first event over!
And so today, well technically yesterday by now, was the Chinese Society's first event. I am so glad that it's over and that nothing really bad happened. That said, I am still annoyed about some things, and had fretted and worried quite a bit about potential things that could go wrong in general when the event was still in progress.
So well, the first thing that set me off on a wrong foot was that I arrived late. Admittedly it wasn't anything I could really have done about, seeing as there were Tube delays on the line that we were taking. Except maybe pushing the meeting time in school earlier for the people who wanted to meet there and go together to Bayswater. Then when I got to the restaurant, turns out that they weren't even ready for us yet. -.-"
Thus, rendering my panicking for it kind of invalid. But it still didn't dispel my stress... things only kind of got worse from there.
The next thing was that, when the tables were ready and people started to fill in the seats, I realised that there were a lot of empty spaces left. Even though I was told that some people would be late, it still didn't explain the number of empty seats. Then I was told that some of the Year 1s were also late as well. So all I could do was to pray that all would be well when the latecomers arrived.
Then when they did, for the Year 1 batch... THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T RSVP AND TURNED UP. I was either going to have a heart attack there or ream them a new one.
Like man, do you know how hard it is to organise an event and have people saying they were going to turn up and then they don't and people generally not following what they were told? Only the fact that we were in public and that I really didn't want to screw things up anymore than they seemed to be screwed up that I didn't yell at them or anything. In the end, I guess it was lucky that some of the people who said they were coming didn't turn up since they made space for the people who turned up without notice. But by god, I hope it never happens again.
Still, even with that, in the end there were still 3 people fewer than the stipulated number who I told the restaurant. And because of the restaurant policy, we had to pay for 52 people instead of the 49 who showed up...
Not to mention towards the end of the time we were there, the table of Year 1s got asked to leave because of another party coming in... It was awkward. Not to mention I didn't realise that some of them didn't decide to leave then, and were hanging out outside the restaurant. Only when another senior told me then I realised, and hurriedly went out with him to like keep them company. Ugh. It was mortifying at that point. I swear.
As a result of so much built up stress, and me worrying whether another wrench was going to be chucked my way again, I didn't have much of an appetite throughout the dinner. I didn't eat much, felt that the food didn't taste that fantastic (and hence worried about whether everyone else enjoyed it) and was generally quite stressed - though in varying degrees - throughout dinner. And I didn't take as many pictures as I probably, usually would.
Luckily, there were still some bright spots during the dinner. Like I invited 2 of my cousins over, one studies here while the other happened to be visiting. Had been awhile since I saw my visiting cousin and though we didn't talk all that much (a good part due to me being quite stressed, though we weren't really close to begin with so that might have made it hard to start a topic - especially with me being somewhat dazed when I wasn't too stressed), it was nice seeing him again. And I also treated him to the dinner, despite his protests. ^^
Was also very happy that a friend could also make it, and while I still don't think we are that close... I think it's been getting better? Sure there are periods of silence (what with my state of mind...), but well conversation doesn't seem that hard to start now? So that's good.
And of course, not forgetting the birthday surprise for my Vice-President. It was his 21st birthday and we got a cake for him and sang the birthday song for him in the restaurant. Haha. He was surprised so that was good! And the cake was okay, though the chocolate icing was way too sweet... and I can usually take sweet food. Tis' a measure of how sweet it was. ^^"
In general, I'm hoping I don't experience such stress again for the next events. But the next dinner wouldn't be that soon anyway, and the smaller scale events would hopefully be easier to organise with less hijinks during the event itself... Not to mention after Freshers' Dinner, I will begin delegating more work.
Which is something I probably should've done all along anyway. But I have issues with letting things go, unfortunately. And I really wanted the dinner to go well, seeing it's the first event by my committee and all... But next time, yeah well. EVERYONE ELSE SHALL BE MY SLAVES! MWAHAHAHAHAHHAA. xDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Well guess that's it for now. Haha, haven't updated in a long long time. ^^" Looking forward to Friday, however. There's another birthday celebration on the cards!
