A PRINCE PRICED PAUPERS' BALL

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 311, 31 October 1989, Page 16

A PRINCE PRICED PAUPERS' BALL

"You shall, you shall go to the ball," said the fairly selfish giant to the ugly duckling who does all the dishes. Mixed up fairy tales? Yep, & mixed up ball. In fact it was actually a Herbs concert and not a ball at all (granted, a good concert) - this socalled "First Annual Ski Season Finale Masquerade Ball". For $55 per person peasants were to be treated to a night of fancy food, spectacular lights and rocking music on the Saturday night of Labour Weekend but it seems the organisers thought two out of three ain't bad. If they want to run a Second Annual do-dah ball they'll have to get their shit together because the food was by no means fancy. Even peasants expect something better for $55 each than re-chilled Watties frozen peas, cold boiled potatoes, luke-warm boiled cabbage, cold garlic bread sans garlic, and leftover spit-roasted mutton (the pork was scoffed early on as was any complimentary wine-with-ones-meal, if there was any at all). This one-course meal (no pudding - sorry, desert to you royals) was not even finished off with tea or coffee. To add insult to injury paying peasants were made to dance on a sloping, soaking wet "felt" matt laid on the tar seal of the Whakapapa bus park, complcte with high-heel busting pot holes. This combination saw feet frothing with foam where people danced with any enthusiasm, but luckily no serious injury from slipping over on the beginner-rope-tow slope (a tow woiild have been handy to get to the bar actually). For further insult peasant ball guests, many of whom had gone to considerable effort to dress for the occasion, were made to rub shoulders with other peasants who paid a pauperly half price or less (do we hear nothing?) to get in - dressed in jeans-and-sweatshirt type ball gowns. "Participants will be treated like royalty," was an extravagant claim to make for a night out that was by no means a "ball". Many people had a great time but it seems this was despite the organisation, not because of it. Sure, it can't be easy organising such an event but the first rule has to follow Napoleoris adage. Just as an army marches on its stomach, ball peasants, and royalty, dance on their stomachs.