On 2011-08-25 15:52, SandraDee wrote:
my roomie asked me to post this for her....
Oasis is over…and what a blast it was!
Voice is STILL not 100% from Los Straitjackets & Big Sandy, Vantiki’s killer pendants are dangling from my neck, Bowana’s moai mug has a proud space on my shelf, still recovering from drinking all those sour samples during Martin’s symposium, been adding new friends met while volunteering to my Facebook and trying to figure out why I am not still surrounded by so many people I adore partying their butts off with me!
I am surprised that so many people don’t just have fun/make friends/enjoy Oasis for what it is. Sure there are going to be things you aren’t into and there are going to be unexpected issues but hey..things do happen. As for…
Burlesque – if they are not your kids and the dancers don’t protest dancing in front of them then I say don’t worry about it. Too bad La Cholita (there was some talk she was booked) was not shakin’ her money maker up there this year—she would have had some of the adults blushing with her antics!
Kids – I don’t have kids. If I did I would never bring them to a weekend like Oasis. Or like Ohana. Or like Viva Las Vegas for that matter. The weekend is about one thing – partying. Sure you can throw in vendors and car shows and bands but guess what I won’t edit my antics because you don’t want your kid to be subject to rowdy behavior. I will however give you a dirty look and nasty words when you try to bring them into a room party at 2am. You can’t have it both ways…you either make your weekend adult or you make your weekend about your kids.I know when I see Otto out at a party at 3am his kids will never be with him. Its called being a responsible parent. Know that if you want to bring your kids to the event then its your responsibilty to MANAGE your children. Adults are coming there for escapism—not to play babysitter to strangers kids while they are no where to be found. (this seems to be happening every year more and more)
Hotel-If you don’t want to stay at The Crowne because its too expensive or because rowdy partiers won’t be quiet or because there may or may not be a rooster/drummer/fire alarm incident in the future then there are plenty of hotels around that area and of course you can stay at the sister hotels Tiki Oasis works with. Plenty of people do since they are only in their room to shower/sleep and would rather save their money on things like booze and tiki goods from the vendors.
Food-If you don’t like the food prices or the food offered bring your own. Our room had breakfast noshes and easy sandwhich fixings that came in handy when we rolled into bed at 4am and realized we were starving. Plus I have two words of advice for you next year – BLOODY MARY. At the sushi bar Chris (who pretty much rocks every year) can make you the best of both worlds – a meal and booze – which will have you forgetting you even wanted a hamburger in the first place.
Until additional options are offered either deal with the food issue or make other arrangements.
I am sure you have had to do something on vacation before when the hotel you stayed at was not to your liking. Adapt people!
Someone mentioned a non-aloholic drink bar. I think this would be AWESOME. Especially when the weekend is on the warm side.
Theme – who cares. Seriously. If Tiki Oasis were the same every year people would get bored and complain it was too much of the same thing all the time. Variety is the spice of tiki. The theme is nothing more than to have a jumping off point for ridiculous fun such as moustache contests, zombie makeup classes, marching band entrances, etc. If you don’t like the theme and base not going around it GREAT..then no one will have to listen to you complain!
How awesome is it that there are events such as Oasis/Caliente/Ohana/etc??? How lucky are we that people who have their fun boozing it up and collecting dusty ceramics get to party at so many different types of events and meet more and more new friends every year. Give me every gathering---fly me to them all. Let me say hi to my NorCal friends and to my SoCal friends..to the folks in NY and to those at the Mai Kai…lets go party in the desert or hell head off to the slopes for ski tiki. Just give me a mai tai and a reason to throw on a loud Hawaiian shirt and lets do this!
Few honorable mentions..Sleestak your band KILLED IT wandering the hallways, Tiki Hell your pufferfish disco ball was ridiculously awesome, Ikabod rocked as volunteer coordinator, Sabu really DOES have the biggest cactus of them all, Holden – you were missed at Oasis but your warehouse sale was a great way to kick off the weekend, and to Otto and Baby Doe you pretty much deal with 11.5 months of planning for our 1 weekend of partying. THANK YOU!
If people want to complain and aren’t happy with this and that and decide they don’t want to go…
GUESS WHAT?? Plenty of others will take your place and have the fun you are missing out on next year.
See you all at Tiki Oasis 2012 – how many more days until?
I've attended almost every TO since the first one in Palm Springs(before I had kids) and every year there have been activities geared toward kids (thanks King K!), so it's no surprise that families attend TO every year. Gotta always love people without kids offering parenting advice... I was sad to miss this year, but it sounds like it's turning into a bitch fest. If TO is meant to be adults only, Otto should make that clear from the get-go.
