trek, and most of my friends were so tired to even blink an eye. After a while, my brother-in-law got inside the room with the same complaint I had.I did not get out of the room until the party was over. I was not aware though of what really took place, how terribly a nuisance were most of the uninvited people. I fell soundly asleep as my nephew. I have other reasons for sleeping though besides the unruly gate crashers. My blood pressure, I was sure, shoot up. I ate a lot of chicharon during lunch. I do not want to believe that blood pressure can shoot up that fast in relation to what I have eaten earlier in the day. I was, however, sure that my BP was not anymore near normal yesterday night. I felt light-headed accompanied by headband headache. There was tingly sensation in both my arms. These were my usual symptoms when my blood pressure shoots up beyond 140/90.
Because it was April Fools' Day yesterday was not good reason enough to be acting so insanely foolish. In fact nothing could justify the way people behaved last night in my nephew's birthday party. It was plain and simple stupidity coupled with much insensitivity. A party goes beyond the food served. It goes beyond the music that drowns the laughter of party goers. It is supposed to be very special to the host for whatever purpose he has in mind. It is also as equally important to the celebrant being honored on the day. But if people start acting silly, if people commence to become the irrational animal they were not born to be, these would be too embarrassing on the party host and too unfair to the party honoree. I hate big parties for this sole reason that most people not my acquaintances cannot just simply and plainly behave like the uninvited guests that they are. Sadly yesterday, everything was too late, but happily my small nephew was too young to understand man's folly, may it be April Fools' Day or any ordinary day.
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