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February 02, 2005
The Imaginary Dinner Party
It is 3 in the morning and I have to be awake in 2 hours. I contemplated sleeping or resting but I don't. Instead, I listen to music and read articles while surfing for recipes online. I imagine I will be cooking. I plan menus and make pretend-guestlists. I think of what to wear and how to set the table. I even pick out the music and decide on the playlist sequence.
My guests will not know each other. And even if they do, it is only through brief acquaintance. But this dinner will bring them together. We will start the evening awkward. Commenting about the food, the weather and perhaps asking each other about work.
Then slowly, as the red wine seeps into our system, we start giving opinions. First on the music being played. Some will like it, some will not. But they will all laugh because it is so predictably Elaine. Then we start discussing about the movies we've just seen because Elaine efferverscently gushes about the Bangkok International Film Festival. We start talking about the latest films, upcoming films, the classics and Desperate Housewives. Some of us watch TV programmes, some of us don't. There is teasing, name-calling. Sides are taken, mock-battlelines drawn.
Someone takes out a book suddenly. He is excited about a passage he has read on his way to dinner. He reads and another friend exclaims excitedly that she loves the book. The conversation veers towards books. What is trash and what is not? Who are our favourite authors? Quotes are thrown out. People are interrupted mid-sentence. Everyone is in one excited frenzy.
Dessert is served. A pineapple cheesecake. I explain why I made it. My Aussie friend's mother's special recipe. Her husband claimed he married her just for the cheesecake. I start reminiscing about Australia and then my travels. How I inevitably miss every country I go to. And everyone starts talking again. Exchanging travel anecdotes. Some travel paths have intertwined and laughter peals through the dining room because shared experiences are always beautiful. Someone spills the coffee and everyone jumps up, trying to help. It's okay, I say. Keep the conversation going. It's just some coffee.
It gets late. One of us has to wake up early tomorrow. Another one of us live on the other side of the island. But our farewells drags on for another 40 minutes. Farewells leading to further conversation. Contacts are exchanged. Someone suggests another dinner party - this time on the other side of the island. We agree. Delirious from the wine and company. We would have agreed to anything.
Hugs. Kisses. Goodbye.
An enchanted evening.
But everyone goes their separate ways, too busy too meet up again until it's too late.
Even so, this is still the most ideal scenario. The truth is, the dinner will turn out awful. People will talk in cliques. A couple of guests will be left out and uncomfortable. We will agree on different films. Some of us think fiction is crap. Others think self-help books are for idiots. The situation will become tense. The cheesecake will be too sweet and the crust will crumble. Someone will always talk too much. Someone will always be too quiet. Everyone can't wait to leave.
And thus, the dinner party can never happen.
Posted by lainey at February 2, 2005 03:18 AM