A World Picnic

We pack Elizabeth Hurley into the car with Shark, Squirrel and Tiger and drive off to Big Park. Because today, thanks to the parks department, there's a World Picnic. That sounds promising. With a World Picnic I can show Elizabeth Hurley that we are not quite the backwater she probably thinks we are, and I can tick multicultural education at the same time.

Of course it's not just an excuse to show off our world status here in Smalltown. Oh no. There's some proper learning involved too. For a start I have no idea what Bhangra is. The flyer that I picked up from the library last week promises Bollywood dancing, African choir, Celtic, Folk, bellydancing and Bhangra. Bhangra is beyond me. I fondly think one of the children might be inspired to ask about music around the world, and Bangra in particular, so off I go to Wikipedia to do some research. Now if Shark asks I can impress everyone by talking Wiki about Bally Sagoo and DJ Stormz.

When we get there and shove Elizabeth Hurley into the field with the kids it's clear that the World bit of the World Picnic is a bit overstated. The local Gospel singers have bussed in extra support and seem to taking up quite a bit of stage time. Then there's some cute kids doing the Bollywood dancing, and something else which could be Bhangra. I'm not sure and wonder if there are sound files on Wikipedia.

Actually the Picnic bit of the World Picnic is a bit of an overstatement too. Grit has packed a disappointing picnic of six bananas and some oat biscuits. And there's no hippy stall selling gumbo, which was what I was relying on.

Anyway, we're not disappointed because we bump into the Hat and Guitarman, whom we haven't seen for ages, so Grit and Dig spend a lot of time chatting and not doing much listening to what's possibly Bhangra, or in eating bananas or oat biscuits. Elizabeth Hurley gets bored and goes off to play with the children by rolling down hills. That's an excellent start in my book since now I don't have to do it. Then Elizabeth Hurley starts to complain about going dizzy. This fatigue is apparently cured only by scoffing hot-dogs and guzzling Coke.

And so we spend the afternoon, chatting, rolling down hills and guzzling Coke against the sound of the local gospel choir. All in all, the World Picnic lives up to its promises, in a local sort of way. But we're not complaining. After all, it's a parks department event, and free. And we'll say that the attendance will grow in years to come.