ATTENDING FUNCTIONS ANONYMOUSLY

Have you ever attend functions anonymously? In other words, you go to that function without knowing anybody and celebrating at the function of someone you don't even know! Well, I did that once in my secondary school days when my mom had to travel as her friend invited her to the wedding. Since my dad had another invite at another place that night, I had to represent my mom to go to her friend's wedding. After dad paid for the newspaper ad downstairs at the restaurant, he left me alone. It was the era where handphones are expensive and you don't carry them around like these days. I went up and realized there were 3 weddings held at the same time! I just chose one that looked most familiar (based on whatever I am not sure) and just sat on a table with all the unknown people around me. An old man sitting beside me asked me what relationship I have with the bridge or groom. I just told him I represented my mom, ate full and left. Haha! When I checked with my dad, he said it didn't matter since we already paid for the congratulation ad in the newspaper and so we left!

Now, today, I am attending a birthday party of an unknown Mexican lady whom I never met before! Remember a few posts before that I mentioned about the cardholder which I managed to pick up? Well, the owner called me and thanked me. Coincidently, her birthday is coming up and she would like to invite me to attend for the help I gave her!

Imagine this, you are invited to attend a birthday party of someone you never seen before! Incredible right? It reminds me of Seinfeld who went for the first date with a lady whom picked her birthday as their first date. Imagine you go there bringing a present to someone you don't know and eat in a dinner of someone you don't know as well as the crowd of people you don't recognize. Strange isn't it?!!! Absolutely! It will be impolite to turn down the dinner also since people invited you and the way they value your help so much! Well, it is definitely strange to me.

Anyway, so I went to this birthday party and there I was, the only Chinese sitting with a whole table of Mexicans! Yes, 12 of them there with a Chinese. They are very polite and nice people. It is definitely very interesting to sit down and talk about two different cultures separately as we exchange information on our respective backgrounds. They love to perform the Latino dance, sing to Spanish country music and just enjoy having happy moments together. I get to eat Mexican spicy food and learnt that their country also has French influence apart from the Spanish. They have local Mexicans as well as Red Indian tribes too. It is definitely a great experience for me to meet them. What are they doing in Singapore? French and Mexican embassy people, ministry of trade people and it seems like all important people related to the government. Me? A mere poor student......