PARTY FOUL!

Don’t act like you haven’t heard it before.  According to Urban Dictionary, it’s “something socially unacceptable done in a social gathering.” For those of us who have been in the presence of a party foul or may have accidentally committed one ourselves, we know that they’re much more than that.

Thanks to digital cameras, your unfortunate lack of judgment will probably be plastered all over the Internet before you even have the chance to pull your head out of the toilet the next morning.  But no matter how bad things get for you, just thank your lucky stars that you’ve never committed any of these…

You haven’t, right?

Tossing Your Cookies. This is quite possibly the most commonly seen party foul. If you really have to throw up, try making it to the bathroom.  When your pre-drinking meal ends up on a fellow partier or in a potted plant— major party foul.

Bed Hog. “Getting jiggy with it” is not a party foul itself, but when you’re doing whatever you do in someone else’s bed— not so cool. Especially if you don’t know whose bed it is. Extra bonus points if you wake up next to the biggest creep at the party. He may have looked like Rupert Grint last night, but this morning your Harry Potter hottie looks a lot like a steroid-induced Carrot Top. Yummy.

Dancing Queen. The next time you get the urge to clear the dance floor and whip your hair back and forth, don’t.  Only one person on the planet can actually look cute flinging their head around like a crazy person and that’s Miss Willow Smith herself. Anyone else who feels like attempting this dance move should resort to doing so in the privacy of their own home…doors locked, curtains closed.

The Hot Mess. You might have your way with the fellas sober, but if you’ve been pounding down the spiked punch all night you may want to back off a little. When you start hitting on every guy at the party with fake eyelashes dangling off your face and your breath reeking of the soggy chips you just found on the floor, it’s time to call it quits for the night.

American Idol. So, you think your voice is God’s gift to the world? Well once your favorite song comes on and you start belting out the lyrics to “The Climb” at top of your lungs, you’ll have people running for the door. Stay off the furniture, it’s not a stage. And when your audience is throwing beer cans at you, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Somebody’s Trippin’. Blame it on the a-a-alcohol all you want, but no one is going to care why you just belly-flopped into the middle of the floor. Whatever the reason, it was hilarious and certainly party foul-worthy. And possibly a candidate for America’s Funniest Home Videos.

Duel it Out. There’s nothing like watching fights get broken out over the most ridiculous things. Girls pull each other’s hair, guys punch walls— it’s lots of fun. Usually the fights conclude with the girls “hugging it out” and apologizing for hitting on each other’s boyfriends and the guys making up for lost drinking time by doing multiple keg stands.

In the end, a party isn’t a party without a few drunken messes stumbling around, breaking things and wondering why they’re never invited back again.  No one wants to be “that girl,” but for the sake of everyone’s entertainment, we might as well get those referee’s whistles blowin’.

What’s the worst party foul you’ve ever been called out on or witnessed? Tell us in the comments or, better yet, give us the deets in an anonymous morning after story.

There’s a great many things to do and places to see in this world of ours.  As humans, our lives are pretty short (and if you party like I do, it’s probably going to be even shorter).  So we have to prioritize!  We have brains for a reason and that reason is…reasoning (well, at least some of us use them for that purpose: see comment about partying above).  Let me be your voice of reason as I show you all the things you should be doing right here, right now.

Let’s look at the facts – our economy is bad, everyone is cutting back, no one has money (maybe that’s just me), and even the weather is bad.   If there was ever a time that vacations were needed, it’s now.  Whatever happened to the glory days of the traditional random college backpacking trip or the “I need to find myself” adventure to who-knows-where?  Well, go find yourself!  Actually, I already found you – you’re in Japan. And you’re having the time of your life.

Here’s just a few of the reasons why you should go to Japan:

Hot Guys – Scoff if you must, but Japanese guys are very good looking.  High cheekbones, sweet lips, fabulous hair, impeccable style, etc.  They also tend to be edgy (underground music scene and such) and they know how to party (think long nights stomping around the different bars, clubs, and karaoke rooms of Tokyo).  But they’re not all play – these guys know how to put their pretty noses to the grindstone and they come out all sexy and intelligent on the other end (having a job doesn’t hurt, either).

Fashion – If you want new fashion and edgy style, then Tokyo is your city.  They are unafraid to try new things and you’ll see some things walking around that you’d never have thought of…until you saw it next year on a runway in Milan.  Luckily, most of the cool stuff is pretty cheap because they love a good deal in Japan.  Find your way to Harajuku or Shibuya (both parts of Tokyo) and you’ll come out with bags upon bags of happy.  Just expect some serious stares when you get back to the US.

