What better time to start a blog than the days after Thanksgiving. Speaking of Thanksgiving, contrary to what everyone back home may think, we do have turkeys (Butterballs) and fresh cranberries in the Arabian Gulf region. We might not get snow here but we do get the foodstuffs.
So this year was a small gathering, only 13 rather than the usual 18-22. It was the first here in Saudi Arabia. The turkey came out perfect- probably becasue I finally had a large oven American style stove (read that with proper temperature guages) to use rather than the small European ones that came with my apartments in Dubai. Because we were all new to KSA, dinner was really potluck. The women cooked and the single men bought drinks (non-alcoholic naturally). Dinner was set for 2:30, turkey came out at 1:45 exactly to the minute as planned, appetizers went in to heat and by 2:10 the dinner was on.
By 5:30 I had kicked everyone out of the house and the lady that I hired to clean was making vast inroads to the pile of dirty dishes and pot and pans. I had to go over the Causeway to Bahrain to another dinner with the Chaine des Rotissuers. Since the theme for the dinner was Italian I didn't get a second turky dinner.
I have been a member of the Chaine des Rotissuers - Dubai since February so this was my first experience going to another branches' dinner. I will say the crowd was small but very nice. I think because I was a visiting member, I was seated at the head table, and since this was Italian themed, the Italian ambassador to Bahrain was also at the table. The conversation was terrifice. It was interesting talking and listening to politics from a completely different prospective.
The food- what can I say. My first champagne in over 4 months. I induldged with 3 glasses before dinner. WIne was served with each course but only two white for the started and red for the main. A bit disappointing but as they say "beggers can't be choosers".
My driver Khalid, bless his heart arrived at 12:00 was we had agreed but since the wait staff was a bit slow, we hadn't finished dessert and speeches so I was late coming out. By now Khalid is accustom to having to wait for me so he was outside talking to the security guards and not too excited that I was 30 minutes late. --The blessing of mobile phones, I had sent him a message that I would be late.
Going over the Causeway to Bahrain took almost 90 minutes, coming home from Bahrain the total trip took less than 30. --We left before the bars closed in Bahrain I guess.
