# Parties, parties...



## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

I was reading the thread about 'eating healthy' and the conversation has turned to what sort of food people would like to eat at a wedding.

That made me think - what sort of food do you like best at parties? What sort of drink? Do you like music there, or just circulating conversation, or parlour games? And what sort of clothes would you wear to your favoured or ideal party?

Or wedding; or other celebration.

It would just be interesting to know. 

Thanks in advance for any replies.


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

In December 1973, when we were married, Taggart & I had only just stopped being students. As my mother was a widow, I felt I couldn't ask her to pay for my wedding, so we paid for ourselves. We held the reception in the local pub restaurant, and served up fish and chips for the guests, followed by ice cream. Toasts were drunk in pomagne, a sparkly apple juice ersatz champagne which at least fooled one of Taggart's aunties. We only had thirty guests, btw, and Uncle Tom was cross because we hadn't been able to ask his children along. But then Uncle Tom was often cross...

Afterwards we repaired to where we were staying, a deserted seminary, and one of my student friends played the guitar and we sang. My two elder brothers performed a duo rendering of 'On Ilkley Moor Baht'at'. 
Fond, if slightly embarrassed, memories...


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

For our Ruby Wedding party this year, we had a salad buffet including ham and cold turkey and smoked salmon and mackerel, also hummus, as the protein ingredients. There were rice salads, potato salads & pasta salads, salami, tomatoes, grated carrot, olives and the usual salad suspects. Desserts were fruit salads or a chocolate cake; there was also a cheese board. Wine and soft drinks were available in abundance, and we still have several bottles left. This sort of food is what I like. 
But this party was really 'made' by my fiddle teacher performing early & baroque music, and Scottish dance tunes. Most of my guests were from Scottish dancing but all were musical, or I wouldn't have asked them. As it is, I think twenty people packed into a lounge is a little too much... 
What a fab evening!


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

In general, though, I am not a party animal. I like a couple of friends to supper, but hate circulating or having loud music played when I'm trying to talk to people. I also don't like having to stand for a long time. No, I'm not much fun really...


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

Years ago the parties I attended were cool. Almost all took place in the west end of the city (Hello Byres Road!) and consisted of gatherings of musicians, writers, actors, dancers and other such scum. It was much fun and incredibly decadent. You haven't lived until you've heard a 70-something thespian singing 'Mad about the boy' with a tear in his eye.

The warmest and most intimate parties I've ever been to were in Russia. The procedure there was to drink and eat as much as possible and if you could play an instrument or hold a tune you were expected to entertain. 

Nowadays parties aren't really my scene (man) although I was at one recently with my dearest friend. But I don't make a habit of going to them and I'll only go if my girlfriend really wants me to. Everyone who attends them is either in the business (and that's a bore) or appears to be 14 years old. I seem to spend the evening being asked "Will you take my photo?" That's not a great hardship and I'll usually oblige, but it gets kind of old after a while.

E: I'll maybe make another post if I can find some photos (or video) of the Russian parties.


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

mirepoix said:


> Years ago the parties I attended were cool. Almost all took place in the west end of the city (Hello Byres Road!) and consisted of gatherings of musicians, writers, actors, dancers and other such scum. It was much fun and incredibly decadent. You haven't lived until you've heard a 70-something thespian singing 'Mad about the boy' with a tear in his eye.


The University quarter was always a little bohemian.



mirepoix said:


> The warmest and most intimate parties I've ever been to were in Russia. The procedure there was to drink and eat as much as possible and if you could play an instrument or hold a tune you were expected to entertain.


Sounds like Hogmanay!


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

Taggart said:


> The University quarter was always a little bohemian.


It still is, although not so much as before. But that 'air' pervades. And I think it always will.



> Sounds like Hogmanay!


Exactly. I found so many similarities.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Ingélou said:


> In general, though, I am not a party animal. I like a couple of friends to supper, but hate circulating or having loud music played when I'm trying to talk to people. I also don't like having to stand for a long time. No, I'm not much fun really...


Neither am I. My mother called me an "animal" a few times, but unrelated to parties.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Ingélou said:


> In general, though, I am not a party animal. I like a couple of friends to supper, but hate circulating or having loud music played when I'm trying to talk to people. I also don't like having to stand for a long time. No, I'm not much fun really...


There really should be parties specifically designed for those of us who are not party animals.


