Field Notes



Field Notes

I reached the party half an hour late. The appointed time was at 10, I arrived late. Susan was still outside waiting for me in the garden. When I arrived she commented on my being fashionably late as ever. I noted at that time, that during parties specifically that punctuality was a virtue in normal circumstances, but during parties, becomes something that should be ignored and be praised for.

We entered the party which was hosted by a friend of Susan. They both kissed on their cheeks for their greeting while I was given a handshake. Her friend's husband is my old friend; we greeted each other with a rough hug, while Susan got a polite handshake from him every bit similar to the one I got from his wife. I noted the differences relationships play with the manner of contact between individuals. The house itself was full people. Couples and singles in equal parts. Seeing them both gathered in a place like this indicated what functions a party serves. For the married couples, it was place to swap gossips, discuss issues and compare their relationships to other couples. While at the same time it was serving as a matching ground for the single people. They were using this as an opportunity to find themselves a partner longtime or short time. This was another lax in one of the strict rules of society. Married couples are not supposed to 'hook up' anymore and stay within their households. However, for them to share a party with people who were obviously do so and joining them from time to time too was also permitted.

The food was all home made. It was also something which struck a different chord with me. I realized that, before marriage, whenever parties were held, the ...