mmm, that post-party dehyrdration headache that has nothing to do w/ alcohol -- didn't touch a drop last nite -- that's more like the residual shock of moving from a place crammed w/ people -- if i ever make a movie, it will include a scene from a party in which the music is suddenly muted and you can watch the dancers w/o the distraction of the beat -- to a place as solitary as a bedroom. i'd say the formal was a success. scores of kids turned out, everyone playing along, either bearing masks on sticks or having them stringed to their faces, in old prom outfits and in some cases perfectly-coiffed hair. my mom had urged me to get my hair done; if i hadn't been by myself in the city yesterday, i might have. but there are certain things you can do alone, and thankfully for me watching films is one of those (saw man who wasn't there before heading back to skool: interesting and in a way incredible; i still need to write my review;) but changes in appearance are better attempted in the presence of others. just in case you need reassurance.

for the first half of the ball -- and it felt like a ball, w/ all the girls in their bright flouncy dresses -- i danced w/ rob, ben's roommate, boisterous and sweating energetically in a stunning, dishelved suit. we hadn't talked in a while so he filled me in on his recent on-the-wagon life in full volume. people assumed we were dates, which was fine, as my date was busy w/ the turntables, wearing one of ross's tuxes and a yellow ruffled shirt and a mask rebecca had made, covered w/ Smarties.
oh dear, i have to go meet the crew and then the cast; then study for polisci; then meet Co|Motion. well, i'll finish at some point. suffice it to say, it was a good time and i'm glad i went.

... [2:30 addition:] rehearsal went by quicker than expected. i have some time to breathe before i start memorizing facts about the supreme court.
the crew meeting threw me a little. our producer who hadn't been to the masquerade asked us all how it was. immediately i said "fun" -- no one else spoke. once i leaned back, the other girls chimed rather different opinions. mostly they objected to the techno and the fact that they could count the number of black songs on one hand. one person said, "hiphop's more relatable than house; everyone can dance to hiphop." weird for me b/c of course i noted there was a lot of techno (as per SAC instructions) but the lack of rap or r&b didn't occur to me. i felt the need to defend the party some, quietly, b/c, as always, the people who made it happen are close to me, and b/c i enjoyed it. but i also felt guilty for not processing musical alienation.
makes me conscious of being the white girl.