Has today's TC crowd lost it's original warmth? - Bilge

K KreepyTiki Member Joined: Mar 18, 2007 Posts: 217	K KreepyTiki Posted posted on Fri, May 8, 2009 4:41 PM It's weird, but I find that tiki events can be really variable, at least for me. But I need to stress the "at least for me", 'cause it probably IS just me. Recently, for example, I had an absolute BLAST at the Don The Beachcomber opening, the Tiki Bar TV 4th Birthday party at The Warehouse, and at the Trader Vic's L.A. pre-opening. 3 events -- 3 fantastic times. Then, for whatever reason, I left Bamboo Ben's Nooner last Sunday feeling let down and depressed. And why? Again, it was probably ME. No -- scratch that. It was DEFINITELY me. 'Cause the event itself ROCKED, as did the bands! There was a huge, festive, fun-loving crowd there and Ben was the perfect host, making himself available and helpful to everybody (and I assume the same was true of Mrs. Boo -- I just haven't MET her yet -- oddly enough, after all these years). But sometimes all it takes is one or two awkward encounters to taint the whole experience. A perfect example of that was when I attempted to chat with Holden at his Tiki Farm booth. Now, I'd had nifty chats with him at other recent events, but he wasn't a VENDOR at those. But at the Nooner... Well, that was a futile experience from the get-go because he was SWAMPED with people every minute wanting either to chat or to buy something. And so, rather than just sayin' "aloha" & goin' my merry way, I stood there and stood there and... And all to NO avail 'cause he was never NOT busy and swamped. And so I ended up feeling ridiculous for wasting all that time when I could have been visiting with other TC'ers who were not VENDING! Live and learn. But that doesn't mean that TC'ers OR the events have lost their friendliness, it just means I needed to refocus and just move on to other things/people. Finally I DID do that at the Nooner and had nifty chats with Doug Horne & other artists during their less swamped moments, and kool reunions with some of my fellow attendees. But, by that time, my lack of sunscreen had caught up with me and I had to either head back home to West L.A. or risk ending up on the menu at Red Lobster! And I've had similar experiences at a few other events over the years as well, having two nifty days at Oasis, let's say, vrs. a couple so-so days at the SAME Oasis. So there ya go... Like I said, it's just me. But at the time it CAN seem like it's all THEM! :wink: Cheers & Mahalo :drink: :tiki:

It's weird, but I find that tiki events can be really variable, at least for me. But I need to stress the "at least for me", 'cause it probably IS just me.

Recently, for example, I had an absolute BLAST at the Don The Beachcomber opening, the Tiki Bar TV 4th Birthday party at The Warehouse, and at the Trader Vic's L.A. pre-opening. 3 events -- 3 fantastic times. Then, for whatever reason, I left Bamboo Ben's Nooner last Sunday feeling let down and depressed.

And why? Again, it was probably ME. No -- scratch that. It was DEFINITELY me. 'Cause the event itself ROCKED, as did the bands! There was a huge, festive, fun-loving crowd there and Ben was the perfect host, making himself available and helpful to everybody (and I assume the same was true of Mrs. Boo -- I just haven't MET her yet -- oddly enough, after all these years). But sometimes all it takes is one or two awkward encounters to taint the whole experience.

A perfect example of that was when I attempted to chat with Holden at his Tiki Farm booth. Now, I'd had nifty chats with him at other recent events, but he wasn't a VENDOR at those. But at the Nooner... Well, that was a futile experience from the get-go because he was SWAMPED with people every minute wanting either to chat or to buy something. And so, rather than just sayin' "aloha" & goin' my merry way, I stood there and stood there and... And all to NO avail 'cause he was never NOT busy and swamped. And so I ended up feeling ridiculous for wasting all that time when I could have been visiting with other TC'ers who were not VENDING!

Live and learn. But that doesn't mean that TC'ers OR the events have lost their friendliness, it just means I needed to refocus and just move on to other things/people. Finally I DID do that at the Nooner and had nifty chats with Doug Horne & other artists during their less swamped moments, and kool reunions with some of my fellow attendees. But, by that time, my lack of sunscreen had caught up with me and I had to either head back home to West L.A. or risk ending up on the menu at Red Lobster!

And I've had similar experiences at a few other events over the years as well, having two nifty days at Oasis, let's say, vrs. a couple so-so days at the SAME Oasis. So there ya go... Like I said, it's just me. But at the time it CAN seem like it's all THEM! :wink:

Cheers & Mahalo :drink: :tiki:

Post #452600 by KreepyTiki on Fri, May 8, 2009 4:41 PM