Fun at the party

It's interesting to be a fly on the wall at a party. Be there and yet try and remove yourself if not physically then metaphorically to a vantage point in the room and observe the drama unfolding there. There are so many stories unfolding there that if you could be like Virginia Woolf, you could weave a rich tapestry of stream of conscious narration to write about. One could actually write a voluminous tome on the happenings of one night. I love parties, not so much for the food and the conversation as much as for the wonderful occasion it gives you to study human psychology at such close quarters.

Watch carefully and you can witness multiple themes of power struggles, exhibitionism, displaced affections, loneliness, rivalry, connivance, blooming relationships and lost dreams.

I think men and women never really grow up and on party nights you see the child in them so clearly that it makes it an endearing scene to watch. You can actually picture the women in their pinafores and pigtails and the men in their tunic and shorts just like at junior school.

The exhibitionist who loved to draw attention to herself with her loud antics and big mouth hasn't really changed. She has to be larger-than-life and continues to do that with a loud guffaw, a vociferous comment or a rather effusive hug. She is the one who comes with no statutory warning and if you do accidentally urge her to open up, you've hit on the perfect formula to ruin the party.

Boys club

Then there are the braggers among men who stand at the exclusive boys club at the designated watering holes at the party, talking about their exploits and escapades, wowing other men with their tales of success and glory. Take it or leave it, because there is no way to check out the facts.

The boy who was the class bully, assumes the same position at the party, pulling fast ones on others, embarrassing the women or unnerving the waiters with his demanding ways.

Then you have the sulkers who enter parties with the resolve that no matter what, they are going to wear their long, glum look that they have been practising in front of the mirror ever since the invitations arrived in the post. They have an axe to grind with all the happy people in the world and they are on a mission to make these people guilty about their happiness. So no matter what you do to lighten their mood, they continue to grumble and swear and go around the room with the moony expression. You find the nagging wives and the control freak husbands in this category.

The fun lovers and the hooters are usually the back benchers. They come and occupy the prime positions such as the largest bean bag, the most comfortable couch, the snuggest armchair, nurse their drink and pass their classic comments, especially if there is a performance taking place that night.

The shy, low profile boys and girls who don't seem to have any opinion either way, continue to weave in and out of groups, camps and lobbies that naturally build up (even for that night) without actually showing their affinity to anyone. These are the kind of people you could swing to your side with a little persuasion during student council election.

'Best performer'

The class monitor or the prefect among them, is the guy or girl who is the star performer of the night. She gets her punches right, wears the right dress, flashes the right smile at everyone, doesn't make one false move and has most of the people at the party gravitating towards her. She is bound to walk away with the "Best Performer" of the night award.

Clearly there is more than good food and great camaraderie going on at all parties.

If you really want to have fun, try being that fly on the wall. I think parties are the best occasions to get a real look at human vulnerabilities.