After this weekend, it looks like I'm not cut out for high society.

On Saturday, I tagged along with a friend to a dinner reception before the Illinois vs. Michigan football game. I was told to "dress nicely," which meant not a T-shirt.

With my relaxed "not-wearing-a-T-shirt" mentality, I arrived at the Alumni Center with my friend and his parents. We walked in and saw a nice building, a Hawaiian theme, and many influential people from the University. Apparently this was a bigger deal than I thought.

My friend and I were introduced to a couple of people, which led to awkward 30-second conversations. After a couple rounds of this, my friend and I got some drinks and sat down.

Shortly after that, a lady came by with some Hawaiian-themed finger foods. My friends grabbed various things, and I grabbed a kiwi that was sitting on top of a flower. Apparently this was a garnish.

The waiter scoffed and said, "You can have the garnish if you really want to."

After that thoroughly embarrassing encounter and a dinner with speeches by people I'd never heard of, we left for Memorial Stadium. I was back in my element, screaming at the top of my voice.

Next time, I think I'll stick to football, and stay away from drinks with umbrellas.