George's "George is Moving to Thailand" Going Away Party:
Sunday, April 13, 2003, Somerville and Boston, Massachusetts
We
first met George in September 1994, at MIT playing Magic: The Gathering on a
Friday night in a room full of sweaty strange men. George had long hair that
was an interesting blondish shade. We next met George a few Fridays later, when
he had short hair. A few Fridays after that, George had a shaved head, and we
eventually put together all of these funny, tall guys from Wisconsin (George
would call it a "rum" full of sweaty strange men, for instance, with
his Wisconsin vowels) and realized that they were one and the same person.
So, over
the last nine years we've seen George through many different hairstyles and
facial hairstyles, through many moves from apartment to apartment in Allston
and Somerville, and through much ribbing about his girlfriends, girl "friends,"
and Wisconsin heritage. In
a week, George leaves for Thailand (you can find out why once he gets his blog
online here), and we joined him today
for his big Boston going away multi-stage party.
First, Robert and I met
George and Michiyo at Boston Paintball in Somerville, where George worked for
part of the last year as a referee. This meant in practicality that many cellphone
calls
from George included abrupt paintball fire in the background, and that on Sunday
nights after he worked all day, a very sweaty, painty George would show up for
parties or dinner. Michiyo had been to Boston Paintball before, and Robert had
played paintball once last year for Noah's bachelor party, but neither was really
the experienced player George was. They got suited up--Michiyo in old clothes,
Robert in a cute grey jumper over his regular clothes--and George gave them
a quick orientation to the guns. The games alternated between open games (open
to novices or experts alike) and novice games (meant for beginners, who used
the less-powerful rental paint guns instead of the faster-shooting, more expensive
kind some very obsessive paintball players used); Robert, George, and Michiyo
played in pretty much every game for about an hour and a half. Michiyo had very
good form--she would crouch down behind a bunker and look all professional--until
she got shot. Robert's strategy was rather to stand almost entirely still, not
bending or crouching or even moving out from behind anything. He did surprisingly
well, but I think his somewhat cowardly playing harmed his status in the eyes
of the mostly adolescent boys playing with him. George was clearly pretty good
at this--once, in a novice game, he single-handedly obliterated the opposing
eight-member team; unfortunately, not a single member of that team was over
the age of 10 or over half of George's height. One pathetic little boy--covered
in the cornstarch-solution and fish oil paint from head to toe--was practically
crying as his father brushed him off afterward.
After
paintball, George and Michiyo went back to his place to change clothes and wash
up. Robert and I offered to take the T straight from paintball to dinner in
Chinatown in order to get there early and save a table and greet the other people
who were supposed to meet us there. Though this was a fine idea in principle,
our train got stuck for awhile, then was declared out of service, and then the
new train we were dumped onto and made to wait for took forever to get there.
Basically, we were the last to arrive at dinner. Dinner was at King
Fung Garden and consisted mostly of Peking ducks, dumplings, rice cakes,
chow mein, and scallion pancakes. Present were George and Michiyo, Bob and Howard,
Ghaz and Alyssa, Ben and Lise, two friends of Michiyo's, Jef, and Robert and
me. I unfortunately forgot to take out my camera at the table, but the ducks
were great and dinner for everyone came to $130.
Next--
on
to Jacque's, a Bay Village club a short walk from dinner with a drag show featuring
many of George's friends. We were guests of honor, and sat front and center
to enjoy the show. Here you see Ben and Ghaz and someone's foot on the table;
Ben and Lise clowning around before the show began; and Ghaz, Alyssa, and Howard
posing for a picture. The show featured Ivory and other friends of George's,
but the emcee--pictured below in two different outfits--was Diamond, who particularly
appreciated the attention from different members of our group. Below, she serenades
George; gives Howard a great photograph for just $1, and lets Michiyo--yes,
quiet Michiyo!--stuff a bill down her shirt. When Robert and I left just before
11:00, the show was still going strong. Sadly, the whole Sunday-night,-have-to-get-up-and-go-to-work-tomorrow-morning
thing was working against us--we ran for a bus and ended our evening home, still
thinking our goodbyes and goodlucks to George as we coded this page.
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Email christina@robertandchristina.com
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Created: 4/13/03. Last Modified: 4/13/03.