DAY 148 (Thursday 15 December 2011)

Today has been quite a busy day for me on the work front, I had to get the finishing touches to the Draft Visit Programme for the VVIP (Very, Very Important Person) who at the moment I can’t tell you who it is for security reasons, but when the visit is over I shall be able to tell you as it may have been on the news by then, so watch this space.

Also doing the finishing touches to the tables and finalising which table is going to sing which verse of ‘12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS’.

A Finished Table

The theme for tonight’s Christmas Function was ‘Santa and His Little Helpers’ or black tie, unfortunately most people were pretty boring and came in either black tie of nice dresses, however, there were a few of us who decided as it was Christmas and in the good spirit of Christmas we shall dress.

Steve Williamson (Gingerbread Man),

Mandy & Anthony Childs & Me on the floor.

Only 49 people showed up for the function, but to be honest I was glad about that because the table lay out had changed a couple of times already, besides the KATHMANDU MESS isn’t that big and unlike a normal unit, probably would be able to hold the 150 people or so that normally turn up to a normal unit’s Christmas Function, saying that, there isn’t 150 people based here, so solved a lot of problems.

The food was really good and well cooked, for a change the vegetables were not boiled to death, it was a traditional Christmas Dinner that we had, (even the Turkey), but the one thing that was missing were sprouts.  There were profiteroles for those who didn’t like Christmas pudding and no matter how much I tried to eat the Christmas pudding, for me it still wasn’t going to happen.

Anyway, there was also a Secret Santa, each guest had to bring in a gift for the same sex as you and wrap the present in Blue (for boys) and pink (for the ladies).  The original present that I got was a Spa treatment, but as Kathleen didn’t particularly want the present that she got we swapped, which seemed to be the case for quite a few of the people that night, so at least most people went home with presents that they were quite happy with.  Charlie got a tie, cufflink set, which he then took our presents home (as we literally just live around the corner from the Mess), he then came back with a ‘Jack Brew’

Charlie with his Jack Brew

After the food, and the Christmas Carol singing, (that was fun), the COS Lt Col Elton Davis stood up and walked around the room singing the first line of each verse to the 12 Days of Christmas, whilst each table (they had already been allocated their verse) stood up for their particular day, but everyone had to stand up and sing FIVE GOLD RINGS and A PARTRIDGE IN A PEAR TREE, it was like a Mexican Wave, it was fun and everyone joined in.  We all went over to the YATRI NIWAS Mess for a few drinks and a bit of a disco.

The BGN Girls

My boots for my Elf outfit (very comfy)

Some of the Disco Dancers

The Yatri Niwas Mess

I shall admit, I had a good night and finally fell into bed just before 0200hrs (2am for my non army friends) even though I knew I was going to have to be up at 0645hrs to go to work, at least one consolation, there was no PT with it being a Friday.