Gone on safari

South African Tourism wants you to visit South Africa. Last night, I hitched a ride on Nicola's press pass to see Wild Safari 3D: A South African Adventure.

I haven't seen a 3D movie since Creature from the Black Lagoon, which I saw in the theater when I was about 10. 3D has come a long way. First, the little square cardboard glasses with one blue lens and one red lens are now enormous and plastic, with a clear lens. Second of all, the effects were amazing. I was surprised to learn there are only about 150 IMAX theaters worldwide.

When the film ended, I remarked to Nicola that I wish I'd gone on safari while I was in South Africa for her wedding. "You just did," she said, and well, I couldn't argue with that. It really did feel like I'd just gone on safari. Then we headed over to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel for the after party.

They went all out for the after party. A human sculpture featuring nearly naked people painted like animals? Check. South African boy band? Check. Authentic South African food and wine? Check. $2000 South Africa trip as a raffle prize? You got it. Check. So we drank and ate and marveled at how terrible the band was and nearly threw down with an annoying women who looked like the medium in Poltergeist, only taller. It was all quite grand. As was our parting gift – a bag containing a CD, a bottle of South African wine and a Carrol Boyes bottle stopper, the latter of which didn't mean much to me as a non-South-African, but Nicola assured me it was some serious bling for a press event gift bag.

I'm not generally a fancy event type of person, but last night's was a good time. As was watching Farrah Fawcett on Letterman when I got home. Anyone see that train wreck?