I have been overwhelmed by your response to my narration of the details of part I of the event I participated in. So here I am again with part II, where the preparations we made for part I came into fruition. Let me give you a few glimpses of the event. Since there were so many people, I had taken pictures before the event started. Yesterday focused on group photos, which I can't share without consent, but I'll try to give you some idea. Unfortunately, my friends, the happy backbenchers that they are, were sitting in the back seats and didn't manage to take any good pictures of me during the main part of the event.

So I am starting with the cherry on top, literally and figuratively. The best part of the event was the dessert, which was a brownie glazed with chocolate, paired with ice cream, and topped with a cherry.

I'm quite satisfied with my performance as a compère yesterday. There were a few blips; it felt like my mind went blank for a second or two. I hope the audience didn't notice much—maybe it was the heat or something else, I'm not sure. I had a really busy morning. My husband was leaving for a few days, and I had a lot on my plate, which might have contributed to it. Overall, it was okay. I was really tired as I hadn't had time to take lunch and had a day of curation as well.

Other than that, everything went smoothly. I was able to engage the audience. We had some games with the guest of honor, and I tried not to bore everyone with a scripted and robotic speech. The feedback indicated that I was somewhat successful, but then again, people are too polite these days.

After dinner, people were eager to have their photos taken in front of the backdrop and decorations, leaving us little time and space to take our own photos. Anyways, @event-horizon and I managed to take a group photo of our duo. It's not in front of the main backdrop, but it's okay, I guess. She is just back from her parents' place and all glowy and recharged! I'm happy that she made it back just before the event.

We managed to get a photo at one of my favorite spots at the event. Yes, you remembered it right: the seat of the chief guest. Hehehe.

The dinner was very scrumptious; I ate to my heart's content. The guests and everyone enjoyed our performances. I received a token of appreciation, which complemented my other blue pottery collection so well. It was truly a memorable evening.

The ambiance was perfect, with laughter and lively conversations filling the air. I couldn't have asked for a better ending to the event. As I reflected on the day, I realized how fortunate I was to be surrounded by such supportive friends and colleagues. This experience will surely be cherished for years to come.

_{top: my previous collection
bottom: I got this pretty tray yesterday}

Can I let you in on a little secret? All this blue pottery has been gifted to me by different people at different occasions :)