ICS Meetings Were Never Like This...
So I just got back from the Kenting trip. I haven't been able to get back to the apartment yet due to a party mix-up that occurred Thursday night and involved my keys being taken to Taipei for the weekend while I went to Kenting. Not a big deal, but now I'm back and my friends aren't home yet...no big whoop, just gives me more time to share all the crazy stories from the weekend.
Our hotel was near the beach and from our balcony we could see the ocean, in fact, it was right across the street. So of course, right away, a bunch of us piled out of the bus, dropped our bags and ran straight to the beach. I was amazed how warm the water was, how different the air smelled, and how beautiful the beach was lined as it was with palm trees and green mountains standing in the distance. That night a bunch of people went downtown to check things out, but I preferred to play it a little more lowkey and I hung out with a few South Africans: twin brothers, Rob and David, David's wife Tracy, Isabelle, and Maggie, an American I was rooming with. We sang karoke for a few hours, had a dance off on the Dance Dance Revolution machine in the arcade, hit the hotel's bowling alley before they turned in and I met some Kiwis and a couple Americans for a couple rounds of cards and some beers.
The next day I took a trip to the National Marine Biology Museum and Aquarium for some good fish watchin'. That was incredibly relaxing and so I was little tired after the five hour visit, but then as I walked back into the hotel lobby, Jackie invited me out to the pool with her pals for some beer and chatting, which I enjoyed until it was time to meet for dinner. We were going downtown to an open-air restaurant for a barbeque and a small surprise party for Jackie's going away. This is where things took a turn for the crazy...
First everything was normal, each table had it's own little barbeque and plates of various meats and vegetables were brought out with a dish/brush of oil and spices. We set into the grub and had a few beers. Soon, people were invited to sing and dance on stage for free beers. We had a few takers and it was pretty entertaining...and then Cecilia, our district director announced the Spicy Girls were performing, invited the men to come to the front of the seating area, and asked us not to take any pictures...uh-oh. Then the 'ountz-ountz' music started and sure enough out came a dancing girl. Wearing quite possibly the shortest skirt I've ever seen, see did some *really* cool tricks on the pole in the middle of the stage, including climbing to the middle, flipping herself upside down and sliding down using only her thighs. Most of the girls cringed because you could hear her skin sticking to the pole and making that squeaky noise. Most of the guys were busy checking out other things...Soon she was in the audience, picked one of the Hess teachers and took off his shirt. We applauded and we're a little surprised, and we laughed when she climbed the pole to stash his shirt in the rafters. It was a little weirder when she brought him to the front of the stage, undid his belt with her teeth and took them off. She was still nearly fully clothed and never took very much off at all, considering what she was wearing to begin with. Eventually she returned his pants and shirt, but the next "woman" did the same thing, bringing Blair up to the stage. She (covering her adam's apple with a cleverly-placed scarf) went a little further. She slipped off the pink fishnet material she as wearing as a dress and traded the teacher his clothes for it. Again they brought him up to the front, one held his hands behind the pole and...down came the undies. So now, this teacher is standing in front of all of us naked, covered only by a tiny pink fishnet skirt, wearing a huge grin and his underwear (that would soon be lodged in the rafters and he would later climb the pole, wearing still the pink fishnet skirt, mind you, to retrieve) on his head. It was the craziest thing I've seen so far! Some of the westerners were a little freaked out, fortunately the naked guy didn't seem to be one of them. I thought it was hilarious and both Matt and I commented that company trips like this are *not* the norm in the U.S.!
After all this, I needed some down time to pause and reflect on the night's activities. Really, I had a great time and I don't think I've laughed that hard in ages! Since last night was Moon Festival's Eve, Kristy and I headed out to the beach to check out the nearly full moon. She brought along her guitar and she played as I watched the moon pop out from behind the clouds to brighten the waves and the little beach. Behind us, small groups of people lit fireworks to celebrate the holiday. We ran out to the water before we left to plunge our feet in one more time, and if possible it was warmer than the day before. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!
Our hotel was near the beach and from our balcony we could see the ocean, in fact, it was right across the street. So of course, right away, a bunch of us piled out of the bus, dropped our bags and ran straight to the beach. I was amazed how warm the water was, how different the air smelled, and how beautiful the beach was lined as it was with palm trees and green mountains standing in the distance. That night a bunch of people went downtown to check things out, but I preferred to play it a little more lowkey and I hung out with a few South Africans: twin brothers, Rob and David, David's wife Tracy, Isabelle, and Maggie, an American I was rooming with. We sang karoke for a few hours, had a dance off on the Dance Dance Revolution machine in the arcade, hit the hotel's bowling alley before they turned in and I met some Kiwis and a couple Americans for a couple rounds of cards and some beers.
