Embassies of the World Ball - 1 March 2014

Last weekend Scott and I attended the International Women's Club (IWC) "Embassies of the World Ball." This event is the IWC's major annual charity so they go all out. Various ambassadors agree to host groups for dinner at their residence or embassy. We loved it last year (shout out to Scott's friend S for encouraging us to go!), and chose to do the dinner and ball again.  It's a really neat opportunity to meet the ambassadors and their staff up close and personal.

Program from the IWC Ball

This year, we were at the Egyptian Ambassador's Residence which was really cool. Also this year, I'm NOT PREGNANT, so I felt a lot less queasy and way more confident about my appearance. We knew more people and I could actually join the toasts, which of course was great!!

All spiffed up. Nanny R took our photo before we left.

There were probably about 30 people in total at the Residence and the mood was festive and relaxed. Last year it was just 8 guests, so it was more intimate but also pretty quiet/formal, so this was a fun difference. The Ambassador gave a very nice welcome speech.

Egyptian Ambassador giving us his welcome speech.

For dinner, they served us a big Egyptian buffet and it was delicious! There were several salads, fish with some type of tomato salsa on top, sliced meat with long-grain sauteed rice, and a phyllo dough casserole with seasoned ground beef inside. For dessert, they had some kind of flan-like thing (I'm not a flan fan, so I didn't try it), something that seemed like runny bread pudding with raisins (delicious even though that sounds less than appealing based on my description) and little square pieces of cake that must have been soaked in honey. Everything was so good and so flavorful, compared to the usual Russian fare! A rare treat.

After the dinner we moved on to the Ball, which was at the Metropol Hotel right by Red Square and the Bolshoi Ballet.

LED-lit trees near Red Square (stairway to underground passage in foreground)

Bolshoi at night

Metropol atrium where the Ball was held

AWO friends (L->R): me, Scott, Ann's husband, Ann, Harolyn and Corky Rose

Guests mingling. 

Look at us, all matchy-matchy!

Martini bar

V, S, and Scott

And of course I can't forget to include one last parting shot of my fabulous white coat - only in Moscow does this work! :)

This is me LAST YEAR; I could barely squeeze into the coat.

And here's THIS YEAR; I felt a lot less "puffy!" :)