Thanks to the kindness of my network, a coworker and I attended our Independence Day Celebration at the Embassy of the United States in Kuwait. I was excited not only to get away from the very beige Camp Virginia but to see what kind of excitement that an event like this offered.

We arrived early, just in time to see a short receiving line. We shook hands with the Ambassador, a line of star-ranked officers and their wives – just to proceed into a court yard that was set up to look like a food court. restaurants had stands set up around the parameter. It was irrelevant – it wasn’t DFAC food so we jumped right in.

While standing at some bar height tables on the other side of the event we noticed that here in Kuwait, “Business Attire” has a huge range. We both wore simple, black cocktail dresses – the appropriate for everything kind (and heels, that spent the night sinking into the grass). Men ranged in wearing everything from BDUs to khakis and polo shirts to tuxedos and class As and traditional Kuwaiti formal wear. Women wore everything from pantsuits to long, flowing, backless gowns.

We spent a lot of time wondering back and forth, watching the crowd, and eating (who doesn’t love that). While waiting for gelato, I turned to an Army colonel next to me and asked him what kind he was getting. Without the social lubricant that is alcohol, breaking into conversation with a crowd of people you don’t know is slightly more difficult – so ice cream with the colonel it was. We ended up having a great conversation with him (including a plug for our mobile UTR program!) and his deputy eventually joined us.

As both a high point and a low point in the night, I was speaking with colonel #2 about Nagl (woo hoo topic of the week). Except, to crush this thrill for me, he asked why I had to read it. I reported that I didn’t, but that I had just finished it as part of an effort to catch up on all the reading I wanted to do while I was in school. He replied with a strange look and, “Oh, they made us read it at the War College. I believe I skimmed it.” Great – success for nerds everywhere.

After that, and the official ceremony, we caught word that the bar was opening. Like most other guests, we started to cluster near the closed velvet ropes. While in line, we met a wonderful American woman who had been in Kuwait for 4 years. Through an interesting life, she landed teaching English at the University here. We chatted as we waited and strolled through the line.

When we got up to the bar, we saw little orange signs that read “You can take as many drinks as you have hands at the end of your arms.” Very unlike anything I would have done in the states, I took 2 miller lites. After 60 seconds later, our new friend asked “Have you met the Ambassador yet?” Sweet. I am double fisting and 6 feet from meeting the Ambassador. Thank god for flower pots. I set down drink number two and picked it up afterwards.

We finished rounds 1 and 2 and got back in line. Given the rate at which alcohol was consumed at the end of this event, that was likely to be the last of it. So we took our drinks, picked up 2 pieces of 4th of July birthday cake and found seats at a table. Shortly after sitting down, an Air Force colonel walked over and asked “Are you ladies drinking beer?” Unsure if we were suppose to be embarrassed with 4 open and mostly full beers in front us, I laughed. So did he – and then proceded to walk to another table, pick up 4 unopened beers and bring them to us. Not only was he like the fairy godmother of beer, he also turned out to be very interesting to talk to.

Eventually a gentleman politely told us that they were cleaning up the event. It was 1030pm – an hour and a half after the event formally ended. Ooops. It was then time to treat our ride to sheesha in Fahaheel. Successful night all around.