The next day I took a trip to the National Marine Biology Museum and Aquarium for some good fish watchin'. That was incredibly relaxing and so I was little tired after the five hour visit, but then as I walked back into the hotel lobby, Jackie invited me out to the pool with her pals for some beer and chatting, which I enjoyed until it was time to meet for dinner. We were going downtown to an open-air restaurant for a barbeque and a small surprise party for Jackie's going away. This is where things took a turn for the crazy...
First everything was normal, each table had it's own little barbeque and plates of various meats and vegetables were brought out with a dish/brush of oil and spices. We set into the grub and had a few beers. Soon, people were invited to sing and dance on stage for free beers. We had a few takers and it was pretty entertaining...and then Cecilia, our district director announced the Spicy Girls were performing, invited the men to come to the front of the seating area, and asked us not to take any pictures...uh-oh. Then the 'ountz-ountz' music started and sure enough out came a dancing girl. Wearing quite possibly the shortest skirt I've ever seen, see did some *really* cool tricks on the pole in the middle of the stage, including climbing to the middle, flipping herself upside down and sliding down using only her thighs. Most of the girls cringed because you could hear her skin sticking to the pole and making that squeaky noise. Most of the guys were busy checking out other things...Soon she was in the audience, picked one of the Hess teachers and took off his shirt. We applauded and we're a little surprised, and we laughed when she climbed the pole to stash his shirt in the rafters. It was a little weirder when she brought him to the front of the stage, undid his belt with her teeth and took them off. She was still nearly fully clothed and never took very much off at all, considering what she was wearing to begin with. Eventually she returned his pants and shirt, but the next "woman" did the same thing, bringing Blair up to the stage. She (covering her adam's apple with a cleverly-placed scarf) went a little further. She slipped off the pink fishnet material she as wearing as a dress and traded the teacher his clothes for it. Again they brought him up to the front, one held his hands behind the pole and...down came the undies. So now, this teacher is standing in front of all of us naked, covered only by a tiny pink fishnet skirt, wearing a huge grin and his underwear (that would soon be lodged in the rafters and he would later climb the pole, wearing still the pink fishnet skirt, mind you, to retrieve) on his head. It was the craziest thing I've seen so far! Some of the westerners were a little freaked out, fortunately the naked guy didn't seem to be one of them. I thought it was hilarious and both Matt and I commented that company trips like this are *not* the norm in the U.S.!
After all this, I needed some down time to pause and reflect on the night's activities. Really, I had a great time and I don't think I've laughed that hard in ages! Since last night was Moon Festival's Eve, Kristy and I headed out to the beach to check out the nearly full moon. She brought along her guitar and she played as I watched the moon pop out from behind the clouds to brighten the waves and the little beach. Behind us, small groups of people lit fireworks to celebrate the holiday. We ran out to the water before we left to plunge our feet in one more time, and if possible it was warmer than the day before. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen!
posted by CJ at 2:52 AM
4 Comments:
Mmmm... the ocean. I want to go to the ocean! That sounds like a great weekend :)
Wow, that sounds like quite a fun time. Same old shit here. The exam for us spacemonkeys is Oct 8 - 13.
Kembrew McLeod (www.kembrew.com) is a PLS speaker.
I have no hair on my head and I think it's going to rain today. -eric
(Kris) When I was in the corporate world--we got excited if our company outings involved free food. Happy to hear your work experience is a bit more entertaining so far ;)
Fifi,
C'est moi, Geoffroy. Ca va?
Walking home from a trip to the corner store to buy some smokes on this first-of-fall Chicago night, I took note of the moon. It's been really windy and cool all day; the sort of weather that makes me remember all the sweaters and jackets stowed away in yet to be unpacked boxes from the move.
Anyway...the moon. It's huge and bright tonight. Sort of bue-white, and the size of a silver dollar held four inches from your eye. Half an inch above the trees. Lots of quickly moving low clouds.
I was reminded of your beautiful stories from afar. I love that you have such great things to tell. Keep them coming. I miss you.
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