Last night we attended a cocktail party...hard to believe that cocktail parties still take place in certain circles! It was a gathering of about 40-50 people. Most of them were strangers to us. Glasses of champagne were handed to us as we entered the condo, spreads of delicious appetizers were displayed on several tables and a full bar was available.
I decided to make connections with some of these strangers...not an easy task for me! They were already chatting in small familiar groups when we arrived. Should I just hang around the periphery and hope that someone would include me in their discussion?...or should I just barge in, stick out my hand and introduce myself? Hmmh!
Wandering past the groups, I found myself on the balcony. John was abandoned somewhere behind me, forced to make his own connections. I speared a small sausage and smiled at two men who were sharing a conversation. After a few minutes (and several speared sausages) they took pity on me and introduced themselves. That was how I met Andy from Victoria BC and George, a retired undertaker from Peoria, Illinois. Our discussion revolved around comparisons of medical care in Canada, USA and Mexico. This is a very common topic of conversation for all of the aging expats!
Eventually another couple joined us...Susan and Carl from Saskatoon. Carl is a noted Epidimiologist and Susan is a delight. We shared personal histories and travel stories. When my brain refused to remember the name of the town where my father was born...Carl surprised me with "Hafford"!! I was stunned...he was right!!! How many people know the names of small towns in Saskatchewan?!
It was a great evening. On the way back to Mismaloya our hosts asked if we were still hungry. A small hotdog stand sits outside the security gates of our condo development and we have always talked about stopping there...so...we ordered four hotdogs with the works. The vendor washed his hands from a tap that was hung on a utility pole before preparing our dogs.
We carried them home for a late night snack. They were delicious!!
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