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> I was reading the thread about 'eating healthy' and the conversation has turned to what sort of food people would like to eat at a wedding.
> 
> That made me think - what sort of food do you like best at parties? What sort of drink? Do you like music there, or just circulating conversation, or parlour games? And what sort of clothes would you wear to your favoured or ideal party?
> 
> ...


I can't remember enjoying a party - I'd much prefer a small group of friends for dinner. Any more than 5 other people there and I'm missing the Hermitage


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

hpowders said:


> There really should be parties specifically designed for those of us who are not party animals.


Every day is party day at the Hermitage .... especially for those with their own headphones


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> In general, though, I am not a party animal. I like a couple of friends to supper, but hate circulating or having loud music played when I'm trying to talk to people. I also don't like having to stand for a long time. No, I'm not much fun really...


Come on over, Flower! Join the fun at Hermit Towers!


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Taggart said:


> Sounds like Hogmanay!


.... can I go home yet?


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I never have been much of a party person. Always prefer small group or one on one for more meaningful conversations. Having another family or couple over for dinner is about as big as it needs to be for me. I remember wanting our second kid's birthday to be within 1-2 weeks of the first so that the obligatory birthday parties where we have to invite all the relatives we otherwise never talk to can be combined. But God had different plans and they are 5 months apart. Ah well, we finally quit the parties after they got older. Who are these parties for anyway? When i was a kid my parents threw these parties and also invited many neighborhood kids. I did not like it. Would rather have had a quiet birthday party with a couple close friends. I just don't get the party mentality.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Ingélou said:


> For our Ruby Wedding party this year, ...


Congratulations on 40 years! I just had my 25th!


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> .... can I go home yet?


The fact that you can even ask a question like that means that you haven't begun to enjoy yourself. Have a dram and some black bun and then we'll play some party games. Then if ye're fit to send home, we will.


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## SiegendesLicht (Mar 4, 2012)

Ingélou said:


> IThat made me think - what sort of food do you like best at parties? What sort of drink? Do you like music there, or just circulating conversation, or parlour games? And what sort of clothes would you wear to your favoured or ideal party?


A big fire burning somewhere in the woods or by the lakeside, meat, potatoes and other stuff roasting over the same fire, kegs of beer being opened (but nothing stronger than that, people should be able to stand on their feet until the end), tents being put up, Scottish, Irish or other folk music or more modern folk rock playing, people dancing in a circle round the fire, as for clothes, something comfortable that people would not be afraid to sit on the grass in.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Im a Party animal A Pinata. Whenever I turn up at a party people hit me with sticks till I leave...or burst!


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## Taggart (Feb 14, 2013)

Badinerie said:


> Im a Party animal A Pinata. Whenever I turn up at a party people hit me with sticks till I leave...or burst!


Sounds vaguely Klingon. Pain sticks?


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

^^^^^ heheheheheh.


E: dookin' for apples with a bat'leth.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

I once read that Warren Buffet would take a brief case full of company reports with him when he had to attend a party and would soon find a quiet corner of the host's house to sit and study the reports. I understand. Many times I have been at a party and wished I could be reading a book or something else more fun.


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## mirepoix (Feb 1, 2014)

_S novim godom!_

A Russian new year party is indeed like the Scottish hogmanay. And my first new year party over there was an eye opener.
We started to eat maybe one hour or so before 'the bells'. The first course was three different pasta salads - tuna, chicken, and...I don't remember. But I do remember it being drenched in mayonnaise. And that helped because my vodka glass was constantly being filled and the custom is to never put a full glass on the table. So you had to throw it down immediately. Also, we all had to make a toast. In my case, I was asked to make many toasts. I started off with the usual stuff like - 
_"Here's tae us!
Wha's like us?
Damn few,
And they're a' deid
Mair's the pity!"_
- which I had to translate for my partner (at the time) which she would then translate for her family. But it went down well. Trouble is, I eventually ran out of sayings and so had to resort to song lyrics and stuff -
"_Every laddie loves a lassie, rockin' through the rye._"
The food kept coming. The meals at these parties were known to have gone on for hours and it was considered acceptable to leave the table for a nap. But I soldiered on. Eventually I had eaten so much (during the fish course) that I was feeling pain. So I stood and said "that was wonderful - all of it!" and excused myself...but was told to sit back down. It was time for the hot course. Steak and chips. Help.

