The Shower, Part 1
Last weekend, I held a bridal shower at my apartment for an American friend who is returning to America this summer to get hitched. When I was in America, I got a pastel pink tablecloth and some decorations, proof that I was trying to prepare ahead of time. But some things just don't fit in a suitcase. So, off to Shanghai I go, destination Ikea. (My friend Kathy says Ikea is the Swedish Wal-Mart.)
At Ikea I found a covered glass cake plate on a pedestal, a 3-tiered glass dessert platter, a large modern aluminum bowl for chips, and other odds and ends. I have no car, which means I have no car trunk, which means the goods had to be carried by hand, by me, through one of the largest cities in the world, in and out of train stations, by various taxis, to get back to my place. With only 8 days before the shower, I could not plan to go back another time to get the rest of what I wanted. I had one shot at getting it. So I got it.
It was a miserable experience. I had to soak my feet in a pail of water when I got home, the first time I ever remember doing that.
The Shower, Part 2
Several dozen American ladies were coming to my place for the very first time, and I knew they would form an opinion of me based on the cleanliness of my home. I did not want that opinion to be based on the usual looks of my home, which includes dog hair and dog toys (better known by the public at large as "shoes").
I called up my former housekeeper (she quit in March) out of retirement, and she rescued me by spending six hours here in the days prior to the shower.
While she cleaned, I started making shower food. Now, think about your own stress in preparing for a party, then imagine what it would be like if everything you made had to be made from scratch. I mean, if I make pigs-in-blankets, I have to make the biscuits from scratch using yeast. It is no easy feat.
The shower menu greatly changed with one day left to go. I had great ideas, but not a big enough refrigerator to accommodate those ideas. I had a co-host for the party, but she lived in another city several hours away, so using her refrigerator was obviously not an option.
The Shower, Part 3
A good time was had by all.
When it was over, I collapsed. Can someone please remind me not to have parties like this anymore?
No comments:
Post a Comment