So well, the first thing that set me off on a wrong foot was that I arrived late. Admittedly it wasn't anything I could really have done about, seeing as there were Tube delays on the line that we were taking. Except maybe pushing the meeting time in school earlier for the people who wanted to meet there and go together to Bayswater. Then when I got to the restaurant, turns out that they weren't even ready for us yet. -.-"
Thus, rendering my panicking for it kind of invalid. But it still didn't dispel my stress... things only kind of got worse from there.
The next thing was that, when the tables were ready and people started to fill in the seats, I realised that there were a lot of empty spaces left. Even though I was told that some people would be late, it still didn't explain the number of empty seats. Then I was told that some of the Year 1s were also late as well. So all I could do was to pray that all would be well when the latecomers arrived.
Then when they did, for the Year 1 batch... THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T RSVP AND TURNED UP. I was either going to have a heart attack there or ream them a new one.
Like man, do you know how hard it is to organise an event and have people saying they were going to turn up and then they don't and people generally not following what they were told? Only the fact that we were in public and that I really didn't want to screw things up anymore than they seemed to be screwed up that I didn't yell at them or anything. In the end, I guess it was lucky that some of the people who said they were coming didn't turn up since they made space for the people who turned up without notice. But by god, I hope it never happens again.
Still, even with that, in the end there were still 3 people fewer than the stipulated number who I told the restaurant. And because of the restaurant policy, we had to pay for 52 people instead of the 49 who showed up...
Not to mention towards the end of the time we were there, the table of Year 1s got asked to leave because of another party coming in... It was awkward. Not to mention I didn't realise that some of them didn't decide to leave then, and were hanging out outside the restaurant. Only when another senior told me then I realised, and hurriedly went out with him to like keep them company. Ugh. It was mortifying at that point. I swear.
As a result of so much built up stress, and me worrying whether another wrench was going to be chucked my way again, I didn't have much of an appetite throughout the dinner. I didn't eat much, felt that the food didn't taste that fantastic (and hence worried about whether everyone else enjoyed it) and was generally quite stressed - though in varying degrees - throughout dinner. And I didn't take as many pictures as I probably, usually would.
Luckily, there were still some bright spots during the dinner. Like I invited 2 of my cousins over, one studies here while the other happened to be visiting. Had been awhile since I saw my visiting cousin and though we didn't talk all that much (a good part due to me being quite stressed, though we weren't really close to begin with so that might have made it hard to start a topic - especially with me being somewhat dazed when I wasn't too stressed), it was nice seeing him again. And I also treated him to the dinner, despite his protests. ^^
Was also very happy that a friend could also make it, and while I still don't think we are that close... I think it's been getting better? Sure there are periods of silence (what with my state of mind...), but well conversation doesn't seem that hard to start now? So that's good.
And of course, not forgetting the birthday surprise for my Vice-President. It was his 21st birthday and we got a cake for him and sang the birthday song for him in the restaurant. Haha. He was surprised so that was good! And the cake was okay, though the chocolate icing was way too sweet... and I can usually take sweet food. Tis' a measure of how sweet it was. ^^"
In general, I'm hoping I don't experience such stress again for the next events. But the next dinner wouldn't be that soon anyway, and the smaller scale events would hopefully be easier to organise with less hijinks during the event itself... Not to mention after Freshers' Dinner, I will begin delegating more work.
Which is something I probably should've done all along anyway. But I have issues with letting things go, unfortunately. And I really wanted the dinner to go well, seeing it's the first event by my committee and all... But next time, yeah well. EVERYONE ELSE SHALL BE MY SLAVES! MWAHAHAHAHAHHAA. xDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
Well guess that's it for now. Haha, haven't updated in a long long time. ^^" Looking forward to Friday, however. There's another birthday celebration on the cards!