Halloween. #AuthenticMurica
Halloween is a very. big. deal. in the U.S. The build-up is huge and lengthy. Shops have costumes on display from latest mid-September. All of the grocery stores have mountains of pumpkins at the entrances. The scent of pumpkin-spice lattes haunts every Starbucks, as do the pumpkin-spice latte lovin' hipsters. There are pumpkin-carving parties (and pumpkin-carving kits), fake candles to light up the Jack O'Lanterns, and pumpkin carving competitions. Basically everything is pumpkin flavoured. I was lucky enough to try a pumpkin/choc chip/caramel cupcake. It was busy. Everyone decorates their houses - spider webs over their windows, and at their doors, Jack O'Lanterns, who leer eerily at you as you walk past. Even the trees in the law school courtyard host fake spider webs and giant spiders.
And then the day itself arrives. On the bus to school in the morning, I see people in full Halloween garb: a scarecrow, white face, sunglasses, straw hair and hat, walking to work; a zombie heading home after school, dragging her feet, the walking dead.
I'm not really a 'dress up' kinda person, so Halloween is a stressful time for me. I was invited to a Halloween/birthday party, theme: Villans and Heros. I opted to dress up as facebook. Take that as you like. It was metacommentary on Facebookery and the Facebook giant.
Best villain: Ms Trunchbull (check out her gold medal for shotput)
Best hero: Captain Planet (extra points for knowing the theme song) - apologies, I didn't manage to get a photo of him.
Most random, out of theme costume: Captain Morgan
Other activities included beerpong (a serious business) #AuthenticMurica and flip cup. Someone brought their adorable caramel coloured puppy who I babysat for a lot of the evening (I'm always that person at the party in the corner drinking wine and talking to the pets).
All in all. Super fun. Thanks Murica!
