Annual Dinners

Attended the School's annual dinner (for teachers & staff) yesterday evening. Didn't know teachers are such a fun loving bunch.

The theme was Wild Wild West and I became more and more amused throughout the evening. I was definitely one of the odd ones out who didn't wear a cow boy's hat and a pair of authentic denim jeans or jacket. Even the school's casual worker in her late forties came with hair pleated like a Red Indian woman complete with jeans, scalf and short boots, not to mention the principal and vice principal who set good examples for dressing according to the theme. Well before the dinner started the whole hotel function room was buzzling with wild exclamation and laughter and photo taking.

I laughed each time I noticed a new form of accessory. Many had pistols hanging from their belts and a few wore Indian feather headress. Needless to say there was a prize for each best dressed man and lady. One of the guy nominess wore a complete Red Indian head-dress and costume which partly revealed his bare body and did his Red Indian chant and prance barefoot on stage. The second nominee, a John Wayne look alike jumped onstage to challenge the Red Indian only to be followed by a third nominee who rushed onstage in his sheriff outfit to handcuff the two. The best dressed lady galloped onstage with a toy horse head in tow not to mentioned another nominee who looked really attractive as she walked barefoot onstage in her Red Indian costume and feathers.

It made me recall how people neglected themes at annual corporate dinners at my ex-company. No one paid attention to it and worse thought people who came dressed according to the theme as rather crazy. I guess no one wanted to guess what the boss would think of him if he came barefoot dressed like a Red Indian Chief. Perhaps it was only with my ex-company with its stiff upper lip culture where lame entertainment came in the form of Victor Khoo and his delivery of vetted jokes (vetted by organiser).

For this School function there was no lack of emcees. I didn't know there were so many jokers. Oh just in case you think the difference in culture is due to a different age group, I must clarify that there were quite a few 20-year long service award recipients. Jokes came so naturally to the emcees, poking fun at their colleagues inclusive. All in all I feel the stark difference between the guarded nature of my ex-colleagues in the corporate world and the natural spontaneity of this group of educationist. They seem more authentic. I wonder whether every career draws people with similar trait or whether the culture of the organisation shapes the people. I tend to believe in the later. Many many years back before my ex-company was corporatised, it was a statutory board which meant bottom line was not the main driver. In that environment where people were more relaxed we had annual year end parties that were quite enjoyable too, with song items as well as skits that made fun of bosses etc. All that fun loving spirit eventually dried up in the office. Yesterday they came flooding back again.