There was an ancient acoustic guitar which got passed around. Years before I was a (not very skilled) drummer, but I knew a couple of chords. An aside: at the 12th fret the action of the guitar was about 1 inch/3cm. So I was asked to play_ "Music from your own country"._ I sang a couple of Matt McGinn songs, maybe something by Hamish Imlach and definitely a tune by Big Country.

Throughout this guests would drop in, have a drink/food and then be on their way. On one occasion we left with them and fit what seemed like 50 people into a wheezing 'Vaz' car and made our way to another party where it all began again..." _Yes, happy new year, here's my glass, no only a small steak please, oh you have a guitar?"_

Come to think of it, those were the best parties I ever attended. I never even had a hangover after any of them.

Fake edit: I can find a couple of photos of the days before and after, but none of the parties themselves. However I'll still have them somewhere.


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## Badinerie (May 3, 2008)

Rabbie Burns was always popular in Russia. The Peoples poet after all...

I remember in the seventies there was always a guitar lurking around the house somewhere and at some point in the night several sad would be guitarists would gather round it and try in turns to play the intro to Stairway to Heaven. Which would have been fine if the said guitar hadnt been leant against a hot radiator for two years and had the E1 string missing. Then a Hendrix record would be played and they's all start weeping "Why did he have to die!".... until our mums came to pick us up.... oops!


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## Ukko (Jun 4, 2010)

Ingélou said:


> In general, though, I am not a party animal. I like a couple of friends to supper, but hate circulating or having loud music played when I'm trying to talk to people. I also don't like having to stand for a long time. No, I'm not much fun really...


I don't like parties either; too many people, can't pay attention to all of them. Wedding receptions are a special case - I only need to pay attention to the couple. I like to eat frivolous tasty stuff at wedding receptions, stuff that ain't around me any other time.

Of course, damn few of my contemporaries are getting married nowadays, so I have to settle for 80th birthday gatherings.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

Beyond 40 (maybe earlier), they become gatherings. And like many herds or gaggles, the movements are much slower and sometimes purposeful...as to avoid or connect.:devil:


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I hate being forced to make "small talk". I've never been good at BS'in.


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> I hate being forced to make "small talk". I've never been good at BS'in.


But what's BS t'day, may not be t'morrow. That could make you a visionary. Or is that missionary, I ferget.


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

Florestan said:


> I once read that Warren Buffet would take a brief case full of company reports with him when he had to attend a party and would soon find a quiet corner of the host's house to sit and study the reports. I understand. Many times I have been at a party and wished I could be reading a book or something else more fun.


I once wore my iPod at a party and I never heard the end of it from my SO.


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## brianvds (May 1, 2013)

Among my friends and family, we don't have much of a party tradition. Instead, we do the barbecue thing. We gather at someone's house, and everyone brings his own meat and drink.

As for music, if they are lucky, there isn't any. If they are unlucky, music consists of me playing guitar. 

Come to think of it, today is National Barbecue Day here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heritage_Day_(South_Africa)


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## Vaneyes (May 11, 2010)

hpowders said:


> I once wore my iPod at a party and I never heard the end of it from my SO.


I must be the only one in the world without an i-anything.:lol:


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Taggart said:


> The fact that you can even ask a question like that means that you haven't begun to enjoy yourself. Have a dram and some black bun and then we'll play some party games. Then if ye're fit to send home, we will.


You'll find me in the kitchen ... get me when you're ready to go


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Headphone Hermit said:


> You'll find me in the kitchen ... get me when you're ready to go


Oh - are you one of those nice people who always offers to help with the washing up?


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> Oh - are you one of those nice people who always offers to help with the washing up?


Yup. Would rather do most things than engage in small-talk.

Do you want the car washing or the hedge cutting too?


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## Ingélou (Feb 10, 2013)

Now, for party wear - I like a bit of boho: dangly earrings, trailing scarves, flowing skirts, and a whiff of patchouli. 
Hey, man!


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## Headphone Hermit (Jan 8, 2014)

Ingélou said:


> Now, for party wear - I like a bit of boho: dangly earrings, trailing scarves, flowing skirts, and a whiff of patchouli.
> Hey, man!


.... and shall I dig your vegetable plot next? :lol:


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## Jos (Oct 14, 2013)

Ingélou said:


> Now, for party wear - I like a bit of boho: dangly earrings, trailing scarves, flowing skirts, and a whiff of patchouli.
> Hey, man!


You may never have been a rock chick, but you sure are a hippie chick........!!

Cheers,
Jos


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