Party at the US Embassy

I mentioned on my last post that we were planning on going to go to a party at the US Embassy.  The party started at 7 and you could only arrive during 7:00 to 9:00.  After 9:00 they would no longer let you in.  There is a lot of security that goes along with the whole thing.  But for now, I think I need to back track a little.

I started my day by eating a banana (from the fruit bowl that was replenished daily in the room) and then hopping on the treadmill for a 5 mile run.  After this I showered and then later Matt came back to the room so we could order lunch from room service.  (At the hotel, room service or the one Italian restaurant downstairs were the only options due to Ramadan fasting.  You are not supposed to eat in public so the hotel has one restaurant that is curtained off where you can eat or they will deliver room service to non Muslims.)

By the time lunch came I was pretty hungry so this is what I had for lunch.

This was tian of king crab.  It was so good.  Layered with avocado, pomelo, and other good stuff.  So yummy. I ate the whole thing.

This was followed by some roast chicken.  Three pieces to be exact and while you can't really see it, there is a round of polenta under the chicken.  Again, I ate the entire thing along with a little pita and a glass of fresh watermelon juice (the exception to my no juice rule.) Why am I telling you what I ate? Well, perhaps some of you can see where I am going with this.  Keep in mind that this was all at around 1:30- 2:00.

I spent the rest of the afternoon packing up my things since we would be leaving the hotel and returning to the compound later that evening.  Around 6:30 I started getting ready for the party.  These are my new shoes that I wore.

I love these shoes!  They needed their own photo since they are a nude shade and don't exactly show up very well in the picture.  And also they are so comfortable.  I have the feeling that I am going to be placing a little more importance on shoes these days since they are the only things anyone is ever going to see.

This was what I wore.  See... kind of grainy picture and the shoes don't necessarily show up.  There is no flash on the iPod camera and the lighting in the room was kind of dim but you get the idea.

It took about 20 minutes to get to the Diplomatic Quarter.  Once inside there are hundreds of different embassies.  Even though Matt had gotten directions from someone, it still took a while to find the US embassy.  All the embassies look alike.  Eventually though, we did find it.  Once there, they checked our passports and took Matt's keys and cell phone and also my iPod... so no more pictures.  After we were cleared we went in through a metal detector and they x-rayed the contents of my purse.  We both passed and then we were allowed to enter the party which basically had a heavy nightclub vibe going on.  Loud music, dim lighting, pool lit up, hookahs set up on the floor, and of course... plenty of alcohol.  Real stuff... not homemade.

Now at this point in time, it was probably about a quarter to 9, so we lined up in the alcohol line and ordered up.  I just ordered a white wine.  There was about 4 oz in a little plastic cup.  At this point, I still didn't really feel hungry, probably because I had eaten such a large lunch... but, to do the math, it had been about 7 hours since I had last eaten anything.  (Now can you see where I am going with this?)  The party was almost entirely out doors and it was still very warm out.  Probably low 90's, although there were ceiling fans and things.  Apparently casual at the US embassy means anything from jeans and a tee shirt, to something you would wear to a nightclub.  I fell somewhere in between.  Although I must say... there was a lot of cleavage going around.

We did a lap around the place and Matt recognized no one, so we found a seat near the dance floor and drank our drinks.  After a while, Matt went to go get another round and asked me if I wanted a refill... to which I said sure, why not?  At this point, it did occur to me that I should probably eat something... and there was food there... but it just seemed to be too much of a bother and I really wasn't hungry, and once you start drinking... well, who really wants food?

By the time Matt returned with round two, I had just about finished my first drink.  We danced a little and then Matt said that he had run into some people that he knew so we decided to go join them.  It was nice to actually meet people in an environment where you don't really have to worry about what you do or say.  Eventually Matt and I went off to go find the bathrooms and after that we somehow ended up in the drink line again, because there were people he knew that were almost to the front of the line.  That was how the crucial drink number 3 ended up in my hands.  (Please note that in between drinks 2 and 3, I did have a cup of water and a cup of ice.) Also, who wants to go back to a table where everyone is drinking and not have a drink?  So we went back to the table and I had quite a good time.  Met some very nice people and I completely behaved myself.  Well, I did pretty good for me.  At 11:30 they shut down the bar, and at 12:00 they kicked us all out.  I left on my own two feet a little tipsy but definitely not sloppy!  Had a marvelous time and definitely want to attend more of those parties.

The problem came when we left the embassy.  They had blocked off the main entrance (and the entire quarter is HUGE) so Matt ended up driving around and around and around before we finally made it out.  Then we were on an unfamiliar street with no gas and all of the signs are in Arabic making it quite confusing to figure out where one is going.  When we finally arrived at a gas station the smell of gas was quite overwhelming and I said, I think that I am going to need some water.  So Matt purchased me a bottle inside the little shop.  I drank some but it took forever to get home and due to Ramadan, the traffic at 1:30 was CRAZY! So there was all this stop and go and stop and go.  Eventually we arrived in an area that I recognized and I think it's kind of like when you really have to go to the bathroom, the closer you get to it the more you have to go.... till you just can't stand it?  Anyway, we were about five minutes away and I knew that I was never going to make it so Matt pulled over and I puked out the window.  Not my finest hour.  Not a single chunk in case you were wondering... just straight wine.  Felt much better afterwards.  Also, when we got back to the compound about 3 minutes later, I realized with all those speed bumps and windy roadblocks, there is no way that I would have made it.  And better to puke outside the compound than inside.  Later, when we were inside, Matt asked me if I puked on the car, to which I answered... "Come on, do you really think that I managed to puke away from the car?"  Yeah, probably not.  (He cleaned it off... sorry about that!)

So what is the lesson to be learned here?  Don't drink?  No, that can't be it.  If you are going to drink... eat?  Probably closer.... Or maybe just get better directions home.  Yeah, I think I'll go with that one!