P was at the most interminable gala dinner on Friday night. The food was actually quite good, but it was one of those multiple-course lengthy chinese dinner nightmares and the fact that the appetisers were only trotted out at 9pm didn't do P's plan (to get to bed at a reasonable time) much good. The cultural dances were a mix of traditional and modern with umpteen-cultures at once. Some were more identifiable as Malay, Chinese or Indian, others were just a pleasant rojak (mixed fruit and veg salad).

P realises that these gala dinners are also marketing and thank you occasions for the organisers, and therefore occasion many many speeches, but could she issue a plea for organisers to start earlier? Or feed the delegates (at least 1-2 courses) before making the speeches? At least for dinners not held in mediterranean countries?

Sorry the images aren't up to much. They were taken on a mobile phone, and there was lots of fog and flashing lights.