It was a strangely unfamiliar experience to wear smart shoes and go out to lunch, especially when lunch was at the reception hall of the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates. A few of our Diplomatic Hospitality group had been invited there as a treat.
We were coaxed into sampling a whole range of Middle East and North African specialities personally prepared by members of the embassies that took part (the UAE, Yemen, Jordan, Egypt, Tunisia, Iraq, Sudan, Lebanon) with such delicious flavours in the ingredients!— Mediterranean herbs and spices in the savoury dishes, rose water in the desserts. It was healthy food too; it's rare that I consume so much without suffering any indigestion afterwards. To drink, Yemeni coffee or Iraqi tea, Rarkadeh, lemonade or chai was served, no wine of course.
The cheerful atmosphere was intoxicating enough without alcohol. A musician played dance music on a Syrian lute and the Ambassadors' wives who were our hostesses moved gracefully around the room in their national clothes, greeting everyone and encouraging us to dance.
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