This week has seen me start lectures, sing along to The Lion King, obtain yet more free things (spaghetti, banana smoothies, shoes, bread), join too many clubs, do regular laundry (important !), turn my white singlet pink, lose my card twice, and lose my keys once. But let me start with Mardi Gras.
Mardi Gras: an O’ Week event where people (mainly freshers) do dares and other stupid things for colourful plastic beads.
On entry we received our first set of beads to get us started. My friend and I went for the blow up gladiator game to start off. I managed to beat him, though afterwards we realised this game wasn’t actually giving out beads. Fail…
Our group then did bumper ball – if you haven’t played, this is a must. Picture people running around inside giant bubbles and bowling each other over. I may have gotten stuck upside down after one collision. To be honest, I had less success in bowling people over and more success in being bowled over.
Next to the bumper balls is a colourful stall: I am greeted with a paint-covered hand and asked to face-plant into it. Next thing I know I am covered from head to toe in fluorescent colours.
Fast forward a bit and we’ve finally figured out to get beads: find those with some to spare and directly ask them for a dare in exchange for one of theirs. Complete the dare, et voilà!
At some stage I realised that my keys were nowhere to be found, and figured they must have fallen out when I was flipped over during bumper ball…so I hunt around there, ask security, ask first aid, ask strangers, and retrace my steps to every conceivable place they could have been. Rien. Zip. Nada.
After almost an hour of searching, I decide to just go home: numerous people have told me to just check with the student’s association in the morning. At this point I’m a bit stressed out, but trying my best to stay calm. Long story short, just before I head off to bed, I am told they have been found. Absolute relief. Also I still managed to acquire thirteen sets of beads despite going home hours early. Bring on another round of bumper ball, I say!
I’ll be back next year, Mardi Gras.
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