Last week I was at one of those fancy dinner parties for a friend's association event. It was held at a nice Chinese restaurant, with a 10 course meal. I was rather looking forward to the dinner and the events they had scheduled.
However, before the dinner and events actually started, the various VIPs of course had to give their speeches and greetings. None of them kept it simple - everyone had something to say about everything apparently.
Dinner was supposed to start at 6pm but by 8:30pm, there was no food other than a couple of tangerines and soda pop that were on the tables already. So everyone was drinking the pop on an empty stomach, getting hyper on sugar and caffeine, and generally not hearing what the speeches were about. I didn't understand much of what was said, but I was told that the speeches were about the Chinese New Year, and that each section was being repeated in both English and Cantonese for everyone's benefit. The bass level on the microphone was way too high, but no one really cared cause we were all so hungry.
Eventually the restaurant got tired of the speeches and just started serving the first appetizer course to all the tables, to the cheers of all present. They followed up very quickly with 4 more courses, so quickly that we hardly had time to finish each new platter (despite the fact that we were polishing them off at a swift, famished pace.) I guess the food was starting to pile up in the kitchens and they had to be served before they got cold.
Anyways, if you are holding a dinner banquet, dont let the old codgers talk until a little food has been served, people will be much more receptive to listening to them speak BETWEEN courses rather than when starving at the beginning of dinner.
Allen.
P.s. One dinner guest at our table ate before he came to the dinner, because HE EXPECTED THIS TO HAPPEN. Apparently this is a common occurence. Sigh.
