marthar, my dear!

I must say, I don't think I could ever expect to see an email like this circulating as official mail on any University of Washington listserv. I am not attaching any value to that statement, but was made very aware of my place in a different culture when I received this:

"Dear all cultural encounter students,

Soon the legendary RUC-party will reemerge. We therefore invite you all to join us on Friday the 19th of September, where you can get together with all your fellow students. The party-committee have put their heads together and made one heck of a program for you all. The party will kick of at twelve o’clock (after the group formation), where we all will go to the cantina and have a few beers. At two o’clock we will go back to cultural encounter, where it’ll also be possible to buy beer, listen to some music and play some social games. If you don’t drink beer feel free to bring your own beverage. When we all feel a bit tipsy, we will eat together at about six o’clock. To make it easier for us all the reading groups will make food for themselves from which we will make a big buffet. Last but not least we will leave cultural encounter around eleven o’clock and head for the bigger party at campus.

All students who would like to join the party-committee, and help us arrange the party, are welcome to do so. We will meet on Monday the 15th of September after the lecture and head for the cantina and plan a little more.

Also if you have some good ideas for some social games we can play or a theme for the party, please tell us. You’re also welcome to bring your iPod or mp3player and we also need to get hold of a stereo and some (loud) speakers. So if you can bring either, do it! :)
It would be nice if the reading groups could inform us how many among their groups who’s planning on attending.
We’re looking forward to seeing you all! Remember, it’s a splendid opportunity for you to get to know you fellow student, get wasted and have fun. ;)"

This email was signed by marthar@RUC