Oberlin Blogs

How to put together a successful CSA film festival

April 18, 2009

Zoe McLaughlin ’11

11:00 PM the night before
Spend about two hours cooking butterfly cookies and egg tarts as snacks for the event. Become horrified at how much sugar you're using in the cookies. Fail at rolling out crust for the egg tarts and demote self to shaping the crusts in the muffin tins. Assert that the meringue from the leftover egg whites was made by authentic Chinese people and therefore it's okay to save. Sing along to "Can You Feel the Love Tonight."

11:45 AM the day of
Encounter a fellow CSA member in the hall that you both live on. Question her as to what time you are supposed to meet that night to make boba for the bubble tea. Are told to read the minutes. Go back to your room, mess with GMail, and do so.

6:45 PM
Arrive in the co-op's kitchen to help make tapioca for the bubble tea. Realize that this job definitely does not call for five people. Learn that a watched pot never boils.

8:00 PM
Meet in the Science Center to help make the actual bubble tea. Fail to find the tea-makers so hang out with other members of CSA instead. Eventually find the tea-makers in time to drink tea and eat snacks. Eat way too many butterfly cookies. Try to figure out how the projector works.

9:00 PM
Coerce people to watch the movie by offering them food. Ignore the fact that you're eating a lot of that food. Start the movie. Wait for stragglers.

9:15 PM
Watch some of the movie. Become rather confused because you've missed the first fifteen minutes. Snicker at inappropriate moments.

9:40 PM
Help clean up from the food frenzy. Scrub a tea pot until it is scrupulously clean. Use wet paper towels to clean up tea stains from the table. Consider doing work. Actually get some chemistry reading done before getting distracted by talk of orchestra.

10:25 PM
Watch as people file out from the movie. Reconnoiter with CSA members. Try to figure out what time to show up for the movie tomorrow. Drink random beverages from a Chinese grocery store in Cleveland. Stay until someone with a key to lock the lecture hall arrives.

11:00 PM
Receive a call from the person with the key saying that the doors are locked, you just have to shut the door. Decide that this was a worthwhile use of time anyway. Shut the door. Prepare to repeat the process the next day.

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