I have no idea what I'm gonna do! Probably work on the site.

To be frank, I kinda forgot about Halloween this year... and really, nothing can compare to last year's Halloween, when Gio and I partied with our girls in NOLA. That was the best Halloween I've ever had.

I'll post pics when I get the chance, it was fucking awesome.

Also, went to a Vodou ceremony the next day. Man... I wish I was in New Orleans.

Ritual sacrifice of whatever child that comes ringing for sweets.

Naw, just kidding.


But if you saw our yard at night, and didn't know I'm pretty much harmless, you'd think twice about lurking around. I actually had a couple of kids that play in the park right next to it tell me they thought my house was haunted. So many halloween-themed possibilities.

But I'll probably just stay in, have a beer and watch American Horror Story or something.

My apartment development just has you put up a special flyer on the door if you're participating in Halloween.  If I want to opt out, all I have to do is nothing!  I'll probably opt in, though, since I'll be at home for once and I have fond memories of Halloween from my own childhood.  With any luck I'll be able to carve my annual jack-o'-lantern for my parents' home, too.  (The secret is boning knives.)

ETA: Phrasing!  The secret is the kind of knife that is designed for removing the bones from fishes.

Last edited by satyreyes (09-30-2013 08:32:07 AM)

What am I planning on doing for Halloween?

Going to NekoCon badge pickup/Thursday night programming. XD

Halloween's not really a kid's holiday here, more an excuse to have costume contests at bars. But, last year, I spread the candy wealth amongst the kids in my neighborhood, by telling them ahead of time that if their parents brought them by and they said the magic words, I would give them candy. I took candy donations, even, to make sure there was a ton of it.

This year, my uni students want in on it too, so there'll be more candy.

And, I agreed to hit a couple parties, as well, because why not. I kind of miss big proper American holiday parties, though, as Chinese parties, overall, are more restrained affairs and what's a party if you're not loaded, yelling to a mummy across a sea of forty dancers, "I love you, bitch! You!"? Of course, they're driving under the influence, date rape, and drunkenly missing the toilet entirely numbers are way lower, too, but everything is pros and cons.

I'm probably gonna stay at my mom's store to attend the children coming for candy, since she always gets annoyed by them , but if not I'll probably have a horror movie marathon at some friends house

Frau Eva wrote:

I'm kind of torn on not going to to that Vodun ceremony with Yasha and Gio(I had just got into NO and was tired as hell). One one hand, I figured it wouldn't be much of anything if any random person can get in. But I was interested. On another hand....even though I have lots of books on it(some of which I've read, lol), everyone who grew up in Louisiana should be just a teeny bit afraid of it. Whether you believe in it or not is irrelevant. Sometimes I still think back to the fact that I took my drink back from Erzulie's when I left, when that priestess lady seemed to want them to stay on the table(oh, this was at New Orleans Rosecon). Everyone around here has a story about jokingly poking a needle in a voodoo doll and shit happening. It's sort of in the atmosphere here.

Honestly, you should have come, and you should go if you get the chance. I'm not steeped in the background the way you are, but it was a great experience and so long as you're respectful you have nothing to worry about. Bring a gift that you don't mind leaving behind-- a pack of smokes, sunglasses with one lens popped out, a small bottle of booze, stuff like that. Wear black, white, or purple only, in any combination, and cover your head with a purple scarf. This is meant to be a public ceremony; I know in the New Orleans tradition people are more secretive about vodou, but in many places in Haiti the ceremonies are free for whoever to join. And even if you don't stay for the dance part of the ceremony, it's still worth it to go early just to get a look at the altars. There's some amazing stuff there.

As for taking your drink back from Erzulie Dantor... she wasn't there when we went, and the day of the dead isn't her day. Even if she did exist and she did care that you took your drink back when you were on a vodou tour, I really doubt Papa Gede would let her mess up his party. If you feel bad about it, you can ask if you can put something on her altar there to make up for it-- she likes florida water (which is easy to find down there), dolls, red wine, silver jewelry... there's a list here.