INTERNATIONS BABYLON

You got to admit Babylon is a great name for what is considered for some ‘a den of iniquity’ and for others ‘a nightclub’.  They could have opted for Sodom or Gomorrah but that’s not as poetic. 

Internations had, what they termed ‘their Oscar night’.  Everyone was required to glam up, and some did.  There are always those die-hards that just won’t rise to an occasion and then complain and sneer when they see others have ‘gone over the top’ (in their eyes) or just ‘look stupid’.  Did I glam up?  Sadly I did not attend.  I rarely do.  Why?  I’d rather hear things second hand and then write about them. 

Babylon’s night was apparently fantastic according to all the reviews written on the website and posted to me.  One of the best nights it was said.  Someone sighed in relief and said ‘There are a lot more expats than normal.  At last a balance is being reached.’  (See past posts where expats stopped going because of the Turkish to foreign ratio made it hard to even enter conversations with those that could string an English sentence together, not to mention the huge meat market).

Dancing didn’t start till later which gave everyone a chance to be photographed holding an Oscar by some French guy new to the scene who had a funny beard (?).  I’m not sure what to make of that since reports are (a) it looked painted on and (b) a tattoo.  Was that his way of glaming up for the night?

Some of the ladies who made the effort to glam up were stunning (and I’ve seen the pictures).  One guy (a regular of Internations) looked edible in his black tux and bow tie with a sticker calling himself ‘Mr. Big’.  He looked it in all the delicious sense of Mr. Big from Sex and the City. 

Everyone was asked and required to write on a sticker their favorite film and then post in onto their body.  This is known as the icebreaker, so you an easily go up to someone and ask about their film, compare of even say ‘snap’. 

Then the Oscar ceremony began and no one can tell me what that was about and for what Oscars people got.  But mainly I believe it was for looking glam.  The French photographer gave out the award and called their names out.  Each winner (four of them) had to come up onto the stage.  Mr. Big made it and so he should.  A girl in a black tutu dress and a colored lady so gorgeous the French photographer called her Beyonce and then insulted her by saying ‘Beyonce still looking pregnant!’  Babylon took a deep intake of breath.  Apart from this being unjustifiable (since the Beyonce lookalike had a fab figure) it was totally outrageous of him to say this.  He should have got the sack there and then.  Luckily he managed to not continue to be totally obnoxious.  Another regular to Internations won for her glammed up look, or perhaps for the title of the film she choose ‘Deep throat.’  Luckily for Internations she is liked by many since she manages (unlike many) to cover the room, chatting to everyone, making introductions and laughing a lot.  She often presides at the newcomer’s desk to help out and is often asked to be someone’s wingman for a specific introduction.  Although glammed up that night (as apparently she always is) she probably got the Oscar out of appreciation for past efforts.   The lifetime award perhaps?

Dancing was wild with the DJ doing a very good job of catering to everyone’s tastes given the ages of those attending spanned 3 decades.  There was a lot of drinking, as you would expect in a place called Babylon and apparently some groping as well.  No one seemed to mind, after all it was Babylon.