📙 Part 2: Describe a happy event you organized
Rory recounts the chaos of his epic going-away party in Moscow! Find out how he dealt with extreme heat, last-minute cancellations, and surprise guests to create an unforgettable event for his friends.


This episode's vocabulary
To host (verb) - to provide the space and other things necessary for a special event.
Downside (noun) - a disadvantage of a situation.
Store-brought (adj.) - store-bought food is bought in a shop and not made at home.
Guest list (noun) - a list of the people who are invited to an event or social occasion such as a party.
Waver (verb) - to begin to doubt or lose your determination to do something.
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Questions and Answers
M: Rory, are you happily ready?
R: Yes.
M: Off you go.
R: I think the example that comes to mind most easily is probably my going away party, which I held in the summer of 2021 in Russia. Well, in Moscow, actually. I think it was, well, it was the main event in a series of parties. Since I actually had so many friends that I needed to have multiple parties. However, the one I'm referring to here is the big one. I had a lot of help organizing it as well. In the first place, I wasn't sure where to host the thing, until the photographer at one of our fan meetups suggested that we used our studio, which was a great choice, because the place was huge, and actually relatively inexpensive compared to all of the other places that were being suggested. So that came in extremely useful. I think the only downside is there wasn't any air conditioning. But we bought some fans to fix that. So it wasn't so bad. My friends helped me with supplying the food and drinks, which were both made from scratch and store bought. So there was a nice balance there of things people contributed, and things they could enjoy as well. Or at least things that were already prepared. It was pretty easy to put everything together once I'd set all of those things up. Or rather, once we'd set all of those things up, all I really had to do was make and send an invite on Facebook, and manage the guest lists. And so it was towards the end of the official COVID crisis period and the response in Russia. And some people were wavering about whether to go or not, or they canceled at the last minute. Regardless, it wasn't a particularly stressful occasion. And I got to say goodbye to almost everyone. And I followed up with the people who missed it later on. It was a good idea, despite the extreme heat of the Moscow summer. And I'm really glad to know that everybody enjoyed it. There were lots of people afterwards sending messages and all of the pictures that they've taken as well. So I've got that, and I don't think it's anything I'll forget anytime soon.
M: Sweet. And would you like to do something like this again?
R: Yes. When I come back.
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