PART ONE - 30 Bells Ball

Last night was Luke's 30 Bells Ball! Luke is the main contact for "realise," the uni student group at DCBC, the church I've been attending. Basically, he threw himself a massive 30th birthday party complete with a live band (students at the church) and heaps of food. The dress code was "as formal as you want," and some people were dressed to the nines! Dave, who also did the Kepler, came clad as Jack Sparrow (Sarah, I made sure to get a picture of him for you!). I went "as formal as I could" with what fancy attire I had brought from home. Stephen picked me up at 5:30 for a lovely dinner of venison pizza before the ball. We arrived at the venue just as many others were making their appearances. The evening began with four grand-scale (there were over 100 people there) group dances. Someone called the dance and it had the feel of our ball practices, but the look of an actual ball. Everyone was quite jovial and seemed to enjoy themselves immensely. Four dances later we broke for food and drink. In the next hall (the event was held in a beautiful, ornate chapel) were rows and rows of tables covered by trays of meat, cheese, fruits, chocolate and drink. A slide show with pictures of Luke was being projected onto one of the walls and on a table at the front of the room sat an enormous elegant chocolate birthday cake. There were so many people, and, for the first time, I didn't feel overwhelmed or out of place. The only thing that frustrated me was that I couldn't concentrate on conversation. The music and the noise made my head swim and at times I felt isolated in the midst of people I knew. I wonder if that's a small portion of what a deaf or blind person experiences? Specifically, the inability to fully engage with people despite great effort. But the mood was so friendly and everyone was talking, laughing, and really enjoying the evening. Soon we returned to the dance floor to be led by John (the same one that threw himself down the stairs to make me feel better after I took the tumble at Anna's house) in two group mixers. John is an extremely energetic guy and had everyone exhausted in a matter of 20 minutes. Then he handed the mic over to me to lead everyone in Postie's Jig and the Virginia Reel. For those of you familiar with these two dances, you know how much effort they require.