Tuesday, July 06, 2010

Of Parties & Peanuts

As inadequate as pop quizzes are, they are fun to do. Often, there are questions where none of the choice of answers apply; heck, even the question doesn't apply.

Like this question, for instance:

What's your usual pick-up strategy?
  • Dress in something revealing, then go to a bar or dance club and mope at the counter with a martini until someone notices me.
  • All I have to do is walk out my front door, it seems. I get a lot of people - both guys and girls (regardless of which i am) hitt (sic)
  • People notice me I make sure of that. If I can beat 'em at arm wrestling, or show off my hot dance moves, I pretty much have 'em
  • Just be there for them, get to know them. People trust me and are attracted to me because they know I don't play head games
  • Uh ... tell them I like them?
  • I 'get' whoever I damn well want however I damn well want. Nobody says no to me.
  • Impress them with my intellect. Poetry doesn't hurt, either.
(Taken from the Internet)
This time, though, I think I do know what my party personality is. It’s ‘wallflower’ or ‘group wallflower’. Let me tell you why.

Last year, I attended something called an ‘offsite’ as part of work, the evenings of which included much entertainment, food, drink and dancing. Many polite hands were proffered, and all declined - I can’t and don’t dance. At the end of the day, the hosts said they wouldn’t let me escape the next day. Indeed, someone dragged me on to the dance floor but I clapped rhythmically and as long as some part of me was moving, I figured, there would be no pressure. Then the dancing picked up pace, everyone forgot about me, and I began taking a step back, and then one, and then one more, till I was back on terra firma.

Then

Last week, I attended a party thrown in honour of some folks visiting here from abroad. They were from The Spouse’s side and I had never met them before.

I didn’t meet them at the party either.

(Well, technically, I met one of them, the wife, who smiled and nodded as part of a perfunctory, fleeting wordless introduction that was all nods and waves with heads, hands and teeth. )

I spent the next few minutes clinging to a few aunts, then chatting with someone who looked equally lost and then being introduced formally to another. (I had seen her quite a few times earlier but we had had to ignore each other as we hadn‘t been introduced.) Another lost soul disengaged herself from a chair, hovered around us tentatively, and was immediately included into our little group.

“Relative or friend?” we asked each other, and identity being established, settled into our chairs and looked out on to the lawn where a huge screen was showing Brazil going going gone Dutch. And thus we remained, snacking on short eats that are typically served in clubs, till one of us received a text message from Mom somewhere in that long, narrow hall that dinner was, finally, being served upstairs. (Oh, in between, I ran into someone I actually knew a bit and amused myself teasing her that I would put the picture of her in her very fashion-forward, very plunging blouse on my photo blog. She threatened to slap me, of course, but when I told her I would morph it and jazz it up even more, she relented and asked me to send her too a copy.)


But back to the party - here’s one snack that’s super easy to make. It’s relatively quick too, though I’d call it super-quick only if it materialized out of thin air and presented itself all ready on my table.

What you need to do is mix

A big handful of dry-roasted peanuts/groundnuts, skinned
Half an onion - chopped
Half a green chilli - minced
Lime - one, juiced
Salt, to taste
Oil - a few drops

And you can have a party all your own!

This goes to My Legume Love Affair, brainchild of Susan and hosted this month by Siri.

I’m hosting Of Chalks and Chopsticks this month, so please put on your thinking caps, write those stories and send them to me. You have until the 28th of this month to do so!

18 comments:

  1. "Then the dancing picked up pace, everyone forgot about me, and I began taking a step back, and then one, and then one more, till I was back on terra firma".
    Somehow, I can picturise this, Tom & Jerry style.....with Pink Panther music in the background.

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  2. hhahah..hilarious..huh..sorry..but I can understand so well..I can't for the life of me do that too....

    those peanuts are a die for snack..:)

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  3. Can so identify with you Sra. Standing and clapping is exactly what I do too. :-)
    That indeed is one quick snack .. and did not know they were peanuts from the snap. :-)

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  4. LOL! Well, you found a way to make yourself comfortable at the function.

    I like your recipe. I could have a party of my own with that tasty-sounding and looking peanuts dish. ;-)

    Paz

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  5. Haha Sra.... will you include me into your wallflower group? :) I'd love to dance if I knew how to!! I'm not even good with small talk, considering that the I meet nowadays can say the same thing in 5 different sentences! Love those peanuts!

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  6. Sra, I might have given you good company. People think I am spoilsport though!

    Simple but delicious salad.
    Boiled peanuts would work as well?

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  7. nice and lovely small snack.

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  8. So that's what they're called - wallflower groups!

    Going by the comments here, looks like we can form one of those groups here as well. :)

    I have long wished for superquick solutions in the kitchen myself. You know, Harry Pottersque sort of thing. Like that wand of Ron's mother's which she used to materialise dinner at the table. LOL

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  9. This is why you've got to start drinking, no inhibitions after that, your feet (and other body parts) will start moving to the rhythm automagically. :)
    Oh, and I ran to your photo blog to see your friend, only to realize that it was an empty threat :(

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  10. Being a wallflower has its advantages. What better position than to people watch and play the Greek chorus? Tons of entertainment value w/out the dancing. ; D

    Your peanut snack looks scrummy & healthy.

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  11. Pop quizzes like that are definitely insane. I'd say I waver between being a wallflower and being a party animal...depends on how many drinks I've had.

    I love that appetizer! Definitely a crowd pleaser.

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  12. I have no desire to dance either but my husband would like for us to take salsa dancing lessons together... when that will happen I'm not sure but hopefully i will be more confident when I take that :)

    My dad makes a similar salad with peanuts but using boiled ones.. never tried with roasted - must have a nice crunch.

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  13. I love to dance, but of late I have developed some kind of shyness that I can't dance in public anymore.. I loved the way you narrated the scene. I could imagine myself there. btw, a simple and comforting snack..

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  14. Hilarious post Sra..I have become a wallflower now lol, few years back it was different though :)..and I dont mind that either when I see so many flowers I mean wallflowers(is that what you call,BTW new term for me) around me in a party ;-)..and I can gorge on that snack with my wallflower group I guess..
    hugs and smiles

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  15. So fly on the wall is passe', hun? Wallflower sounds prettier though, I'll take it. :)
    I love mingling and talking to people. T on the other hand prefers the wallflower/ fly approach.
    Love the peanut snack, love anything with peanuts. And like Sig, I too went to check the photo blog for the plunging neckline only to click away disappointed. Well, I got to see the foot fetish, which was something. :)

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  16. I kept nodding as I was reading your recount of the party. While I can dance, I am shy about it. I would be a wall flower too. I hate going to parties and gatherings especially when I don't know anyone there. I mean I don't expect to know everyone... those situations always make me feel awkward.

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  17. Folks, thanks for your comments!
    Indo, yes, this would work with boiled peanuts too - I've had that as well, in a club :)

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  18. I am so like you. Named myself an "anti social" (wallflower sounds so much prettier so i will rename myself). I am scared of parties and meeting unknown people, usually find myself a invisible corner & spend a lot of time the bathroom or eating when the music starts :-) the kids come as an excuse now.

    I love that peanut snack. my cousin used to make that pretty often. I will make it and I know will overindulge.
    Soma - www.ecurry.com

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