Wine and Grilled Cheese

A few friends and I attended this fantastic event at National Geographic the other night. 9 representatives (including Ambassadors!) from 9 small countries gathered to romance a crowd with poetry. The nine countries were Austria, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Monaco, and Slovenia.

It was an entertaining evening, to say the least. The representatives/Ambassadors were absolutely hilarious, though I don't think they intended to be. I fell in love with His Excellency Andreas S. Kakouris from Cyprus for his studly and charming accent. If you melted butter and mixed it with chocolate and cream (besides making a delicious meal), you would have his voice. One of the friends I was sitting next to pointed out that my new lover bears a striking resemblance to Martin Scorcese. True.

The Ambassador from Iceland was also charming, in a rambling, hilarious way. I don't remember specifics, besides a dig at France, but it made me laugh and wish I could bring him to show-and-tell. He also reminded me of this film professor I had in college, because there were so many random tangents.

Claudia Fritsche is a fireball of a lady from Liechtenstein. The Ambassador is well-spoken, engaging, and a powerful presence. She was tiny and when she first took the stage, I was still enamoured with Cyprus and Iceland (though all 9 were fabulous). She spoke softly, but her tone was focused. Like a rattlesnake waiting to bite your face.

Afterwards, there was a reception with wine from each of the countries (a fact the Slovenia representative referred to multiple times). There was also a variety of snacks to sample on, most of them deep fried.

There were fried mac-n-cheese squares, mushroom and cheese mini quiches, chicken skewers, potato pancakes, baklava, struedel, and grilled cheese. Not grilled cheese sandwiches, but grilled cheese. We thought it was grilled fish at first and excitedly started scooping them up. No, pieces of cheese they put on a grill.

I just kept putting food in my mouth, I couldn't stop. To save room for all the fried calories, I didn't partake in the free wine. Priorities! A girl has got to have priorities!

Speaking of priorities, JKru got us these amazing tickets. In exchange for her ticket, a friend of ours had to bring this supposedly delicious caramel sauce she stole from her office's catering service. I'm talking this girl straight up spooned caramel sauce into a plastic cup, covered it with plastic wrap, and rubber banded the whole thing together. We're all standing at the reception when she whips this crushed plastic disaster out of her back. JKru, feeling obligated to eat it since she demanded it, poured it all over her baklava.

It was like watching someone pour a bag of sugar onto a chocolate cake.

While she was eating her masterpiece, I went back for round 39493848949 of fried mac-n-cheese. They had just brought a new tray out and the fried bits of glorious heaven were hot. But it only burns your mouth if you chew.

Mmm. National Geographic, you are delicious. It's a wonder those 9 nations don't have higher obesity levels than America. Well... probably because they eat in moderation and they eat normal portions.