A week or so ago it was time for the annual Adelaide Club fathers and children dinner. I said i'd go with Dad, because i knew it would be good for us to bond but the condition was that some family friends of ours would go too, so that i'd have someone to talk to! At the last minute, they pulled out. Dad said that we'd skip it, as neither of us were that keen to go... but then he changed his mind. Grumpy face. But still, i didn't mind toooo much. But then mum stepped in.
I was informed that everything i owned was unsuitable and promiscuous, so she wanted to me wear my ridiculous navy blue and brown bo-peep dress with the pleated puffy sleeves and the big bow at the back. No thanks. That dress makes me look like an idiot. I asked mum if i could wear my black strapless - it's knee length, plain, perfectly reasonable. Mum flipped. Apparently, it's unacceptable to wear strapless dresses to the Adelaide Club. Goodness knows why. Naturally, tempers errupted, huge arguments ensued. Eventually, mum furiously told me i could wear my black dress so long as i wore a jacket over it. By the time Dad and i finally left, things were strained.
Once we arrived, things were ok. I was in my pretty dress and my pretty heels, so i felt ok. Sure, i knew nobody and was surrounded by strange old men. Then i saw a girl that i went to school with and we chatted until it was time to be seated. In typical Adelaide Club style, everything was done by the book. The men weren't allowed to sit until after the opening words and after the women had been seated. There were far too many forks, spoons, knives and glasses in front of me, but i managed to use them all correctly and eat properly, so i did Dad proud.
It turned out that the people we'd been seated with were lovely. One man was a judge on the Supreme Court, and the other was an accountant i think. Their kids all knew each other, so were riotously getting along at the other end of the table, while i was listening quietly to their conversations and occasionally joining in on the men's conversation. Dad's like me. As the meal slowly progressed, the kids at the other end of the table started to warm to me and include me. The boy next to me was lovely and one of the girls, Charlotte, came and sat next to me during dessert and we chatted about life, travel, study - all that kind of thing. It was good.
Add to that that the food was yummy. Rather than the usual tiny portions of pretentious food, the courses were well sized and delicious. By the end of it, i was stuffed, as was everyone else. The chocolate mousse for dessert with strawberries was delish. Yay for yummy pretentious food. And thank goodness i wore the black dress. I was surrounded by beautiful girls with shoulders bared; if i'd worn the bo peep dress, i would have stuck out like a sore thumb and been avoided like the plague by the fancy kids.
Overall, it was a pretty good night. The conversation was scintillating, the people were interesting, the food was good, the tradition was nice and dad and i got along really well. It was a good night!! Normally, rich people aren't my favourite, as they tend to be a little self absorbed and spoilt. But i don't know, there was something different tonight. It was nice to sit down and talk to people who were intelligent and confident. It was almost as if i fit in? While i hate the stigma of the elitist world, i have to face the facts. I have been born into that world, surrounded by well-educated and cultured people. My parents friends travel lots, play gold and bridge and have a plethora of long lunches where they sit around drinking wine. It's a lifestyle. Granted, i do more for the community than many of them do. But i can hold my own in their conversations. I'm bright, curious and quick-witted. While i hate admitting it, it's nice to just relax into that snobby world sometimes.
This year, dinner was much more bearable than the last time. I relaxed into their world instead of fighting against it. It was so much easier. Next year, i'll give it another go and see how it goes down. And, with any luck, i'll get to hang out with some of the people i met this year sometime soon, because they were good fun. All in all, a successful night. Dad was pleased. Yay!!
I was informed that everything i owned was unsuitable and promiscuous, so she wanted to me wear my ridiculous navy blue and brown bo-peep dress with the pleated puffy sleeves and the big bow at the back. No thanks. That dress makes me look like an idiot. I asked mum if i could wear my black strapless - it's knee length, plain, perfectly reasonable. Mum flipped. Apparently, it's unacceptable to wear strapless dresses to the Adelaide Club. Goodness knows why. Naturally, tempers errupted, huge arguments ensued. Eventually, mum furiously told me i could wear my black dress so long as i wore a jacket over it. By the time Dad and i finally left, things were strained.
Once we arrived, things were ok. I was in my pretty dress and my pretty heels, so i felt ok. Sure, i knew nobody and was surrounded by strange old men. Then i saw a girl that i went to school with and we chatted until it was time to be seated. In typical Adelaide Club style, everything was done by the book. The men weren't allowed to sit until after the opening words and after the women had been seated. There were far too many forks, spoons, knives and glasses in front of me, but i managed to use them all correctly and eat properly, so i did Dad proud.
It turned out that the people we'd been seated with were lovely. One man was a judge on the Supreme Court, and the other was an accountant i think. Their kids all knew each other, so were riotously getting along at the other end of the table, while i was listening quietly to their conversations and occasionally joining in on the men's conversation. Dad's like me. As the meal slowly progressed, the kids at the other end of the table started to warm to me and include me. The boy next to me was lovely and one of the girls, Charlotte, came and sat next to me during dessert and we chatted about life, travel, study - all that kind of thing. It was good.
Add to that that the food was yummy. Rather than the usual tiny portions of pretentious food, the courses were well sized and delicious. By the end of it, i was stuffed, as was everyone else. The chocolate mousse for dessert with strawberries was delish. Yay for yummy pretentious food. And thank goodness i wore the black dress. I was surrounded by beautiful girls with shoulders bared; if i'd worn the bo peep dress, i would have stuck out like a sore thumb and been avoided like the plague by the fancy kids.
Overall, it was a pretty good night. The conversation was scintillating, the people were interesting, the food was good, the tradition was nice and dad and i got along really well. It was a good night!! Normally, rich people aren't my favourite, as they tend to be a little self absorbed and spoilt. But i don't know, there was something different tonight. It was nice to sit down and talk to people who were intelligent and confident. It was almost as if i fit in? While i hate the stigma of the elitist world, i have to face the facts. I have been born into that world, surrounded by well-educated and cultured people. My parents friends travel lots, play gold and bridge and have a plethora of long lunches where they sit around drinking wine. It's a lifestyle. Granted, i do more for the community than many of them do. But i can hold my own in their conversations. I'm bright, curious and quick-witted. While i hate admitting it, it's nice to just relax into that snobby world sometimes.
This year, dinner was much more bearable than the last time. I relaxed into their world instead of fighting against it. It was so much easier. Next year, i'll give it another go and see how it goes down. And, with any luck, i'll get to hang out with some of the people i met this year sometime soon, because they were good fun. All in all, a successful night. Dad was pleased. Yay!!
No comments:
Post a Comment