Bangs and a Ball

Matt and I went to the AWA Ball with our friends Kelly, Raul and Maria. I had a negative attitude about the ball and since it was expensive, I decided that maybe matt and I shouldn't go. After all, it isn't exactly like Matt was dying to go and for the money it would cost, we could do something alot cooler...like buy us both plane tickets to somewhere or buy a digital camera. Kelly is very persuasive though, and she really wanted us to come otherwise her fiance wouldn't go. In the end, Matt made the call...we would go since I had been on the committee and had designed the invitations. It was a big mistake! The ball was a total disaster. I was hoping that it would be at least as good as the Yacht Club Ball we went to in November, but it definitely wasn't! It was ALOT worse.

The night started on a bad note when I went to get a hair cut. I had a glorious vision of myself with side swept bangs. I told the hairdresser what I wanted, and I got what I asked for, but when I looked in the mirror I was devastated! I hated my bangs and I had only myself to blame! I was literally sobbing right there in the chair at the salon. My poor hairdresser must have been so embarrassed! He kept saying, "It looks good, you just have to get used to it..." Everyone was staring. In hindsight, I feel very bad because my poor hairdresser didn't deserve that! He did a great job, and in fact it is oneof the best hair cuts I have gotten. He thinned my hair a lot and the bangs are what I asked for. I hope he will take me back when I need another haircut! I have had my hair the same way for like 12 years, and my hair looked a lot darker, and I think I was just shocked. I called Kelly and I was sobbing and she didn't know what was wrong. All I could get out was, "Aaaughg...bu..bu..bu..bangs! Aaaughgha! Waaa!" I took a taxi to her house because I was borrowing her dress, and she tried to make me feel better, but I kept crying and she kept re-doing my make up. I ended up making her late to the ball and she was supposed to volunteer to help set up.

Matt seemed to like my bangs when I went home, so that made me feel better, but when we got to the ball, everyone was coming up to me and telling me how gorgeous my hair was. It made me feel really weird cause I was so sensitive about it, I had just had a major trauma after all! It turns out that Kelly wgot in big trouble with the AWA ladies for being late, and she told them about my hair fiasco. Well, I don't blame her, she sat there with me while I sobbed over my stupid bangs. Our friend Maria was at Kelly's house and was like, "What are you crying about, he cut like 5 hairs." Haha! it is sort of true! But they were an important 5 hairs!

This blog entry is about the ball though, not my bangs...So after the trauma, Matt and I went to the ball which was at the Hong Kong Exhibition Center. We were late for the 5 course meal that was part of the ball, but it was ok because it was not good. Actually, it was OK, but frankly, for the price we paid, OK is not good enough. It was bland and standard, nothing fresh or creative about it. I had chicken breast of marginal quality and a very creamy and bland soup. It was standard hotel fare. Then the band came on. It was an extrememly cheesy cover band with and aging bleached blond hussy in tight leather pants as a lead singer.

In order to escape the band, we went into the "casino" which consisted of card table covered with green felt table covers to make them look like craps tables or craps tables. Also, there was a bingo room. I won alot at the craps table, which is my lucky game, but then lost it at black jack. I cashed in my chips and collected my "prize" which was a sample size bottle of face moisturizer. Whoop-di-do.

The highlight of the night was seeing Matt's boss at the ball with his wife. He looked extememly embarrased to see us there, or to be seen with us. Maybe it was Matt's suede tassled cowboy jacket? Just so we could remember this special moment, we purchased the prom-style photo taken of Matt's boss andhis wife. Matt took it to work with him the next day and posted it on the secretary's desk so everyone could see. His boss kept trying to take it down!

The AWA ladies came up to me to remind me that I had been assigned to work the cash register from 12 to 1. This was news to me, and for the price we paid I decided that I did not need to be drafted into work, so we left and headed to a club.

This night was special in that it was the second time I have been truly embarrassed to be an American. Going to the ball was like going to a bad prom in a tiny podunk town in the Midwest, except worse. I could list all the reasons why it was so terrible, but I wouldn't want to bore anyone with anymore details than I already have.


Kelly, Meagan and Raul 


Gambling 


Maria and Matt