Empire Day Celebration

WOW what a celebration. Just got back from it all. It started off sort of slow, with a DJ playing lame songs and most of us just milling around drinking the provided beverages. JM and I were about to leave when suddenly there was a large group of drum players who started a procession. The music was very rhythmic, almost jungle-like, and very infectious. It was one of those things that could have either gone really badly or really well and luckily everyone got into it and were dancing really enthusiastically. Perhaps our 5 day bonding trip in Edinburgh helped loosen everyone up.

Anyway, the group was called Arco Iris (Rainbow) and they played about a dozen drum rhythms and everyone was just partying it up, dancing. After they stopped playing the DJ resumed with better music and the dancing kept up. It was lots of fun, everyone just dancing and not caring about being self-conscious. The EAP kids were there too, so I got to hang out with Jason and introduce him to my friends and vice versa. Also, for you Santa Cruz Stevenson people I ran into Sylvia Pratt (a year younger than us, was an RA last year), who is also on the trip! What a small world!

It was just a really fun time, and after all of it was over people spontaneously burst into song and started singing (or maybe howling...it was quite loud and off key but still enthusiastic) The Star Spangled Banner. Also, a group of people dressed up as American characters, I guess you would call them. The girls dressed Alex up as Miss America in a dress and a partial wig, Michelle was Paul Revere in a coat and capris and her hair tied back, Tara was Miss Liberty with a white sheet worn like a toga and a flashlight in a water bottle tied with string, Janice was Sacagewaea in a brown dress and braids, and Shannon was George Washington in a peacoat, capris, and a napkin bobby pinned to her head in that George Washington hat shape. Brilliant and hilarious! Everyone had a lot of fun with "Empire Day" which made it a great time for everyone. I'll put pictures up tomorrow morning after class, I should probably go to bed. Good night!