30th Dec 2011 Pyjama Party

I got an invitation this morning to attend a pyjama party tomorrow night at the house of this lady I hardly know. Our 'friendship' has been sort of on and off for about 6 months, and limited so far to only occasional & casual chats when we bumped into each other in coffee shops. She is middle aged, normally the 'prim & proper' type; I was therefore rather surprised she would organised a pajama party for New Year's Eve.

The specification is that all invited guests must arrive in pyjamas, in fact her words were: 'Come exactly as you normally are just before hopping into bed.' Then, she added: 'Any imitators of Marilyn wearing only Channel N0.5 would not be admitted.' finishing her warning with a vigorously wagging finger.

 

I politely declined, with legitimate excuse that I will be going out with some friends for dinner. In Spain, and especially on New Year's Eve, dinner always means the whole night long. Her invitation however intrigues me. Not just because coming from a lady you would never have connected with a pyjama party, more like the type organising a group cook-out in the garden, or a proper dinner jacket and evening dress parties. Just to show you how unpredictable people could be and, appearances do often deceive.

As to her rule of coming to the party exactly as one always are normally, even she must realize that no one, especially ladies, she herself included, would appear just the same as they always do when going to sleep. Pyjamas, yes, but new and flimsy or sexy ones, hair carefully arranged to look casual, face made up to the nine, may even still be wearing false eyelashes, with 'kiss me now' glossy lips, and heavily perfumed. Men might be far more natural, but with certain expectation in mind no doubt, would have taken special care to at least look clean, shaven, and suitably cologned.

 

After plenty of new year drinks, the atmosphere surely warms up. Music is on, dancing is of course the main entertainment. Since everyone is already in pyjamas, bare feet I suppose (Can't wear shoes with pyjamas to attend the party, surely?) and dancing cheek to cheek breaks up the barrier that no one is a stranger any more. I might be quite happy up to that point, but what comes next is what I am not too keen to imagine. 

 

Tags: pyjamaparty

Prev: 30th Dec 2011 What My Mother Taught Me ...

30th Dec 2011 What My Mother Taught Me ...

1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

 

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.

"You’d better pray that will come out of the carpet."

 

3. My mother taught me TIME TRAVEL.

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

 

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.

" Because I said so, that's why."

 

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.

"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the shops with me."

 

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.

"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

 

7. My mother taught me IRONY.

"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

 

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

 

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.

"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

 

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.

"You'll sit there until all that spinach is gone."

 

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.

"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

 

12. My mother taught me about HYPOCRISY.

"If I’ve told you once, I've told you a million times. Don't exaggerate!"

 

13. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

 

14. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION.

"Stop acting like your father!"

 

15. My mother taught me about ENVY.

"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

 

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.

"Just wait until we get home."

 

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.

"You are going to get it when you get home!"

 

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to get stuck that way."

 

19. My mother taught me ESP.

"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

 

20. My mother taught me HUMOUR.

"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

 

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.

"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

 

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.

"You're just like your father."

 

23. My mother taught me about my ROOTS.

"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

 

24. My mother taught me WISDOM.

"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

 

25. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.

"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you".

 

Tags: me, mother

Prev: 30th Dec 2011 Mystery Of The Raining Of Birds

30th Dec 2011 Mystery Of The Raining Of Birds

Anybody who navigate in the newspaper archives of Santa Cruz Sentinel, or in Internet, can ratify that on the 18th of August, 1961, the same day the California local paper published the news that a very strange phenomenon 'Rain of Birds' during the night, knocking at houses and buildings and by morning, the buildings and streets are full of thousands of dead birds and anchovies regurgitated. Alfred Hitchcock immediately phoned the newspaper from Hollywood asking for a copy. The British director wanted to add 'Raining birds' to the English saying 'Raining dogs & cats'.

The following day, the master of suspense, who had a house in the hills of Scott's Valley, telephoned the paper again saying that he would use the material of investigation for his next thriller, which ended up being the masterly 'Birds' (based also, although only in name and the idea of birds attacking humans, on the brief story of Daphne du Maurier).

 

What was not known scientifically until now is what had caused such an seemingly inexplicable phenomenon (the earliest article at the time attributed, wrongly, the fog which had disorientated the birds). An investigation published in Nature Geoscience had cleared up the doubts.

The study carried out by the Department of Oceanography of Louisiana State University had analysed samples extracted in 1961 from the stomachs of turtles and marine birds, and had found residues of alga that produced toxins in 79% of the plankton (microscopic organisms which live in water and serve as a basic food source for aquatic animals) which contained domoico acid that affected the nerve system and provoked the birds, who had consumed the already contaminated anchovies and tiny squids. They had nervous attacks, utter confusion, epileptic convulsions and even death. Similar toxic incident occurred in the same area in California in 1991, in that case it was the pelicans. But never till now identified with the birds that inspired Hitchcock.

 

In between, there was also a case in 1987, this time the intoxication was suffered by about 100 people in Canada, due to the consumption of mussels (some call them mollusks). It caused irreversible amnesia, even death. No doubt, Hitchcock could have made another marvellous thriller with mussels.

While writing this Blog now, I am also following the film 'The Tourist' and found it dead boring. It was a total waste of Johnny Depp's talent, and Angelina Jolie overacted her sophistication, arrogance and loftiness, but good fashion model. 

 

 

Tags: birds, hitchcock, tourist

Prev: 29th Dec 2011 Alternative Ways Of Looking At Things ...