miss cayce

Shut up, you stupid British!

My Rainforest World Music Festival 2004 experience has been, well, different than I expected. For one thing, I had thought that I would have at least remained sober throughout. Ok, maybe not completely sober, but not incredibly sloshed either. There was scary amount of alcohol consumption on Friday night, compliments of what Bertha calls, “the bartender from hell”. It’s a pity that you can’t read her version of events because it’s locked (or maybe that’s a good thing).

It’s not quite fair that I should write about that night, considering that I was pretty much unconscious for most of it. All knowledge that I know from that night is second-hand. I remember fits and bursts but yeah, after the second tequila shot, everything else is a happy blur. I don’t know how much I had to drink. Something like three tequila shots, two gin shots and some kahlua. Feel free to correct me, guys.

I hardly drink ever (I’m a BubbleTea girl) so all that alcohol sent me on the express lane to HappyLand. I was happily announcing my love for everyone in the room. Unfortunately, not everyone was feeling the love and the Bartender From Hell started yelling at poor Daniel who was comforting me (I had started to feel ill).

“Shut up, you stupid British!” “You talk too much!”

She wasn’t too pleased with his efforts to stop me from drinking. It was bizarre because I seriously don’t remember drinking past the second tequila shot. I was told that at one point, I happily announced, “I can’t open my eyes but I’d like another drink, please!” At one stage, my hands were too shaky and she helpfully tipped the shot glass of pure gin down my throat.

The rest of the night was an embarrassment, considering that my new friend, Daniel, was a key witness. I started to throw up and slipped into happy unconsciousness. They had to carry me back to my room. I don’t remember any of that, I assure you. The whole experience is so mortifying but funny at the same time. Daniel was an incredible sweet person. He comforted me throughout and I do remember clinging to him like an anchor in a dizzying sea of inebriation. Apparently, I was still throwing up at the better part of the night in my hotel room, and he and other friend, D. were always by my side with the waste bucket and to hold up my hair.

It was my first drunken experience, ever and I do feel incredibly lucky to be with such wonderful friends at that time.

I woke up on Saturday, the second day of the festival, with a massive hangover and my friends pampered me, with incredible patience. I kept apologizing to everyone, especially Daniel, afterwards (and apparently, while I was drunk as well) but they’ve been so great about it. I missed the workshops on that day, and was still feeling very off during the concert so Saturday was pretty much a write-off. It’s such a pity because there were some very good bands that I didn’t enjoy as much as I should.

Well, aside from the drunken debauchery, I did have a good time. I had an amazing experience with the Te Vakas, a Polynesian band from New Zealand. No, not that kind of experience, you pervert. I got to talk to the lead female singer and two other musicians for a good amount of time about their music. I am so in awe with the female singer for her obvious love and respect and incredible knowledge for her culture. I feel so inspired to go back and relearn my own native culture. Especially since I’ve just discovered that we’re only less than 10 percent of Sarawak’s indigenous culture! I’ve always thought that we were at least about 20 percent but it looks like my people are disappearing! When I was a young pup, I once performed my native dance, in full costume, on stage. I had this lovely chat with this Australian visitor, who teaches dance to Aboriginal children and she insists that the body doesn’t forget. I sure hope so, because the mind of this particular body isn’t so swift.

This is important cultural knowledge that I would love to acquire and pass it on to my future children. Along with the realization that if one must become incredibly drunk, to make sure that they do so within a wonderful support group of friends.

Some pictures of our weekend are here, courtesy of MaritaPaige. I am the one in the white tank top, on the left in the first picture. Post-drunk.

posted by Cayce @ 3:59 PM