Och!

We decided we had one last ball in us for this season, so on the 24th of November we went to the Dhaka Caledonian Society's St. Andrew's Ball. We hadn't thought about it until the Chieftain of the DCS called Patrick at home about two weeks before the ball to ask him if he wanted tickets. It was good she'd called -- Patrick got six tickets for us and two other couples, and the Ball ended up being completely sold out. We went with Patrick's colleague Angela and our friend Jeremy, who's here working on a USAID project, and met Jennifer's colleague Wendy and her husband Ifthekar there.

We arrived just in time for the Selkirk Grace, the traditional Scottish prayer before meals. After a small appetizer, the haggis was brought in to great fanfare. We're not sure that the haggis is a standard part of every St. Andrew's Ball (it's more of a Burns Supper thing), but it was welcome, anyway. Burns's "To a Haggis" was recited superbly, and everyone who wanted some got a big plate full of the "great chieftan o' the puddin'-race." Then came the main course (for those who still had room!).

The British High Commissioner led us all in the Loyal Toast (short & sweet: "Ladies and Gentlemen, The Queen."), then gave a reasonably funny speech about the Scots. The Chieftain spoke next, and then it was time to dance! A band from Aberdeen had flown in just for the occasion, so we danced all sorts of set dances: the Eightsome Reel, Strip the Willow, the Cumberland Reel, and the Military Two-Step, just to name a few. A rousing chorus of "Auld Lang Syne" rounded out the evening.

It was a great muckle occasion and a worthy finish to the 2006 ball season in Bangladesh. Och!

Let's Have a Ball!

With the cooler weather (it gets down to about 70F at night these days), the ball season in Bangladesh has begun. There are lots of different parties to choose from, from the UN International Ball to the Dhaka Caledonian Society's St. Andrew's Ball (dress code: Scottish formal) to the Black & White Ball held by the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Control, Bangladesh (but everyone calls that one "the Diarrhea Ball").

The first ball of the season this year was the Marine Corps Ball, put on by the Marine Corps Detachment ("Det") of the U.S. Embassy to celebrate the 231st anniversary of the Marine Corps. This was a black tie affair, so we all had a chance to dress to the nines. Of course, being the Marine Ball, it was a night full of tradition. After cocktails, we sat down to watch the presentation of the colors, a video presentation by the Commandant of the Marine Corps and a brief speech by the U.S. Ambassador. The traditional cake-cutting ceremony -- done with a ceremonial saber -- followed; cake was served to the guest of honor (the Ambassador), then the oldest Marine present, then the youngest Marine present. The Det Commander, Gunnery Sergeant Bryant (our next-door neighbor), then introduced the members of the Det. However, the Marines couldn't be found. Gunny sent someone to find them. After several tense, silent minutes, the Gunny's dispatch returned: "Gunnery Sergeant, I found them!" "Where are they?" "Gunnery Sergeant, the Marines are in the bar!" Thus was another Marine Ball tradition fulfilled.


The next night, the Australian High Commission and the New Zealanders (who don't have formal diplomatic representation in Bangladesh) held their annual Glitter Party, which couldn't have been more different from the Marine Ball. The Glitter Party is a costume ball, and everyone is invited to perform a skit or other dramatic routine. Men in drag, women with facial hair, raunchy musical numbers, and the bizarre & unusual are not only expected, but encouraged. Our table didn't perform a formal skit, but we did have a dramatic entrance. We went as the national airline of Bangladesh, Biman Bangladesh. We had a drunk pilot, a blind mechanic (Jennifer), a couple of hapless flight attendants (one seven months pregnant), two clueless Western tourists, an abusive baggage handler, a corrupt Biman executive with money flying out of his pockets, and a giant cockroach (Patrick).



Many of the sketches were political in nature, as all of Bangladesh is on edge awaiting the parliamentary elections next month. However, the evening was dazzled by a (mostly) non-political procession of pigs in tutus, who performed "Swine Lake." A great local soul band (really!) performed, Saddam Hussein danced with "Make Love Not War" hippies, long-winded speeches were kept to a minimum, and a great time was had by all. Everyone needs to let their hair down every once in a while, and our friends in the Southern Hemisphere gave us a great chance to do just that.