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are added the functions given every now and then by the
Royal Family, like the inauguration of exhibitions, charity
bazaars and special invitations. Now since attending such
functions is considered an important part of the duty of an
ambassador, the latter cannot ignore them, and if forced
to be absent, he would delegate the second in command at
the embassy to attend on his behalf.
All diplomatic functions follow certain stereotype
scenarios with little variation. To begin with, a row of
couples of the diplomatic hosts would stand at a wide-
open door, headed by the ambassador and his spouse to
receive the guests. As the guests enter, pictures are taken
of them as they shake hands with the hosts and express
the compliments that are appropriate for the occasion
and then they penetrate into the main hall or the garden
(depending on the season). Often a film is shown on the
host country to the accompaniment of low singing of the
national anthems. Delicious national dishes are served, but
what is more important is the opportunity of meeting of
colleagues to discuss with them various matters, some of
which are usually solved. Some may be so much absorbed
in their conversation that they forget about the food. Thus,
very often, my husband returns home hungry from such
receptions and I would have to warm for him our own
food at home, after he had missed the delicious food at the
reception.
The women would choose the persons to chat
with depending on their various interests and they get
acquainted with the newcomers. Thus, they exchange
cards and addresses, show their particular dresses and
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partake of the delicious and appetizing food. But this is
not a comfortable way of eating, for a woman should have
the ability to hold in both hands at one and the same time
a glass full of juice, a plate, a paper tissue, a knife and a
fork, make sure she does not drop her handbag which is
flung over her shoulder, and be able to talk at ease in a
foreign language, without losing track of the subject of
discussion.
The party keeps going for some time, and the guests
keep arriving for an hour or more. Those who came first
begin to leave and bid good-by to the host in reverse order.
All the while, the ambassador and his staff do not leave
their position at the entrance for a period of 2.5 to 3 hours,
which is not an easy matter, specially for the females
who would be wearing high heels. Half way through the
function, high-ranking military officers appear and the
main guest (usually a prince) appears together with his
entourage and circulates among the guests and sit on pre-
arranged sofas. They would talk for a while and then the
prince solemnly cuts a big cake on which is drawn the
national flag of the host country, and then he tastes a piece
thereof before he leaves.
The guests leave the place gradually and only the
embassy staff and the representatives of the community
remain. So they fill their plates and sit on the comfortable
chairs in order to rest their tired legs, happy because many
guests have come, which is an indication that the function
was a success.
In addition to the receptions given on important
occasions, ambassadors’ spouses in the Kingdom
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participate in charity bazaars that are organized under the
supervision of a princess, most often the spouse of the
Crown Prince. The revenues are allocated to needy people
in various countries. Usually, each embassy is assigned a
long table or an open pavilion where all that the embassy
has prepared for sale is exhibited. All the revenue would be
handed over to the organizers of the bazaar. Each country
tries to decorate its pavilion with bright colors and hoist
the national flag over its pavilion. It usually takes a good
look at its neighbor’s pavilion, driven by a natural instinct
of curiosity and competition. The latter begins with the
start of the sale. The spouses of the members of the royal
family, of the ambassadors and diplomats stand behind the
tables and show their commercial talents. People would
circulate willing to rid their fat wallets of their burden as
soon as possible, as they have come here for this purpose,
particularly as they are aware of the destination of the
money they spend.
Our embassy always participates in such activities and
sells ready-made dishes. I usually gather the spouses of
the embassy staff two days in advance and ask each of
them to cook a dish she is very good at preparing. Then
we would discuss various details. Before the opening of
the bazaar we arrange our exhibits in such a manner as to
make the mouths of buyers water.
From experience, I realize that it is not easy to sell
ready-made dishes. Buyers have a conservative taste and
would prefer to buy sandwiches rather than an unknown
dish even when very hungry. I remember the bazaar I
participated in for the first time and how I felt upset when
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potential clients would stop at our tables, look at our
products and then leave without buying anything. So I
took a newspaper and folded it in the form of a bugle and
began to announce aloud: “Please don’t go. You now have
the opportunity to taste Azerbaijan food for the first time.
If you taste our dishes once at least, you will want nothing
else…” This announcement had a magic effect. Clients
flocked to us; may be they never had a similar experience
before.
Thus they bought Azerbaijan sweets, tasted them and
came back to buy more for the family. Half an hour later,
our table was empty and we were the first to hand over
our revenue. Now, after a few years, and as a result of
our participation in such bazaars and receptions and after
showing films on Azerbaijan, I can say for sure that our
dishes have become well known to many Saudis and are
just as popular as Lebanese dishes.
During our stay in the Kingdom, we met many important
people and have witnessed many events. Every year, the
Royal Family would give a special reception to the heads of
foreign missions and their families. One day a letter from
the Royal Court was received by the Azerbaijan Embassy.
It was an invitation by King Fahd to the ambassadors and
their spouses to visit some towns on the Red Sea coast.
A special aircraft was designated for this trip. So, on a
certain day and at a certain time we went on this extremely
organized trip. We were in good company. We visited
technical cities including the industrial city of Yanbu,
which means in Arabic “a spring”. In this city there is an
industrial zone that contains an oil refinery and the largest
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