International relations and 'inspirational' speakers

Discon 2013 got off to an unexpectedly exciting start with a parade of various groups of Rotarians led in by men wearing traditional dress consisting of a piece of cloth barely covering their crotch and not covering their bums.

Concerned that we didn’t have enough time to have finished our presentation for the next day we were anxious to leave and get on with our work. After watching a lively dance display the urge to leave was increased by the guest speaker Dr Carl. His ‘inspirational’ speech was nothing of the kind and included some bady put together pneumonics.

The final insult was in his reference to Kristel Tejada a student at a Manila University who committed suicide due to being unable to afford her tuition fees. He used her death to illustrate his point on ‘Tenacity of Purpose’ – apparently she didn’t have any. Given how recent her death was and the likelihood that someone in the three hundred people watching knew her it seemed at the very least insensitive and at worst arrogant and condescending.

To give him the benefit of the doubt I will concede that I can’t confirm he didn’t know her and her family and have sought their permission to discuss her in this way. But I’m guessing he didn’t.

Anyway we were rescued by Dan and taken to see Sally and Homer on the family stall. After dressing up in some more traditional dress for a photo opportunity (over our suits) we had a quick break for some games before dutifully heading back to the hotel to finish our work.

Presentation almost completed it was a quick change and back out to the first fellowship event an ‘international evening’.  Held in a marquee behind the conference centre the ‘international’ element was in the form of fancy dress with clubs having a theme and a parade for best costume. The event got off to a shaky start when it was beginning to look like there was no bar. A quick surveillance exercise revealed that ironically the table dressed as Arabs were the only ones drinking wine.

Entertainment followed the parade and the Aussie team performed the coconut dance and held an auction to raise money for the district’s End Polio Now fund. Not wanting to be outdone we got up for some Zumba and with Natalie in the lead and her three uncoordinated back up dancers doing their best to keep up we led the room in some Zumba.

We were rescued from our ‘dry spell’ when one of the guys we’d been drinking with in Boracay with invited us to his table for some whiskey and soon the evening got into full swing as we caught up with people we’d met over the last three weeks and showed how Brits and Aussies can hold their own on the dance floor. Assuming that they consider enthusiasm to mean more than rhythm.

As my team mates went home early I stayed out with the Aussies and carried on the drinking with a nightcap with Steale at the piano bar in the hotel next door. Heading back to the hotel my knocking failed to wake Natalie and I had to seek the help of the night porter who showed massive concern at my having bare feet. He showed visible relief when we got to the bedroom door where I’d left my heels but sadly couldn’t open the door with any of his keycards. It took quite a bit more time before finally I was able to get in and get to bed.