The morning after the party...
Last night there was a birthday party for a friend's friend's husband. He's someone I've not met, but who, it turns out, works for the same company I do.
The hosts were a very nice Lebanese couple and the guests were a great international mix of Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, Belgian, Palestinian, a Scot, an American, and a Canadian.
If this party was an exemplar of "A Lebanese Party" (which, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't... but let's just say it was) here are the conclusions that can be drawn about how Lebanese throw a party contrasted against how Canadians do it:
Lebanese Party: All lights are on. Very bright lights. At some point the hostess will go to the lightswitch... and turn the lights up even brighter. Don't know why.
Canadian Party: Exactly the opposite. Lights are set to 'ambiant' and duct-taped in this position. This is possibly because we are shyer in groups and bright lights make us nervous. Also, we become more attractive in lower lighting. Middle-Eastern people don't need props and special effects to achieve this.
Lebanese Party: No music.
Canadian Party: Very loud 80's music mixed with some BNL and Tragically Hip
Lebanese Party: 20 people, 2 bottles of wine, many bottles of fruit juice
Canadian Party: 20 people, 20 cases of beer, 20 bottles of wine. Possibly also tap water.
Lebanese Party: Include party games that are meant to be fun but that have to first be explained repeatedly in 3 languages and that torture the otherwise quite reserved birthday boy to the point that he starts looking for escape routes from his own apartment. Including estimating the cost/benefit of a 3-story leap from the balcony.
Canadian Party: No games, per se, but always high potential for a backyard 'light sabre' fight with leftover fireworks.
Lebanese Party: Children are present and well behaved. They will fall asleep under the guest's jackets at their regular bedtime.
Canadian Party: Children are tolerated and if they are present are mostly there to interrupt conversations, get their parents another beer, and to trip over. They are also are a handy excuse for their parents to leave the party early.
Lebanese Party: Guests all intermingle, talk to everyone and have interesting conversations about the world. If you don't know everyone at the start of the party, you will by the end of it.
Canadian Party: Guests talk to whoever they arrived at the party with unless they know others. Conversations are mostly about people's jobs, fishing, and who just bought a big barbecque. Whoever you knew at the start of the party you will still know at the end of it.
Lebanese Party: Unless there are pretty, young, single women at the party, all handsome, single Lebanese men will leave the party before midnight. No excuses are given and none are expected.
Canadian Party: There are no handsome single men in Canada. That's what the low lights are for.
:-0
Last night there was a birthday party for a friend's friend's husband. He's someone I've not met, but who, it turns out, works for the same company I do.
The hosts were a very nice Lebanese couple and the guests were a great international mix of Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, Belgian, Palestinian, a Scot, an American, and a Canadian.
If this party was an exemplar of "A Lebanese Party" (which, maybe it was, maybe it wasn't... but let's just say it was) here are the conclusions that can be drawn about how Lebanese throw a party contrasted against how Canadians do it:
Lebanese Party: All lights are on. Very bright lights. At some point the hostess will go to the lightswitch... and turn the lights up even brighter. Don't know why.
Canadian Party: Exactly the opposite. Lights are set to 'ambiant' and duct-taped in this position. This is possibly because we are shyer in groups and bright lights make us nervous. Also, we become more attractive in lower lighting. Middle-Eastern people don't need props and special effects to achieve this.
Lebanese Party: No music.
Canadian Party: Very loud 80's music mixed with some BNL and Tragically Hip
Lebanese Party: 20 people, 2 bottles of wine, many bottles of fruit juice
Canadian Party: 20 people, 20 cases of beer, 20 bottles of wine. Possibly also tap water.
Lebanese Party: Include party games that are meant to be fun but that have to first be explained repeatedly in 3 languages and that torture the otherwise quite reserved birthday boy to the point that he starts looking for escape routes from his own apartment. Including estimating the cost/benefit of a 3-story leap from the balcony.
Canadian Party: No games, per se, but always high potential for a backyard 'light sabre' fight with leftover fireworks.
Lebanese Party: Children are present and well behaved. They will fall asleep under the guest's jackets at their regular bedtime.
Canadian Party: Children are tolerated and if they are present are mostly there to interrupt conversations, get their parents another beer, and to trip over. They are also are a handy excuse for their parents to leave the party early.
Lebanese Party: Guests all intermingle, talk to everyone and have interesting conversations about the world. If you don't know everyone at the start of the party, you will by the end of it.
Canadian Party: Guests talk to whoever they arrived at the party with unless they know others. Conversations are mostly about people's jobs, fishing, and who just bought a big barbecque. Whoever you knew at the start of the party you will still know at the end of it.
Lebanese Party: Unless there are pretty, young, single women at the party, all handsome, single Lebanese men will leave the party before midnight. No excuses are given and none are expected.
Canadian Party: There are no handsome single men in Canada. That's what the low lights are for.
:-0
posted by Penless Artist at 12:48 p.m.
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