The evening started for G and Droidy with a mad, post work dash to get ready for a hens night with a difference. We went from Burwood East (where we both happen to work) to Wantirna to change from work clothes to PARTY clothes – yer what ever!!! And then we went on to Smith Street, Fitzroy where were assumed we would we would be walking into a dinner in full swing already. However, we actually were the third and fourth people to arrive - the rest of the party trickled in not long afterwards. We all perused the menu at Vilom Thai -most of us took the easy option and ordered from the set menu banquet. The only people that did not order from the banquet were the people that were so allergic to things they made G look like she was not allergic to anything!

The food started to arrive and there was some sharing of entrees so people could avoid the things they did not feel like eating. Entrée consisted of chicken satay, a curry puff, a deep fried prawn, a spring roll, and an onion ring (?) served with sweet chilli sauce. Main course arrived (for most of us) shortly after – green chicken curry, red chicken curry (very yummy), chilli beef (with coriander, yuck) and jasmine rice. This was all well and good for most of us, but the hyper allergenic members of our party were still waiting for something to eat. After a quick time check we told the staff that the meals were still to arrive would need to served take away style and the rest of us would forgo the planned dessert and coffee. We got $2.00 off the set price for this inconvenience (big whoop).

We then ran up the street, some of us with dinner in had to be at Viva Dance for our beginner’s salsa lesson. Hmmm, interesting for these of us who have a hard enough time standing still without falling over. G and Droidy were both laughing quite hard and losing our place with the dance steps. The instructors then dropped the bomb shell that we would have to find a partner and practise the steps we had been taught. Some of the young men who were there were obviously there to pick up and the option of dancing with females who there because of a hens night seemed like a dream come true for them. Unfortunately for them, we had not just come from seeing strippers, nor were we rolling stinking drunk. And worst of all there were very few members of our party that were actually single. But that didn’t stop the young suitor from trying to chat some of us up and one even doing an “oops sorry, didn’t mean that” grope on G. We both danced with three different guys and then managed to leave the dance floor and watch the others behind the safety of a drink.

It was, I have to say, a very inventive idea for a hens night and the fact that strippers and much drunkenness was not involved, was much appreciated. There was however the, “let’s put the bride-to-be in a silly headdress and don all others of the party with silly hair decorations so we could be easily identified”.

The evening finished for G and Droidy not long after the dance lesson finished, but the other hens were staying at the club to dance the night away.