How work and play made me a good hostess

When I joined my current company as an Assistant Editor, I got the opportunity of working with publishing giant with the added advantage of working in a fairly new branch. This of course meant that my role was much more than what was expected out of me. Not having a dedicated marketing team for the journal’s team meant I had to work with the Indian marketing team based here for all promotions in India. And before I knew it, I was asked to help out organize in-house events as well. I recall the first time I ventured into this unknown territory. What all my friends know and the office did not know was that I am a much better guest than I am hostess. However, here I was, organizing snacks and food items for a team of 80 plus. I think I stopped eating for a few days until the event out of sheer stress.

It took about two in-house events till I noticed a trend…samosas disappear very quickly, so does dhokla. Shammi kababs will always have takers and bread pakoras are usually avoided by most. There are not many soft drink drinkers either. Most people are not OK with trying out tarts and pies and it is redundant to order tarts when there is cake to be had. Also, cakes and champagnes disappear very, very quickly. Once I understood this, I know exactly how much to order when catering to 100 plus people while keeping their tastes and appetites in mind. One thing that happily changed was that now there was hardly any food wasted even when everyone had managed to eat well. All within the budget too, I add. I now had phone numbers of Nathu, Bikanerwala, Haldirams, Wengers, and other eating joints in and around Connaught Place. I was then made the Food-in-Charge of the newly started recreation club in the office. Now while all this was going well, my reputation as a party person reached some members of the top management and then came up with the request to come up with games and other activities for our picnics and other social get-togethers. Again, since I was new and they were seniors, I could not bring myself to telling them that I was good at clubbing and bar hopping and not at organizing games. However, thanks to internet and some common sense, I was able to tackle this challenge as well. My friends had no idea that I was honing my hosting skills at work…until recently, that is.

One of my closest friends owns Party Hunterz in Delhi, which made me the designated person to organize the Naughty at 40 b’day bash for a friend and colleague, at her house. I hunted down a baker and had a naughty cake arranged, got cool hats and headgears for all people at the party and made sure that the b’day girl really stood out it her craziest b’day accessories that I bought from the party store. Everybody had loads of fun and I blabbed all about it to my friends. My friend still did not believe me completely.

Now, my sister is getting married this month and since her wedding was decided very soon and very unexpectedly, and my friends were more nervous than I was about the Bachelorette that we had to throw for them (my sis and I have loads of friends in common). My Party Hunterz friend was even more anxious since he thought I was missing all party hosting genes. Since he was caught up in opening his third store in Delhi and with various other events thrown, he pestered me to organize a good party for her (as if I wouldn’t have!). I assured him that I would take care of it all and so he then pestered me even more to make sure it was perfect. Thankfully he got really tied up with work and I was able to plan it out at my pace. I got a list of my sister’s close friends from college that I did not know too well, called them up, invited all participants, got a final count, booked a suite in Radisson Blu, booked buffet dinners for all attendees, got glitter hats for all men (yes, we had men in the bachelorette as well) and cutest bunny ears for all girls, “bride-to-be” gear for my sister, and some naughty and drinking games. I even managed to buy truckloads of alcohol for the party though I had to enlist help from 2 friends. All that done, we all met up in the suite, danced our heads off, drank like crazy without getting drunk, jumped on beds, laughed and laughed and shared raunchy gossips. By the next day, the suite looked like some hardcore rockers had spent a week in there. Bride-to-be was really happy and my friends were very happy to tell me that it was the best bachelorette that they had ever attended. My Party Hunterz friend came to tell me that I had done a really good job. Coming from him (he is the perfect host at all his parties, btw), it meant a HUGE deal.

My friends are already planning on having lots of get-togethers at my house once the wedding is over. I don’t think I’ll have much time to miss my sister. I’m already nervous about the new standards of hosting that everyone now expects from me. But like all other times, I accept the challenge.