Embassies of the World Ball - 23 March 2013

"Ball Season" in Moscow! 

Scott and I have a friend (I'll call him S) who is really "into" going to all the charity balls around town and we've heard a lot about them for a couple years now. There are actually a series of balls that happen every spring in Moscow, each sponsored by a different organization, each benefiting a charity.

So when the American Women's Organization (AWO) started promoting the International Women's Club's (IWC) annual ball, we thought it might be fun. The IWC ball is supposed to be the most formal, and you have the opportunity to get a ticket that includes a small dinner party at a participating embassy before the actual party. I'm a member of the AWO and we have a couple of women who volunteer on the IWC's special events committee so of course they want to get as many people as possible from the AWO to attend. Besides, one of my favorite things is getting dressed up for black tie events and then people-watching all the outfits...and I already knew I had the perfect outerwear! A little more on that later. :)

We asked the organizers if we could be assigned to the same embassy as S and his date (I will call her N), and the four of us were placed for dinner at the Hungarian Embassy. Cool!

Dinner turned out to be so so great, and I think it was the highlight of the night for me (besides getting all dolled up for a fancy evening). It was just really a unique opportunity to participate in an intimate dinner (there were only 6 couples in total at the dinner) with the deputy ambassador to Hungary and his wife! Wow. What a cool experience.

The meal had several courses but first, the non-pregnant dinner guests all got to do some Hungarian wine tasting! Our host was quite knowledgeable about wine, and explained to us that Hungary is large enough geographically to support a number of different wine regions. He then walked everyone through each wine and why it was special. Yum.

The subsequent meal was delicious, all prepared by the Embassy's authentic Hungarian chef using imported Hungarian ingredients! The elegance of the dining experience prevented me from taking any photos of the food, but trust me: each course was beautiful and flavorful. We did, however, manage to save the menu.

Of course the ball afterwards was fun too. It was at the Intercontinental Hotel, about 2 blocks from our apartment building. The theme was "Ooh La La Paris" so there were (not-so-subtle) French touches everywhere.

There was even a professional photographer taking pics of all the ball attendees, with a very archaic-looking setup. Why do the ladies have to sit?? And what's with the fake flowers?

When we got our photo back I told Scott I didn't like how I looked (he certainly looked handsome) - all fat and round and seated submissively next to my dear husband - and what does he do? He posts it on Facebook for everyone's entertainment! Ugh!! So while I originally wasn't planning on sharing it with anyone, that ship has sailed so there you go.

Back to the party. The IWC had found a great 5-piece band who played covers of recognizable songs and a couple French opera signers kicked off the night. I'm not an opera aficionado so I have no idea how good the singers were, but it was a very nice touch.

Scott, N and S at the ball.

Before we left the party, there were a bunch of raffle prize giveaways which unfortunately we didn't win but here are our ticket stubs, proving our participation in a good cause. :)

Last but not least, I said I had the perfect outerwear for this ball. Oh yes I did! I wore my spectacular cream-colored fur-edged coat! Boy did I fit right in with the IWC crowd with this number...I'm so glad it still fits, too!

Me in my fabulous white furry coat! How can you not have fun in a coat like this?!

All in all, we had a fantastic evening. Great company and fun people watching, tasty food, good music and a chance to dress up, all for a good cause! Sometimes, Moscow ain't too bad.