Food – The immediate thought is, of course, “sushi.”  Sushi is amazing in Japan, but much the same as the good-quality sushi restaurants that we have here in the US.  If you really want good food, get yourself to the countryside or some city street vendors.  Can you say “yakitori”??  Well, you will after a couple glasses of plum wine.  Don’t forget – Japan is the place that Kobe beef come from, so you can never go wrong with a beef dish.

History -  If you’re a history buff (or you’re just looking to give some validation to your random trip to Japan by visiting castle and whatnot), then you probably are already aware of all the amazing things that are packed into that tiny little island.  Monuments are a favorite of Japanese people and you will probably notice the massive amounts of schoolchildren in cute little uniforms blocking your view of the giant wooden Buddha or whichever monument you choose to see.

Scenery – To start, the architecture is amazing.  Tokyo is arguably the most beautiful modern city in the world, filled with lights and shiny objects (yayyy shiny objects!).  Kyoto is another amazing city, filled with equal parts old-school temples and buildings as well as the technological wonders you find in Tokyo.  Venturing beyond cities, you’ll find mountains and rolling fields of awesomeness, not to mention the seaside and even a big inland freshwater lake!

Culture – From tea ceremonies to karaoke, you’ll never want for an interesting cultural experience.  More often than not, you’ll feel like a fish out of water, hopelessly opening and closing your mouth while you gape at whatever is happening in front of you.  But don’t worry!  Japanese people are, for the most part, very friendly and warm and they will do all they can to include you in their culture…even if that means pushing a prayer stick  in your hand and then making you walk across a pile of burning logs.  But I digress…

When you come back from Japan, you’ll be stylish, experienced, well-traveled, and sporting a couple of hot Japanese boy toys.  And, if you were a good little traveler, you’ll be able to impress your friends with some sweet Japanese phrases (“Watashi no nihongo wa heta desu!”) while you make them look at all your photos.

Fall Break may be over, but those few glorious weeks of winter vacation are so, so tantalizingly close. And while it’s nice to hang out with your family for a little while, let me guess—you want to get away. Far, far away. Preferably somewhere closer to the equator.

Am I right? Yeah, OK.

Even if a vacation isn’t in the cards right now, odds are you’ll be planning some kind of trip in the future. And at first doing all that planning by yourself (or even splitting it up with friends) can seem overwhelming. There are so many logistics to handle… booking, scheduling, packing, etc.

So why do it yourself? Let me help!

1. Booking. If you’re traveling by car or bus or train (or hitchhiking), you can count on prices for gas or tickets to stay nearly constant. Look out for special student deals or travel packages, but you shouldn’t otherwise have to worry about fluctuating fees. If you’re going by air, though, make friends with FareCast, a sweet site that compiles data on changing air prices and will make predictions for you about when are the best times to buy. And triple-check your arrival and departure dates to make SURE you don’t double-book yourself with any other activities.

2. Scheduling. Personality plays into this to a certain degree. Do you like to go with the flow and take things as they come, or are you the type of person who needs to have every hour of your trip planned out? (Hint: If you’re 100% one or the other, don’t travel with someone who’s the opposite.) Even if you’re a more casual traveler, there are still a few things you really should plan in advance of getting your tickets:

- Accommodations. It will suck if you have to spend the night in a park because your friends in the destination city are all on vacation as well and you don’t have enough cash for a hotel.

- Logistics. How are you going to get to and from the airport/station? Do you have a map? Will you need to rent a car? About how expensive is the place you’re going?

- Emergency. If you get lost, who can you call for help? If a sketchy guy starts to follow you around and tries to strike up a looong conversation, do you know someone nearby who can bail you out if needed? If your wallet gets stolen, do you have a backup form of currency?

3. Packing. There are many things you can go without, so try to stay light—you’ll be happy you did. But don’t forget clothes. Plan your outfits so you don’t overpack, and try to reuse key items. Remember the underwear and bras. Pack pads or tampons if you might need them. And medications. And SHOES. No matter where you’re going, pack at least one very comfortable pair. Even if you think you know the weather ahead of time, include one outfit for cooler weather and one outfit for warmer weather. Bring snacks, too. Finally, don’t rely on your cell phone. Make a paper list (yes, paper) of all the numbers in your address book. That way, you can still get out of a tough situation if you happen to lose your phone.

These tips should get you through the planning stages and get you onto that plane to paradise.

From all of us at CC, happy travels!

[Image courtesy of travelindiasmart.com.]