The cocktail code

Cocktail season is here. During the last years of expatriation there are some things that have become traditions for BH and I when we celebrate national days:

We dress in blue for the Day of Europe

We dress in orange for Koninginedag Day

I dress in red for the Spanish Day

Cocktails used to be fun networking occasions and I would enjoy getting all put together, hold the arm of my man and socialise all night long, but the emptiness of the conversations and the repetition of the sentences, hihowareyouwheredoyouworkwhendidyouarrive, starts making me feel that, or I am getting older or cocktails are getting worse. I think the latter, look at my perfect cleavage in the picture, not a single wrinkle. There are some things I have learned in those nights. 4 mainly:

• Eat before going. Really, the little gouda piece you are going to fight for or the slice of ham (never ever good ham) are not worth it. Also, save yourself the calories, those fluffy pastries are a bomb to your hips (girls) or belly (boys).
• Look at the eye of your interlocutor. When you talk to somebody, talk to him or her. This sounds evident...but it is not. The biggest mistake of many people is that they are in front of you, their mouths move and say words, but they are not WITH you. They are looking around finding somebody else to network with.
• When you feel you drank enough = water with a slice of lemon and ice cubes looks like a gin& tonic. People won't bother you insisting that you drink another one and at the end of the night you will actually remember where you parked your car. 
• And very important, do not walk in front of somebody holding a glass of red wine with a white jacket such as the one in the picture. Chances are that the person trips with the lawn and the wine ends decorating your garment with the map of the Solomon Islands. 

Aaah, those cocktail nights are here.