One again, the days start getting longer, the power cuts continue, and the weak-sauce winter comes to a close. Actually, the power cuts were supposed to quit in November, but the calendar also clued me into the event this weekend.
Senior Cafe.
For those who have understandably forgotten my description last year, it's a big talent show fundraiser the Seniors put on. Previous Hall of Fame acts include lip synching to "Numa Numa," laying down some phat beats with the McDonalds rap, and of course air banding "More Than a Feeling." The lead air guitarist was kickin'.
This year, though, "the Seniors" is us. More specifically, the President is me. So things were a little more complicated than last year's single costume change from air bander to awkward Swedish singer.
It was a crazy week for sure, making tiki torches from scratch, moving couches for coffeehouse seating, collecting cakes, etc, but it actually went pretty well. And the night was a blast-- I figure if the people running it have fun something must be going right.
My Vice President also accidentally swallowed some gas when siphoning from one generator to another (the power cut). Good thing MKs know to drink milk immediately because I still have a very loose grasp on the concept of acids and bases. I have a feeling it's really simple. So Tanner, VP, gets the night's MVP award. I won't go into how much he and my English teacher helped out, but they did. A ton. Thanks guys.
Of course, Past Will though it was a great idea to also be in three acts, because just running it is too simple. I have to give him some credit, though-- that number was originally six. My favorite though, beating out a barbershop quartet singing "That's What Friends Are For" from The Jungle Book and Chamber Choir singing "The Longest Time" by Billy Joel, was my friend Jear Bear and I's cover of "Tribute" by Tenacious D.
In a lot of ways, it was a culmination of my very short and trivial musical career. Who knows? Someday it may blossom into a full-fledged, international Jack Black cover band. I can only dream.
This was, not most but very importantly, our last fundraiser as a class. A lot has changed from the "dis-unified" sophomore class from two years ago. I, honestly, love our class, even though we have a human excuse and a few slackers in it. It's gonna be weird not having them all in one place.
Getting everyone together for reunions is hard.
-Will
"This is the greatest and best song in the world."
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Insert Random Acronym Here
Time for another DA culture lesson.
WAIST (West African Invitational Softball Tournament) is an annual, 3-day-long event so thoroughly American that they actually have a giant red white and blue tent. I bet you'd be hard pressed to find a massive flag-tent in most states.
I've had very varying experiences in the past few years. When I first got here, I wasn't on a team, and the weekend was a big breath of fresh, American, country music, swearing air. For the record, I hate country music, but come on, it's softball. Peace corps teams make up the majority of the social bracket. These are people who live out in the boonies don't have to worry about power cuts because they don't have any to begin with. They're the ones who are for real in mud huts. So, understandably, the one weekend in six months that they get not only free, but to spend with other Americans serving all over this side of the continent, gets a little crazy.
Long story short, it's hard to lose to them after about 11:00 am, because by that time most of them are pretty hammered. They're what made and make WAIST for me, though-- not only are they hilarious, but speaking to American strangers in English is a splendid experience if you're used to stumbling through basic greetings in French. The fact that the concession stands had copious amounts of American candy didn't hurt either.
The last year, softball ruined it for me. The way it used to go is that if two DA teams did well enough to play on Monday, no one had school this year our awesome director just said no school automatically-- he's the man). Since I was on a team, and most other DA teams were clearly not going to be able to hold up the "do well" end of the bargain, our team had a lot of pressure to win. Which is really not the point of the weekend at all. Also Dad told me I was in trouble on Saturday morning and didn't tell me what it was about until Monday night. And then it wasn't actually a huge deal. It just hung over my head for a few days.
2011 lacked the wow factor of the first time but was overall more fun. Even though we didn't play any peace corps teams until Monday (I heard they asked to not play us 'cause we weren't fun to play--see above paragraph) I played on a thrown together nonsense team that played for the heck of it. This is WAIST at its finest. And we actually won the social league, so we got to take home an awkwardly proportioned African trophy as well.
And with that taste of America, we're in the home stretch for the real deal.
-Will
"A place where the beer flows like wine, and beautiful women flock like the salmon of Capistrano."
WAIST (West African Invitational Softball Tournament) is an annual, 3-day-long event so thoroughly American that they actually have a giant red white and blue tent. I bet you'd be hard pressed to find a massive flag-tent in most states.
I've had very varying experiences in the past few years. When I first got here, I wasn't on a team, and the weekend was a big breath of fresh, American, country music, swearing air. For the record, I hate country music, but come on, it's softball. Peace corps teams make up the majority of the social bracket. These are people who live out in the boonies don't have to worry about power cuts because they don't have any to begin with. They're the ones who are for real in mud huts. So, understandably, the one weekend in six months that they get not only free, but to spend with other Americans serving all over this side of the continent, gets a little crazy.
Long story short, it's hard to lose to them after about 11:00 am, because by that time most of them are pretty hammered. They're what made and make WAIST for me, though-- not only are they hilarious, but speaking to American strangers in English is a splendid experience if you're used to stumbling through basic greetings in French. The fact that the concession stands had copious amounts of American candy didn't hurt either.
The last year, softball ruined it for me. The way it used to go is that if two DA teams did well enough to play on Monday, no one had school this year our awesome director just said no school automatically-- he's the man). Since I was on a team, and most other DA teams were clearly not going to be able to hold up the "do well" end of the bargain, our team had a lot of pressure to win. Which is really not the point of the weekend at all. Also Dad told me I was in trouble on Saturday morning and didn't tell me what it was about until Monday night. And then it wasn't actually a huge deal. It just hung over my head for a few days.
2011 lacked the wow factor of the first time but was overall more fun. Even though we didn't play any peace corps teams until Monday (I heard they asked to not play us 'cause we weren't fun to play--see above paragraph) I played on a thrown together nonsense team that played for the heck of it. This is WAIST at its finest. And we actually won the social league, so we got to take home an awkwardly proportioned African trophy as well.
And with that taste of America, we're in the home stretch for the real deal.
-Will
"A place where the beer flows like wine, and beautiful women flock like the salmon of Capistrano."
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