International Feasts & Man-Skirts

This Saturday I attended a 12-hour-long international themed feast in honor of my friend, Billy, who is starting a master's program in International Peace and Conflict Resolution this fall.  He recently got out of the Army, where he served as an officer for several years, and did tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan.  Perhaps most notable about Billy is his impeccable taste in women, as he married my best friend Sarah (see my prior entry on the Wizarding World of Harry Potter for more information on this wonderful woman).

Anyway, since the feast was international, I cooked my mom's famous Cuban-style garbanzo bean soup.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product, but here is one
of the mess I made in preparation.  Use your imagination from here.  

I wore my only international clothing, a kilt I bought during my study-abroad in Scotland (I feel pretentious even typing that sentence; I'm sorry).  Upon arriving at the party, I realized I was the only one who dressed up.

This here is my kilt.  I forgot to bring my kilt pin with me,
so I had to hold it together with a  giant baby diaper pin.

Later that afternoon, however, a partygoer named Jake showed up wearing a man-skirt.  Jake is an outdoor enthusiast and purchased his skirt from an sports shop (the most similar one I found was this REI Mountain Hardwear Elkommando Kilt).  I was previously unaware that skirts were being transitioned into male wardrobes in western culture, so I did a quick Google search when I got home.  Apparently sports kilts are used by male hikers, especially in the Northwest.

Others see skirts as the newest trend in men's fashion.  See this Forbes article on men in skirts or one man's personal experience in wearing skirts.  My favorite part of the last article is the author's response to how he got started wearing skirts.  He states:

My wife came up with that first and said it is a shame that you have to hide your beautiful legs always in a pair of trousers. They are looking like a model. First she ask me to wear one of her short skirts which I didn't. Then she ask me if I would wear a men's style kilted skirt and I agreed with this not knowing what does it mean to me.

Jake and I traded party attire because, as luck would have it, we wear the same kilt size.  I now know that not only are men's razors better, but their skirts are more comfortable.

Gender equality?  I will feel equal when my skirts also feel 
as comfortable as spring air, and my legs are given the same 
consideration by razor companies as a man's face.

Anyway, the party was a big success, despite the fact that nearly every person present inexplicably cried at some point.  We enjoyed international food and drinks, pretended to be Olympic badminton players, and played the slowest game of cornhole I have ever seen.  This was one for the books.

The lady folk

Sarah, Jake, and the most comfortable
article of clothing ever invented.

Kyrstin demonstrating proper cornhole form to Ryan.