(no subject)
Two of my housemates are Scottish, and they have a Burns night every year. I'd never heard of it, but want to bring it back to Oz because it was so great. It started with a toast to the lads and lasses, branched out to some poetry reading, including a Venezuelan original (I nervously read a short poem, stumbled over a few words, but survived the experience). The haggis was read to and stabbed, as per tradition, by a Scottish male, and the feast (including taties - don't pronounce the t - and neeps - turnips) was surprisingly tasty. My housemate's boasty and wildeyed Indian mate bought his drum over and sang some absolutely astonishing, magnetic, room filling Indian songs. We sang along, where possible, and it felt like our hearts were beating in unison. More wine, an African song, some rhymes, a weedy Australian song 'kookaburra sits in the old gum tree...', stories, smoking, wine, silly opera, wine. It was brilliant.