I’ve been in Luxembourg all week for an EU business summit, which means many interesting-ish meetings and a massive themed costume party. Last year’s theme was The Great Gatsby, which meant I got to wear my tux (always a delight), but this year’s theme was The Future Is Now, which, I’m sorry, but what does that even mean? I got Ashley and Justin and Amanda to give me costume ideas (all brill, of course) and then procrastinated until even Amazon couldn’t deliver fast enough to be on time. Only by that time I had decided that I really ought to at least make an effort, so I googled futuristic looks and found stuff like this:

And I thought, oh that looks cool and simple enough, why don’t I try that? So I toddle off to Sephora where I become best friends with the lady who gives me a costume-makeup tutorial and sends me home with some colourful fard (what’s that in English?), eyeliner, and glitter.

I then proceed to make a complete mess of my face—because apparently my mad makeup skillz from high school musical days have got a bit rusty and in any case never involved futuristic war paint and glitter. Drat. So I wipe everything off and try three more times until finally I settle for something that is not embarrassing—but which in reality is so subtle that no one could tell I put anything on at all, except for the random glitter in my eyebrows.

Even so, the party was fun…

…and at the point when everyone else was drunk and I was ready for bed, I walked out though the charming old cobblestone streets, past a little stone tower where the old city walls had been, and up a moonlit forest path to my hotel.