Dinner Party

Tonight we hosted our first dinner party in Jordan, attended by diplomats and locals. We used Meat Masters, a local institution, as caterers and even ordering from the caterer was a cultural experience. We called them and gave them the number of people attending, and the type of meat we wanted, and they decided which sides would complement the meal and delivered it to our door right before the party. Brisket was the main course and it lived up to its promise. Of cultural note, Jordanians don't always use street addresses, so directions are given by landmarks, a concept easier said than done in a foreign language. In fact, when we went to sign the lease for our apartment there was a lot of confusion because no one could locate the street name or number of the apartment - neither of which are posted outside or used by anyone. Because we live near the U.S. Embassy, I told the caterer to meet me by the only traffic light in front of the embassy and that he would recognize me because I am a tall American and will be wearing a funny looking hat (my anti-skin cancer armor). Sounds easy, right? Wrong. Many times I have resorted to walking out to said intersection in my silly looking sun hat that screams "I'm an American", cell phone pressed to my ear trying to hear over the din of traffic, trying to communicate in my best pidgin Arabic that the driver should look for the silly hat. I was finally found by the caterer and dinner was rescued. I'm sure I was quite the spectacle. But I digress. The food was a big hit and the conversation easily flowed. Because we are in a rental Terry cobbled together things like a salad bowl from the top of a cake container. Because Jordan is famous for its pastries, I had been dispatched earlier to procure a batch. I also went to buy soft drinks but because I am unfamiliar with the brands and types I picked out a wide selection and the party guests were good natured about trying things such as lemon and lime drink and explaining what other drinks were to us. We learned a new term common to the diplomatic world "third culture" meaning people who are American by birth but raised elsewhere and thus lack the cultural touch stones other Americans have. We also learned that Jordanians, like the people of New Orleans we befriended when living there, sit and eat a good meal and talk about what they plan to eat at the next meal. The excitement of new friends, new places, and tips to share about everything lasted for hours. The dinner was such a nice time for us I'm sure we'll do it again soon.