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| Posing with the marines and their birthday cake |
The Marine Corps Ball (MCB) celebrates the birthday of the Marine Corps - November 10, 1775. It's a very formal occasion which is usually well-attended by American and international diplomats and marines. This year, the U.S. Embassy, Kampala MCB was held at Speke Resort and Conference center, about 20 minutes outside the capital. Sean and I decided to make a weekend out of the event and reserved two nights at Speke which was a great opportunity to get out of Mbarara, enjoy Lake Victoria, play ultimate frisbee in Kampala and take advantage of the largest lap pool in East Africa.
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| Ambassador Malac entering with the marines |
Each MCB follows a prescribed formal agenda which includes a lot of tradition. Before the actual ball, attendees gathered at an outdoor bar for drinks, appetizers and conversation. After that, we were invited into the large ballroom and found our tables. The ambience felt like a military-style wedding - everyone was dressed to the nines, the decorations were extravagant and there were about 300 guests in attendance.
Before dinner, there was an official ceremony which included the presentation of the marines and the colors, speeches by invited guests and the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, and the national anthem. My favorite part of the agenda was the cutting of the marine's birthday cake, which was accomplished with an actual sword. The first pieces were given to the oldest and youngest marines in attendance as well as Ambassador Malac. After all formal ceremonies and traditions had finished, we were invited to the buffet, which was fantastic and had an impressive array of international and local dishes. For dessert, we had pieces of the birthday cake, which were delicious.
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| Our beautiful table |
After dinner, the music was turned up and everybody started dancing - Ambassador Malac was the first one on the dance floor! We also had the chance to take pictures in front of the official flags. Sean and I were seated at the table which had several other fellows and their partners and we made a lot of new friends. It was also a lot of fun to drink and dance with diplomats who I had only previously seen in business attire in professional situations at the embassy.
The party lasted until midnight and we were very happy that we had only a short walk to our room instead of a long bus ride back to Mbarara. After experiencing our first Marine Corps Ball, it's easy to see why many expats consider it their favorite event of the year. I hope we get to go again sometime!
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