The following is the account of my grand day yesterday at the 10th and last annual Presidential Sculpture Unveiling. {As you may already know my brother and I as well as my friend Luseach* were to play lobby music.}
My day began early in the morning. I stumbled half asleep down the hall to my parents bedroom where Mum curled my hair; the first step to my rather dramatic transformation from the groggy, tousle-haired morning me, to the poshed** up musician that followed two hours later when we arrived at the theatre.
The car ride there was long, so I made the most of it by sleeping most of the way.
*I translated her name for privacy purposes
**British informal word: stylish, upper classy, etc.
The theatre was done-up with all sorts of patriotic things for the day, bulletins and presidential brochures were handed out at the door.
Feeling a bit over done, we unpacked our instruments only to find that the theatre had no place set up for us. It was three minutes till we had to start. We scrambled to the manager's office and he sent one of the staff to get us chairs. We waited but she soon returned chair-less. They apparently had been moved to heaven knows where.
At five past nine we had finely tracked down someone who knew where the chairs were and set up, beginning the song almost before we had adjusted the music stands.
Not to brag or anything, but I think we were fantastic! {says modest me ;)} At least for pulling it together in two days, not bad at all.
The ceremony was grand in itself, and slightly emotional for the president of... well, the presidents project, it being the last real unveiling and all. Yes, it was nice to listen to the speakers and sculptors{my Da included} talk about the newest stationary members.
But afterwards I shall remember always. Afterwards was the VIP Presidents-associated people only dinner at a five star hotel, complete, may I add, with foreign waiters.
For someone used to going to steakhouses the elegant chandeliers, white linen tablecloths, and waiters with accents{I could listen to them talk
all day}, it knocked me sideways! Don't think I don't like the rustic ranch restaurants we usually visit, heaven's above no! I love the atmosphere there! But this, this was something completely different. And the food was so beautiful and carefully made..! Of course I snuck pictures, even though the dark-haired lady gave me several disapproving looks. She probably thought I'd never been to such a place. Which of course is true.
Dinner was three courses(!) First, a light appetizer of french bread and garlic butter, and lemon water{above}. I admit that because I had had no breakfast I consumed five pieces of bread and three glasses of water. I would have eaten more bread but Mum said I had to share with my brothers.
I was hungry!
Second was the main. Gourmet tender steak {which I didn't care for. Meat should taste like meat, not plants} and a whole lot o' salad. How ever much I may hate eating greens, in the spirit of experiencing new things I bathed the leaves in Italian dressing and gave it the heave-ho. On reflection, I should have realized that they would have made the dressing fancy in some way and that I should have tasted a tad before sticking a forkful of saturated foliage in my mouth. But I didn't and therefore the taste I faced was not the tangy make-your-mouth-tingle taste I love that comes from plastic bottles, but the strong bitter flavor of white wine. It was so strong that I could actually feel my sinuses clearing. What an awful surprise. Especially to someone who has just plucked up courage to eat salad after years of refusing its dreadful leafy bits.
After that unfortunate event and the main course was over coffee was served. *angel chorus* What delicio café it was too! Yumyumyumyumyum! I cannot drink plain house coffee, I just can't. But if it comes from a coffee shop or some place like this *sighs*. There are just certain things in this world that are set high above their kinds. Food: Çhocolat Animal: Horse Drink: Coffee :)
I like my café best with about a third cream and two table spoons sugar or even black with honey.
I love this photo, by the way. Doesn't it just look so warm and cozy? Perfect for the chilly autumn days ahead.
*Takes deep breath* And then there was dessert. *needs another deep breath*
Okay, I am not a food person{though I do have a sweet tooth}. At all. If I could survive I would probably go days without eating because I simply don't care for food. But this..! Dessert was just so beautiful! This was my Mum's Cremé Brulé. She let me taste it. It's like the best vanilla pudding on the planet with a crunchy, sugary, caramel-y top.
I got about two and a half cups of the richest apple cobbler ever. The cinnamon alone was to die for! And as an artistic touch they spiraled caramel over it. I'm making myself hungry now.
My younger brother had apple cobbler too, and my older one had chocolat cake, which he described as like a muffin -- but not!
Oookay... Moving on!
Having artistry in the blood, us children of course took the opportunity to 'play with our food'. This is Older Brother's plate. Sadly, I had no chocolate sauce to draw with.
All too soon the glamorous party dinner came to an end, alas. But I shall always have fond memories of my first really fancy dinner. The whole thing was a little surreal; I kept thinking that in a few hours I'd be back in my blue jeans seeing to Roanie, cleaning her feet and applying smelly ointment to the sores on her belly and back where the flies ferociously gather, knowing their pathetic days are numbered.
It was like for two hours I was two very different people. Kind of a fun sensation. :)
Now it is Sunday night and yesterday already feels so long ago. But if there's one thing I learned yesterday{besides taste gourmet things with caution} it's that you don't always have to be outdoors to experience an adventure.
-Gwyn
