I woke up Sunday morning to begin a series of e-mail communications that culminated in a lunch meeting at Pyle, the co-op in Asia House. I'm not a member of Pyle, but a lot of my friends are, so I've eaten there a few times. Other bloggers have already discussed the co-op experience, so I'll only dwell on it briefly here. I will say, though, that it's easier to have a lunch meeting in a co-op than in a dining hall when some of the people required for the meeting eat in co-ops. (Which only makes sense.)
I met up with a group from Asia House in Pyle, and began the process of getting food. I always feel like there's a sort of controlled chaos whenever I eat in a co-op, especially when getting food on my plate is concerned, but ultimately everyone gets fed, so it all works out. I ended up eating noodles and vegetables in an alfredo sauce and a fantastic lemon poppy seed cake, passing up the hardboiled eggs and potato soup. (Like I said, everyone gets fed. I had more than enough to eat.)
Once I acquired my food, I moved outside to the Asia House courtyard to enjoy the insanely warm weather that graced the weekend. It was there, under almost-blooming cherry trees and unseasonably balmy skies, that the Asia House Talent Show Planning Committee had its lunch meeting. (I'm pretty sure I just made that name up.)
The week before, at a Hall Council meeting, I'd ended up volunteering to lead the planning of the talent show. We're going to have an end of the year party next weekend for the whole house, complete with a barbecue cooked by our fabulous janitor, a celebration of the cherry blossom festival, and karaoke. Then, of course, there's the house-wide talent show. I, myself, plan on participating in a Bollywood dance, if we ever get our acts together and actually practice.
At the meeting, we discussed the finer details of the party, what sort of AV equipment we're going to need, how to make a curtain for the non-existent stage, and what various games are called in China, India, and the United States. I got a little overzealous and started quizzing people on their "action items," which I think only confused the issue.
Ultimately, though, it was a productive meeting, and not just because I got to sit outside and eat good food. I just have to remember how awesome the party is going to be while I try to get through the week leading up to it.
(And, Asia House residents, if you're reading this and you're not signed up for the talent show...I will know!)
