Overdue post on the Hat-py Party I attended organised by my friend Claudia and her team at 24seven, a social media agency that helps market your events, products and services through the online media.
The event was held at the Singapore Art Museum and as the title suggested, the theme was crazy hats. Guests were informed to wear a crazy hat to the party (no invisible hat and no caps). I was ‘huh’ at first as I did not own any hat. I went about getting a hat (S$7) and thought about how to decorate it DIY. I sew three pooh bears onto the hat and the results can be seen above.
A sumptuous buffet spread started the evening followed by games and performances by Black Diamond Ninjas and Only After Coffee. One of the game required guests to take a photo of their favourite art piece at the museum and email the organiser with prose to describe their choice.
At any other event, this would prove a difficult task but not at the Hat-py Party as almost every guest is an avid blogger armed with camera phones. They went about doing the task with nonchalance and some even with glee. Prize-giving ended the evening. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I acquaint myself with some of the bloggers there.
Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos) of Battlestar Galactica and Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell), President of the Twelve Colonies told the assembled crowd at the United Nations ‘there is but one race, so say we all’.
We’re talking about a science fiction show, we’re talking about the humanity we live in today. I still find it incredible that we still use word “race” as a cultural determinant… I detest what we’ve done to ourselves. Out of a need to make ourselves different from one another, we’ve made the word “race” a way of expressing culture. There’s no such thing—and all you high school students, bless your hearts for being here. You’re a hundred champions right now that are going to go out understanding this. The adults in the room will never understand, even though they’ll nod their heads and say “you’re right.” They’ll never be able to stop using the word “race” as a cultural determinant. I just heard one of the most prolific statements done by one of the great humanitarians, he’s really trying to organize and bring us together, and he used the word “race” as if there is a Latino race, an Asian race, an indigenous race, a Caucasian race. There’s no such thing as a Latino race. There never has been. There never will be. There’s only one race, and that’s what the show brought out. That is the human race, period.
The question becomes, why did we start to use race a cultural determinant? The truth is that over six hundred years ago, the “Caucasian race” decided to use it as cultural determinant so it would be easier for them to kill another culture. That was the total understanding. To kill one culture from another culture. You couldn’t kill your own race. So you had to make them the other. And to this day, I spent 37 years of my adult life trying to get this word out, and now I am well prepared as the Admiral of the Battlestar Galactica to say to all of you: there is but one race. That is it! So say we all! [audience responds “So say we all”] So say we all! [audience bellows “So say we all!”] SO SAY WE ALL! [yelling and cheering]
Next Stop, Chin 