Sunday, February 21, 2010

the maple leaf club

So this past weekend we attended the Terry Fox charity event at the Canadian embassy. It was a fun night. I always enjoy the Canadian embassy events because I love the set up of their parties with the dance floor out under the open sky, and the food is pretty good. As always, the crowd is polite and nice - and it is fun for people watching as I think singles gravitate towards them. Women are in such high demand that you could be wearing a garbage bag and still receive compliments and attention.

Unfortunately, the only way to get to these events is to know someone who works at the embassy, as the maple leaf club holds events only for embassy staff to help them adjust to the Riyadh environment. No point in calling and asking about these events or parties because you must be a personal invitee of an embassy employee to get invited, and each employee only has a certain number of tickets they are allowed to purchase for friends and family. There's no email list serve you can tack yourself onto, it's just plain and simply who you know. We only go when we're invited by friends and have no way of getting tickets ourselves, so let me pre-emptively apologize for not being able to help you, dear readers.

Where, you ask, are the events for all the Canadians who don't work for the embassy who need assistance adjusting to Riyadh? *shrug* ...do I hear crickets?? ha ha, listen people, if anyone decides to start throwing parties for Canadians, you just let me know and I'll help spread the word ;) I think it's a real shame that our embassy doesn't hold regular events for all Canadians. They have the space and they could make a lot of money, but they just don't have the staff, and I suspect they don't have the inclination to do it.

8 comments:

Nalini said...

I was at that party too and found it so sad that there are hardly any Canadians at the Canadian embassy party! Ok, I met two Canadians but the rest were Spanish, American, Saudi.... the list goes on and on.... oh the politics!

Orchidthief said...

Yeah? I wonder if we saw each other. You weren't wearing running gear were you? I saw the dress code in the car on the way over and thought "great! I'll be the only one in heels!" ...I was so wrong. ha ha

Nalini said...

hahahah, nooo i wasn't in running gear, i thought to myself, i spend everyday here playing dress up in my abaya so at least at the embassy I just want to wear normal clothes! i guess most people feel the same way

Adnan said...

Well that's a shame that the Embassy doesn't hold more events for all Canadians :( I feel left out! :p

Orchidthief said...

Yeah Adnan, so do I!

B said...

Hi,

I'm a Canadian who lives in Riyadh. Are you saying that the embassy holds no events for all Canadians whatsoever (New Years, Halloween, etc.) except for Independence Day (which isn't really a party, however I only went once like 10 years ago)?

Unknown said...

Hello I 'm a Canandian new in Riyadh looking to have Somme fun so I would like to party and feel free like back home

Will O'Shea said...

you can join the CCOR (Canadian Community of Riyadh)

they get invited to some of the parties at the embassy and hold their own.

website is: http://www.ccor-ksa.com/