Evening star., 1955-05-01

ANAOAS SbS VAAOJ r. AOSA v hAO"
their wines.
Cocktail Party Cult
"And then Of course, the
thing that strikes all English
men," he continued, sis the
cult Of the American cocktail
party. 1t is considered a great
and glorious thing-somewhat
like the ritua1istic African
snake dances. The science Of
the martini and the mint
julep Is indeed an intricate
thing to master.
''I find that no hostess would
consider 1t possible to enter
tain without q set OF Mani
haitian glasses one shape, old
fashioned glasses another r
shape, daquiri glasses q third
shape and then ali those
glasses for things ON the
rocks" he said.
Spain's Ambassador Areilza
also expressed himself on the
cocktail party.
Spaniards Love Talking
81 really do like cocktail
parties, but sometimes I have
the feeling they are more for
drinking than for talking. You
know. we Spaniards love to
talk - but conversation be-
comes very difficult when you
start talking to someone and
another person elbows him out
OF the. way. Meanwhile some
one has just knocked you over
into another group and you
11nd yourself drinking your
neighbor's martini"
The Ambassador said he
liked nearly everything about
America except the habit of
separating the sexes after din
ner.
TITS so sad to be forcibly
parted from the charming
ladies and their interesting
conversation. All the women
rush Off to one room and all
the men to another. Why?"
Ritual Of French Meal.
"A French diplomat agreed
that this was a most undesir-
able practice. and said the en-
tire ritual of a French meal
differs greatly from an Amer
ican one.
In the first place, our hours
are much earlier. And we
spend what a Frenchman con-
siders an inordinate amount of
time drinking.
"The enjoyment Of q meal"
said the Frenchman who re-
fused to be identified, seems
to take place before eating.
In France we like our drink
with our meal in the form of
several wines for each course.
ALSO, our courses are more
differentiated. We start with
things salty and work up to
very sweet desserts, whereas
you might start with q fruit
cup. But one very nice thing
which the French have
adopted from Americans is the
combination Of salad and
cheese"
Conversation at table is an
other big difference, according
to the Frenchman.
Hostess Directs Conversation
Here, one talks first to the
lady on the right and then to
the one on the left. In France,
If the dinner is not too large.
one talks to the assembled
company. The conversation is
generally directed by the
hostess and If she is a good
hostess she will draw out her
most interesting guests and
VIP's so that they may amuse
the company at large. And
everyone else is silent while
they are talking" he said.
Europeans consider 1t very
bad form to comment on the
food. One never says he en-
joyed 1.-THE hostess assumes
he did.
Europeans also find our habit
Of having coffee with meals
strange. They say this does
not occur so much in polite
society,"" but frequently hap
pens here in restaurants.
And the tendency to plop
q bowl of salad in front Of the
customer at the beginning of
4 meal is a bit disconcerting,"
said one Englishman.
Sunday Dinner at Noon.
According to Mime. Hussein,
wife Of the Egyptian Ambassa-
dor, the most confusing thing
for her was learning that SUM-
day dinner meant a MONDAY
meal.
"The thing like most about
Is the light lunch
con-" she said. I'VE Egyp-
tians never eat a light meal"
And Mr.. M. Shafquat,
Charge d'Affaires of the Pakis-
tan Embassy, says that in
Pakistan there are no cocktail
parties. but the tea parties
from S to 2 are their direct
counterpart - with one Inn
oortant difference.
"Purdah Parties"