Dutch treat

As you have likely concluded the opportunities for expat social and recreational activities outside the compound are rare and usually involve one of the embassies in the DQ (Diplomatic Quarter, not the soft ice cream though there is actually one of those in Riyadh). A good friend Edith who arranged the desert trip for us during Janet's visit is a Dutch national. She invited me and my Irish buddy Rob - a writer, film-maker and student of early Irish history and culture - as her guests to the Dutch Embassy Spring Fling (or words to that effect...). Not knowing what to expect I decided to go, enjoy the company of my friends (as Rob is a world-class conversationalist, creative and more than a little outrageous) and leave as early as decorum allowed.  

After passing through embassy security which was lax compared to the British and NZ Embassies, we entered an outdoor patio centered on a swimming pool area ringed by soft lights. To my mild surprise there was a bar with a narrow offering of beverages that one might enjoy at Walnut Grove, Peter's Pub or Church Brew Works. My friends opted for a malt beverage while I stayed loyal to white wine - not an especially good one but hey it was the real thing! Filipino guys in uniform circulated among the linen covered cafe tables lining the pool offering hors-d'oeuvres. I accepted a small strip of what looked like bacon - though that was unlikely to impossible - and found it to be chilled and salty, perhaps herring. To my distress I later learned that I had digested eel but survived the experience without adverse effects...

The guests were young middle-aged to older dressed in business casual. Except for the Dutch language I might have been at a Happy Hour reception at the Fox Chapel Field Club - well, actually I've never been to any event at the Field Club so this is just a wild guess!   Although Edith assured us that most educated Dutch people speak English we generally conversed among ourselves, trying to determine whether the Dutch Ambassador might appear and if so how we would be able to identify him or her...After two small glasses of fermented grape and great conversation, I was ready for a meal which was served buffet style - an interesting hybrid of Dutch-Arabic including little sausages and fish with veal and chicken kabobs. We had just finished our meal when a few couples headed for a section clearly designated as the dance floor. I had no intention of humiliating myself in this regard but Edith and Rob were insistent so I gave it my best Saturday Night Fever imitation. After three vigorous pop-rock sets, I had exhausted my repertoire of dance floor moves and retreated to my table, finished my glass and then called for my driver...

It was an enjoyable evening with good friends in lovely setting, an experience that was distinctive because of its normality. Adult men and women together conversing freely, behaving well and enjoying one other's company, good food and beverage and real music in a relaxed, low stress environment. That such an experience is so rare in this environment is notable...