Movember Tales
"well it wasn't an online convention for Buffy The Vampire Slayer...a fun way to raise money whilst looking like a gay 1970's porn star"
Last month I participated in a worldwide event that was something I have wanted to do for a long time. What was it? I hear you scream. Well, it wasn't an online convention for fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer (though the idea does have some merit) but rather the ever growing annual event called 'Movember'.
For the anoraks amongst us, Movember is an annual event whereby males (and, I suppose in some cases, females!! - eek), grow a moustache for the month of November. During this time the mo grower aka 'mo brotha' or his female support aka 'mo sista' raise money for men's health issues. It is, in truth, a fun way to raise money whilst looking like a gay 1970's porn star.
Now I would not know what a Seventies porn star looked like, but mo's were very big (and hairy) in that decade of glam rock, union strikes and slinkies. So I embarked on my mo growing journey. Where would it lead me? would I be able to raise money for this great cause? The answer was 'yes' on both counts.
The mo journey actually led me to, ahem, Luna Park, for the annual Movember party. Now I wasn't sure whether my sad Mexican bandit mo and I would fit in with the gathering of the brothas and sistas. So I arrived on a glorious Movember night with some trepidation. In hindsight I needn't have worried.
Walking through the ticket barrier was like entering the Twilight Zone. Every guy had a mo. Some sistas also sported a mo but their ones were definitely fake ones. Literally there were mo's everywhere. I really thought I had transported through time to an earlier era when mo's were de rigeur, A large number of brothas had dressed up for the part. So, obviously, there were a large number of Village People, lots of cops with the mirror tinted glasses, top gun pilots and even a guy dressed up as Paul Stanley from Kiss.
Walking around, whilst supping on a beer, was entertaining in itself. There were a bunch of elMO's. MOhatma Gandhi, MOahs ark (with a full ark to carry around), Sherlock MOlmes, MOnopoly banker and more Mexicans than you could poke a stick at! For the record I went in my work clothes and not fancy dress.
After walking around for a while I went on a few of the rides including the fantastic MOuse. It was then time for the Movember awards. These included Mo of the year, Lame mo, Mo sista, Mo in character, Mo brotha and a few other ones. I went into the big top together with hundreds of other mo's to see the awards.
The awards were good fun I have to admit. Even Baby John Burgess was there to present the awards to the winners. I was very amazed as to the lengths that the winners went to. There had obviously been some impressive planning along the way. It made my mo feel insignificant but at least I had one much better than the winner of the lame mo!
Afterwards it was dance time. Naturally it was retro and that great mo himself, Freddie Mercury, was being played regularly. Everyone decided to get down and boogie. I even glimpsed a Pharaoh being carried by slaves through the dance crowd.
Finally, I decided to head for the Dogem's before making my way home. It had been a strange but uncannily enjoyable night with lots of amazing characters. Long live the spirit of Movember!
FOOTNOTE: The mo and I amicably parted company on the first of December. The mo was last seen swirling down the bathroom sink.
Last month I participated in a worldwide event that was something I have wanted to do for a long time. What was it? I hear you scream. Well, it wasn't an online convention for fans of Buffy The Vampire Slayer (though the idea does have some merit) but rather the ever growing annual event called 'Movember'.
For the anoraks amongst us, Movember is an annual event whereby males (and, I suppose in some cases, females!! - eek), grow a moustache for the month of November. During this time the mo grower aka 'mo brotha' or his female support aka 'mo sista' raise money for men's health issues. It is, in truth, a fun way to raise money whilst looking like a gay 1970's porn star.
Now I would not know what a Seventies porn star looked like, but mo's were very big (and hairy) in that decade of glam rock, union strikes and slinkies. So I embarked on my mo growing journey. Where would it lead me? would I be able to raise money for this great cause? The answer was 'yes' on both counts.
The mo journey actually led me to, ahem, Luna Park, for the annual Movember party. Now I wasn't sure whether my sad Mexican bandit mo and I would fit in with the gathering of the brothas and sistas. So I arrived on a glorious Movember night with some trepidation. In hindsight I needn't have worried.
Walking through the ticket barrier was like entering the Twilight Zone. Every guy had a mo. Some sistas also sported a mo but their ones were definitely fake ones. Literally there were mo's everywhere. I really thought I had transported through time to an earlier era when mo's were de rigeur, A large number of brothas had dressed up for the part. So, obviously, there were a large number of Village People, lots of cops with the mirror tinted glasses, top gun pilots and even a guy dressed up as Paul Stanley from Kiss.
Walking around, whilst supping on a beer, was entertaining in itself. There were a bunch of elMO's. MOhatma Gandhi, MOahs ark (with a full ark to carry around), Sherlock MOlmes, MOnopoly banker and more Mexicans than you could poke a stick at! For the record I went in my work clothes and not fancy dress.
After walking around for a while I went on a few of the rides including the fantastic MOuse. It was then time for the Movember awards. These included Mo of the year, Lame mo, Mo sista, Mo in character, Mo brotha and a few other ones. I went into the big top together with hundreds of other mo's to see the awards.
The awards were good fun I have to admit. Even Baby John Burgess was there to present the awards to the winners. I was very amazed as to the lengths that the winners went to. There had obviously been some impressive planning along the way. It made my mo feel insignificant but at least I had one much better than the winner of the lame mo!
Afterwards it was dance time. Naturally it was retro and that great mo himself, Freddie Mercury, was being played regularly. Everyone decided to get down and boogie. I even glimpsed a Pharaoh being carried by slaves through the dance crowd.
Finally, I decided to head for the Dogem's before making my way home. It had been a strange but uncannily enjoyable night with lots of amazing characters. Long live the spirit of Movember!
FOOTNOTE: The mo and I amicably parted company on the first of December. The mo was last seen swirling down the bathroom sink.
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