PARTY!!!!

Reverb 2010- Day 9

December 9 – Party Prompt: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans. 

I just have to start this off by saying I've been pretty stressed out tonight.  Stressed/sad/anxious/upset/mad/fill-in-the-blank.  We have experienced so many major life changes this year, and I'm just ready to be settled... but it doesn't look like that is going to happen very soon.  So when I read the prompt for today, I was actually thankful that it made me smile and took me back to one of my favorite times of 2010.

On to the party.... It was somehwere in the middle of the Nile River... sailing between Aswan and Luxor.  We'd just had a day full of taking in ancient sites and wonders.  The mysteries of the oldest culture known to man were fresh in our minds, and I'd been having dreams of Nefertiti.  Before we'd left for our Nile cruise, we went Galabeya shopping in Cairo.  Mom knew the perfect spot that had dozens of linen shops, filled to the brim with colorful dresses and shirts.  I selected one of the more "touristy" styles, with heiroglyphics and other Egyptian landmarks embroidered on it.  Sean, on the other hand, choose the most beautiful, elegant, deep blue and silver galabeya-- it was fit for royalty!  We also bought a couple more galabeyas... simpler, lightweight cotton ones, too.  You know... for those days back in the states when we just want to dress up, uh, Egyptian style.  What can I say?  They were beautiful.  And there were just SO MANY choices.  

After our long, hot day of sight-seeing through some amazing temples, we came back to our ship and took showers, then got into our shiny new Egyptian outfits.  We all went to the on-board store, where we were dressed up with beaded head pieces and the guy even did Mom and I's make-up-- Egyptian-style, of course.  The guy was really quite charming, and had been giving me 'the eye' every time we saw him on the ship... though, please don't think I let it get to my head.  I was about the only 20-something femal onboard and I wasn't wearing my wedding ring.  Anyways, I think he propositioned me... via my mother.  He jokingly asked in broken English, "How many camels for your daughter?"  When my mom told him that I was married he apologized profusely and got very shy!  

We had a delicious dinner up on the patio that night.  The Nile air was warm but not hot, and a cooling breeze blew through the canvas awnings.  Our dinner was beautifully lit by lights strung all across the dining deck.  In the corner of the deck was a grill where an array of meats were grilled, and a large spread of sides, breads and desserts were laid out before us like a feast for Pharoah.  The villages along the banks of the Nile were lit up, and I couldn't help but wonder about the lives of those who lived inside the glowing houses.  

After our bellies were sufficiently full, it was time for the party to begin!  A DJ in the back of the ship's lounge played rhytmic, east African music (mingled with the occasional "American" party song), while all the cruisers were encouraged to get out on the dance floor!  We shook our groove thangs alongside the rest of our shipmates, all random strangers mostly over 60, of course.  There were party games (like pass the bottle- hot potato style), dancing, talking and drinking-- Stella and wine were the libations of choice.  It was a wonderful, carefree jubilation that seemed to go on and on... literally until the very last soul left the dance floor.  

It was a wonderful, colorful, dream-like evening.  If any of my friends knew what a galabeya was, I would probably even be tempted to thrown my own party some time!  But, I think parties like this are truly meant to be once in a lifetime, saved for once in a lifetime trips and places.  I am so thankful to God for the amazing gift of memories... and the sites, sounds and smells that can transport me back to that moment as if it were yesterday.