Last Saturday night, I attended a Halloween costume party hosted by my buddy and my graduate school roommate, Nick. He and his wife Kate must spend a fortune to decorated their airy brownstone duplex townhouse at upper West Side into a deserted graveyard alike. With shadowy lighting, I had to adjust my eyes in order to recognize things in front of me when hostess opened the door to welcome me. Both Nick and Kate dressed as zombies. For Nick, that was ok for me, we have been friends for so long and gone wild parties together so many times that there is no surprise element left. But for Kate, that is a different story. She is a PR spokeswoman for a big commercial bank. Normally, she is quite dressy, but with the pale, bloody make-up and her exotic short costume, she totally blown me out of water at the door step. (I don't know if 'd be able to map her back to regular way when I see her next time.)
All of the party goers received invitation two weeks ago, and we were advised for the party theme and the “dress code”, of course. There was no mistakes, that's for sure. The guests assumed wide range of morbid identities with all sort of scary figures from A to Z. I saw Freddy Krueger, Texas Chainsaw, Twilight vampire, wolfman ... you name it. The ambiance was very spooky if not hair-raising; it's like all sort of horror figures that one could think of, summoned for one single movie scene, yet there was no director's direction or scripts to follow.
I do enjoy costume parties but not terribly enthused with Halloween's one. When it comes to Halloween costume, I'd tip to more conservative side. The reason is that the cultural differences and sensitivity have imprinted into me already. When I grew up, death or afterlife would never be taken lightly let alone to associate them with thrill and excitement. I had worried before I went that my costume could bring embarrassment, but luckily I received many compliment for my costume impersonation.
In the beginning, I was bit slow. However, After a while , adaptation set in so did fun as I exchanged jokes with a girl who had only one arm visible from her torso, then bottomed up a sake bomb with a guys who had an ax right on his forehead. In the middle of mingling, Kate came over and pulled me to meet Zoe, a cute vampire with blood stains on her face and neck. Zoe is a pretty and funny redhead who works with Katherine in the same bank; the first word popped out her month was “Hi, Phantom, I am wondering if you are able to sing opera piece as hot as dress your costume.” I snapped back “Only if you'd promise me not bite me first, then you can find it out.” That were hilarious laughter.
Anyway, that was a good party to have some really great time to relax my nerves ahead next week's hectic schedules as well as Sunday's run.
You have to give Americans some credit for their unbridled imaginations, scintillating creativity and cheerful attitude in regarding to fatality, demise or grave, plus the ability jointly to turn any holiday into a party mega and transform people to party animals.
Here goes the lyrics of Music of The Night, it is really well-written one.
Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation ...
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination ...
Silently the senses abandon their defenses ...
Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendor ...
Grasp it, sense it - tremulous and tender ...
Turn your face away from the garish light of day,
turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light -
and listen to the music of the night ...
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!
And you'll live as you've never lived before ...
Softly, deftly, music shall surround you ...
Feel it, hear it, closing in around you ...
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind,
in this darkness which you know you cannot fight -
the darkness of the music of the night.
Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world!
Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before!
Let your soul
Take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me ...
Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation!
Let the dream begin,
let your darker side give in to the power of
the music that I write - the power of the music of the night ...
You alone can make my song take flight -
help me make the music of the night ...
