Reunion w/ Debbie

I had the opportunity to do some shopping in a little American store today after a Women's luncheon event w/ some NATO friends.

The luncheon was great. Women representing different NATO countries put on the luncheon each month, so yesterday was the British lunch, and next month it's the Greek/Turkish lunch. I guess I behaved myself, because my new friends invited me back to come to the one next month--fun!

About 100 NATO women and their friends attended the luncheon that was on the NATO base about 25 minutes from our apartment. Every attendee had to wear a nametag that also included on it the flag representing each person's nationality. It's weird, but without even looking at nametags, I could tell who the American girls were. There was about an hour of mingling and enjoying some British appetizers and cocktails---I forget what the cocktail was called but it was similar to a 'bitters' type drink w/ cucumber in it. After the lunch time cocktail hour, we all moved into a large function room where we were greeted by some members of the NATO brass band. Everyone sat at tables for 10, and by the end of lunch I had exchanged numbers with an Italian girl, Teresa, at my table---she teaches English at the British School but said she needed more practice understaning American accented English, and with a German girl, Karin, who was a Product Manager for Adidas but is now keeping busy raising her 2 boys on the base. I had been invited by Kirstey, my friend who I met last week after approaching her on the playground at the park after I heard her speaking English. Kirstey is Austrailian, so this has been a successful week expanding my International friend network:)

After lunch, we went to the mini-mart sized American store, and you can see by the picture, that I bought a few of my favorite treats:) It was a great day, and all the girls are planning to come over with their families on Monday, a NATO holiday, so as long as we get some more Ikea furniture built, I should be able to keep that plan w/ them..otherwise, it will be a group social when we get back from Dublin.

Ok..off to enjoy a Little Debbie:)