Some hae meat and canna eat...

And some wad eat that want it
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thankit

As anyone who has been on One UP holiday should be able to tell you, that is the Selkirk Grace by Mr Robert Burns, and the grace always offer when Katey is called from the kitchen to pray!

Last Saturday saw the British Women’s Association of Karachi’s Burns Supper, generously host by the British Deputy High Commissioner at his residence. Given that the DHC is currently Hamish Daniels and of true Scots blood, it was only right that he acted as Chieftain of the supper, complete with kilt. This was actually one of his last functions as he and Heather leave Karachi this Friday to begin their retirement in Heather’s homeland of Australia. They will be sorely missed as those who have been here throughout their tenure agree they are two of the best incumbents of the post we have ever had.

The supper was superbly organized and held outside in the gardens of the residence. A huge Scots Blue shamiana (Urdu for Marque, but without sides) had been erected and the table dressed in white table cloths, with the starched linen napkins folded to look like shirts with either a tartan bow tie or sash to decorate. The water bottles were also sporting tam o’shanters and kilts! The whole effect was fantastic, my only regret was that I only realized I didn’t have my camera when I walked in!

The evening was set to start at 8pm sharp, and unfortunately my 5 months in Karachi have taught be nothing! I duly arrived at few minutes before only to find that I was one of only five people who had turned up on time!! By 9pm the vast majority of the 250 or so guests had arrived and after a short attempt at starting some Scottish Country Dancing, which floundered after the Gay Gordon’s and the Cumberland Reel, the feast began with the arrival of the Chieftain and the piping in of the Haggis, the Address to the Haggis and then the Toast, Dinner was served.

At this point we benefited from the fact that the General Manager of the Avari Hotel, Karachi, is also a Scot. So the menu was delicious and include many Scottish delicacies including

Tweed Kettle
Prawn salad
Cullen Skink tart
Orkney Scallops
Arbroath Smokie

Chicken Howtowdie
Fillet of Beef Balmoral
Oatmeal dressed Tay Salmon
Scotch Collops with apples and spices
North Sea Scampi
Haggis
Auld Beekie Stovies

Scotch Trifle
Toffee Apple Tart
Blairgowrie cheesecake
Atholl Brose ice crem pudding

Gaelic coffee and shortbread fingers

All this available on a buffet to which you could help yourself and return!! I thoroughly enjoyed myself though I will say I did skip the sweet trolley as I was full of Haggis!

The dinner was followed by reading and recitations, with carriages at 1am. I actually sneaked out at about 11pm as I’m just not as young as I used to be and I needed my bed!!

Sunday dawned bright and very, very cold! I can safely say that Sunday was the coldest I have been since I left the UK. I came home from church via French Bakery armed with croissants and proceeded to eat brunch wrapped in my duvet!

Thankfully, today it would appear that winter is over and I even had to put the AC on in the classroom today, I love this country...