Toga.

In 2005, we held a toga party at Guangzhou University.

We were attending a conference that had us spend two weeks in Hong Kong and a week in Guangdong province, traveling between Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and a rural village about two hours outside Zhaoqing. While in Guangzhou, we stayed on campus at the university, and we decided to throw a toga party.

My friend Ben was in charge of inviting guests — conference attendees, students at the university, people we met in the city — and procuring bedsheets for togas. I was responsible for getting a large hall, finding someone to take care of the music, and to procure ‘refreshments’ for the party. By the time everything came together, we were able to host what some local students told us was the best party they had ever attended.

Ben and I and a few friends cleaned up after the party, and then spent the rest of the night in our togas, sitting by the banks of the Pearl River, laughing and enjoying our last few hours in the city.