OMG It's TONIGHT!!!!!

OK, the hafla is on tonight, and I am officially ______ myself (insert your own verb in the blank, I think you know what I mean!) I don't think it's so much because things need organised - they don't. Me and my friend (the main organisers) have had so much help from people around us. People have been incredibly generous with their time and energy, it's surprised me just how lovely people can be! I'm more nervous because it's a social event that I will have to be social at. (i can haz soshul ishoos!) Normally, I'm not stressed about haflas because someone else is doing all the organising and I just have to sit there and enjoy myself. Tonight, I'm sure I'll be running around like a headless chicken doing stuff :)

We went to the house of the people we're borrowing the sound system off, and they were very reassuring. They've organised tons of events, and have lots of practice at this sort of thing, so they had lots of ideas to help.

Getting all the dancers and the sound system seems to have been the easy parts, it's all the little things. It's a "BOYB" event, but we're putting out little bowls of bombay mix (we were going to put out nuts, but didn't want to set off anyone with an allergy), and candles on the tables, little decorations like that. We're getting a bunch of veils and saris and putting them on the wall, so it doesn't look like a bare hall.

I had to get all the music and short intros for each of the dancers, so that was a challenge for me. I opened my inbox the other day and there was all these emails from REAL PEOPLE! Not just the crap I've signed up to to make myself feel popular! So I had to read them all and answer them all, and that's one of my social issues, is that I tend to put off that kind of thing. But I made myself do it that night instead of closing firefox like I wanted to, and I'm very proud of myself for that! It's a small thing, but for me, it's quite an achievement! :)

We've learned a bunch of things from organsiing this first hafla. First, the end of summer is maybe not the best time cos everyone's off class and hard to get hold of! We just thought that nobody has one in August, so that's when we'd have ours. :) Also, next time (if there is one!) we'd invite more classes to dance as groups. We've got a lot of solos and duets, but only a few groups. I made up the running order too, and it's quite hard deciding who to put where. Especially the very first act! We're going to have a follow along dance for that, to an upbeat song, to get things going. I just couldn't decide who would want to be on first!!

(To any other hafla organisers, what kinds of acts do you put on first? Solos, duets, groups? It's something I had never even noticed when going to haflas, but it's really quite important to setting up the whole night)

We're going along to the hall early to set up. I thought at first that it would be too much time (1.5 hours before start) but now I'm thinking it's probably about right. I need to practice my drum solo before I go as well, and make up little fliers for the tables with the running order. Oh, and have a bath and do my hair :) Leaving everything to the last minute as usual!