Hosting Dinner for Friends at Ours

Monday, March 30, 2009
London

Monday saw me return to NYU to teach my last two Writing classes before we split up for our spring break. My students were already antsy and I could tell that they are excited about their coming vacation as most of them will be traveling to different parts of Europe--some following in Llew and my November footsteps in Greece. Indeed, we have started exchanging travel tips as they are staying in the same pensiones in Mykonnos and Santorini that we used while some of my students have given me suggestions for a B&B in Rome that Llew and I will be using. Time flew along as it usually does as we continued to discuss Anthony Appiah's ideas of Cosmopolitanism. At lunch break, I found myself working like a machine as I photocopied the material I would need for our own travels in the ancient world.

Later in the day, Llew and I went last-minute shopping for the items I needed for the dinner party we were throwing in the evening for some of our friends. While Llew laid the table and organized a list of some of the items I would need to borrow from our neighbors Tim and Barbara next door (including a coffee table and two chairs!), I put together the salad I would be serving as a first course (Pear, Walnut and Cranberry Salad with a Balsamic Vinaigrette) and the Chicken with Olives that I had learned to cook in Vicenza while watching my friend Annalisa at work in her kitchen at home. Served with polenta, it made a very nice meal indeed with strawberry cheesecake (courtesy of Marks and Sparks) and blueberry vanilla tart bought by Rosemary to finish the meal.

Tim and Barbara had walked in with a bottle of champagne from Harrods which we opened immediately (though Tim had to go over next door and bring us six champagne flutes as my meagre supplies to do not extend to such sophisticated requirements!) Our friend Bande Hasan who made up the final member of the six-some brought us two Lindt rabbits in keeping with the coming Easter theme and as we sat a table, conversation and the white wine flowed! The evening was a success and I was so glad that Llew got to meet my dear friend Rosemary with whom I have spent so many lovely evenings here in London.

We had to finish washing up and returning all the utensils and dishes (and furniture) we had borrowed from next door and though it was almost midnight, we stayed up and finished up all chores and set our alarm from 2 am. This would leave us about two hours of sleep before we took the bus from across the street to Victoria to leave for Gatwick airport at the start of our spring travels in the ancient world--Rome and Istanbul. Good thing I had done all my packing yesterday and after making sure we had all necessities, we went to bed for our rather brief nap.