Eshin Direct

Well, this was the big quarter of a century. It certainly warranted a big occassion and well, as such it was a big event.

I’m not too sure when I took the path down to big birthdays. The first big birthday I threw was my 18th. Well, I think it was, I can’t quite remember. Anyway, the 21st was the first one that I really remember as being big. I remember not actually remember spending any time with anybody. After that, I promised that I wouldn’t throw anymore large parties.

That lasted until last year when I threw the +/- 40 person party last year at the Phoenix Palace. Last year I guess I was still in shape to do the rounds and engage in social small talk and play the attentive host, while also chugging down copious amounts of lager, champagne, wine, vodkas, B-52, and Mutai (Chinese Rice Wine – 70% proof or something). Everyone seemed to have an exciting time, what with the antics of the host, the invited stripper and the karaoke entertainment. Only draw back is that I can’t quite remember everyone leaving at the end. Unfortunately I had the privilege of the video to remind me (yes, it is still being heavily edited).

Anyway, this year was more refined. Swap the back of a Chinese restaurant with one of London’s up and coming restaurants/bars, the crowds of people (head count was still 32), the stripper for a fit (if not overworked) waitress, the karaoke entertainment for people watching and you get this year’s party at the Otto Dining Lounge.

You might ask, despite a good many of my friends attending, why on earth I am not sounding entirely happy about the experience. Well, it comes back to my point of big parties. You spend your time running around trying to make sure that everyone else is happy and you get very little chance to relax yourself. In the meantime, your girlfriend spends the time taking care of the 50% of people that you can’t see at that point in time.

The problem was only accentuated by the fact that this was the only time that people would have to spend with me in my short trip back to London, and thus (I know, ego working overtime!) I was in high demand. The supply was simply not there.

A dampener on the evening came when Hilary lost her bag, presumably stolen. It pissed me off, it seemed to piss her off less, and well, if there was blood to pay the price, I would have come to collect. Only trouble there wasn’t anybody to pay for it. ODL did find the bag the next day, but rumoured without the wallet. I still suspect that little tramp whore who crashed the party, who I have yet to find and will promptly ensure that her fingers are cut off.

Anyway.

I would like to thank people for coming. Please find on this website the pictures from the party. Most of you will be able to download them from the site. If you want original resolution copies, please feel free to email me for them.

I guess the reason why I’m a little pissed off about this birthday was that so many of my close friends (and friends that made the effort to come) turned up and I just couldn’t spend quality time with them. I will make sure that next time I’m in London that I will make the effort to see more of them than just a few hours in a noisy, crowded and expensive bar. But I did enjoy myself….but as one observer put it “You’re not drunk enough.” (if you were that person, please let me know).

Thank you’s to:

Robert & Monica – whose hosting skills helped keep the people happy.
Anton & Hilary – who bought me drinks to get me to slightly tipsy.
Ning & Kiki (?) – for improving my gf’s Cantonese and Ning for being soooooo cute.
David & Sherry – thanks for turning up. I know it must have been hard after a wedding that day. Sorry I couldn’t reciprocate Dave!
Nadine & Peter – short notice, but it was great to see you again after “too long”. Next time, feel free to stay until the wee hours.
Jasmine – your dress was fine. I think you broke a few hearts before you left. I’ll be sure to collect the pieces for you and send them to you!
Chris, Christina and Frederique (?) – thanks for coming. I hope you weren’t too bored – I know Chris surely regalled you with last years antics and this year seemed to civilized – it was.
Simon, Simon, Simon, Mark, Nick – okay, I know, I know. Next time pub visit. Or karaoke. Some of you were getting quite attached to it. Special thanks to Nick for coming despite not entirely feeling up to it. Hope you are getting better. Also thanks for buying me a drink, I didn’t have a chance to thank ya.
Briant & Co – thanks for the drink….next time I’ll down it properly. I’ll be sure to get some more good looking girls for you next time. The minute I tell them that the King of Thai Square wants them, I’m sure the’ll all bow down.
Chris C. & Josephine – thank you again for the bottle of wine. BTW, Chris, you do hit almost the same strength as your girlfriend (?!?).
Ekta, Deena (?), Sam – Thank you for coming. I know that I was not the most attentive to you guys. You came at about the time that the “handbag” incident was coming to fruition. Promise, next time we go for a drink with Robert and make it a quiet one, eh?
Coke Bitch - To the girl that crashed, and started asking people for coke. I don’t mind your personal habits but when you start to ask for coke when me folks are around and if handbags start to go missing, you’re marked. Next time I see you, you’re going to get a slapping the likes that you have never seen. You return hospitality with taking advantage and that is wrong.

Finally….to my girlfriend, Eve. Thank you for putting up with a lot of my shit and thank you for helping to share the burden of these parties (two now!). I love you and miss you all the way in HK now very much. God knows, I don’t say it often enough.
Lastly, to my folks. Thank you for coming (not an intrusion at all). I really appreciate it and you guys being there made it more special. Love you both.

Okay….”I promise not to throw big parties…I promise not to throw big parties…I promise not to throw big parties .”

See you next year!

Tags: London