The Rising Tide of Kiltdom at Stanford University

**Alan H** · 3rd August 07, 11:27 AM

I am having fun.

So, I've recruited one guy from a lab upstairs to come out and work out with us on Thursday Nights, and I'm pretty sure he's going to bring the family down to the Ben Lomond Games and throw in the Mens C class. His kids are coming to our workouts and they LOVE Tim C already, and they're warming up to me pretty fast. It's fun. We've got a convert!

AND

I've seen this healthy, strapping lad up on the fourth floor for a while, and finally, yesterday when I saw him taking a sample into the spectrophotometer room, I walked down and introduced myself. I suggested that perhaps he might enjoy coming out and throwing with us. Now, this lad is about 6' 5" and I'd guess he weighs about 275, maybe 285. Turns out his nickname on the hall is Big Ben. It ALSO turns out that he's VERY interested, hails from North Carolina, has Irish parents and has been to the Grandfather Mountain Games many times.

HA!

AND

Yesterday I was walking over for a cup of coffee at the "other" coffee joint here at the Medical Center and I heard a "Hey Alan".....it was Ken, one of me kilted mates from when I worked here before. Back then (last year) I was over at the University Libraries, totally different part of campus. Anyway, we had a gam and Ken says we ought to start-up our Kilted Guys Coffee Fridays, every other friday again. I now have e-mail from Ken scheduling the first Kilted Guys Coffee...e-mail from Chris and Don saying they'll come and e-mail from some guy I don't know at all, saying HE'LL come! Not only that, but at the last Kilted Guys Coffee Friday (which I missed) the student newspaper did an interview of the Kilted Guys. Maybe they'll do another one!

AND

When I was helping one of the professors upstairs with his laptop last week, I joking told him that he ought to have a kilt. Ha, ha! ..... Except that when we were done he walked out of his office with me and down the hall and spotted 4-5 other faculty at the corner yakking about who-knows-what. So Stuart strides up and announces that ALL the faculty should wear kilts and that he wanted to see a little faculty unity!

I laughed...I was kilted that day, but then I got an idea. So I pitched it to him a couple of days ago ....if I'd make hhim a quick-and-dirty camouflage kilt, would he actually WEAR it? "Camouflage" he says? Uh-HUh.....so I show him the Utilikilts website and the Freedom Kilts and website and His next question is... Do Asian guys wear kilts?

So I show him http://www.gunghaggisfatchoy.com.....THANKS Raphael!

And Stuart announces...mind you, Stuart is Korean....HELL YES, he'd wear a kilt.

So I went down to Joanne's and bought a couple of yards of cheap digicamo twill and I'm gonna bang out a *very* fast 4 yard knife pleat with sewn-down pleats and we'll just see. Considering as Stuart is the guy who, for the Genetics Department Annual Retreat Talent Show, did a full-on drag skit of Tina Turner....padded brassiere, fishnet stockings, leather skirt (the mind boggles...Korean guy in drag as Tina Turner?) I think Stuart is not, shall we say..."shy". If anybody will wear it, HE will.

Yes, Kilted Life is good, right now!

**Alan H** · 3rd August 07, 11:28 AM

*bah*...I can't spell "rising"!!!

**Kid Cossack** · 3rd August 07, 11:37 AM

Alan:

Most of the Koreans I've known have been right smart cookies, and it sounds as though Stuart is one too. For me, I can enjoy the kilt BOTH for reasons of heritage and tradition (at least modern generic Celtishness) AND because it's simply a better way to be dressed. Does it go without saying that, were I from Gabon, the second reason would still suffice?

ROCK ON, SIR!

**fluter** · 3rd August 07, 01:44 PM

Originally Posted by Kid Cossack

Does it go without saying that, were I from Gabon, the second reason would still suffice?

I don't get it: does Gabon not have a heritage and tradition of MUGs, as some of their neighbors do? It seems to me that both reasons might apply there.

**Kid Cossack** · 3rd August 07, 03:39 PM

Originally Posted by fluter

I don't get it: does Gabon not have a heritage and tradition of MUGs, as some of their neighbors do? It seems to me that both reasons might apply there.

Hmm, ya got me there. How about Mongolia? I mean, that's where the cursed device was invented, after all (albeit for quite good reasons).