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=> Re: My Night With AIDS Part Two

Re: My Night With AIDS Part Two
Posted by beezelbub (Guest) - Monday, November 7 2005, 3:29:53 (CET)
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...I wandered around a bit looking for my table...there were lovely floral arrangements at each table...tall Lillies of the Valley in glass vases filled with lavender colored petals of some kind...the tables were crammed to overflowing with wine glasses...there was a rich looking bag at each seat with a nicely crafted wood framed photo album...later gift watches were passed out...the china was exquisite, as hotels go. At each corner of the room was a large screen showing a continuous loop of slides taken by Phil Malek during his recent trip to Iraq. The center stage against the back wall was ample...a podium near the front. Seated in a half circle at the back was the band...Dan Eshoo and his Ancients, I believe. They were playing our kind of music and very well.

I finally found my table...just what I'd hoped for...they'd taken into consideration my request and I was NOT seated at my friend's table, but the one next to it...so I took the empty seat just across from his so we could lean together and chat. There were only two other people at the table...one older, the other a bit younger...very nice cleavage which was enjoyed by all.

This turned out to be the band's table, which was nice because most of the time they weren't seated there, so I had plenty of room to spread out and get comfortable. Waiters were filling wine glasses and I was emptying them...mine at least...some really fine wine it was too.

As people settled into their places, Narsai went up to the podium and welcomed us all to loud cheers and applause. He outlined what we could expect, made a plug or two for the auction items which had been placed at tables and on stands in the large reception area...he told us to get ready to make this their most successful night ever...then he took his seat and the first course was served.

I had heard that the food was not the sort most Assyrians looked forward to and the first course did look a bit unpleasant to this Assyrian...at first you could be forgiven for thinking it was rat...closer inspection plus the realization that you MUST be mistaken, revealed it to be a small bird instead...plucked, naked and face down, if there had been a face...its arms and legs spread eagled in a bed of some sort of leafy vegetables...

I'm not a vegetarian...I tried it for a year...but I have an aversion to eating any meat that's still part of a recognizable cadaver, I don't like chicken for that reason and I have to admit that if I had to kill an animal and chop it up...I'd be a vegetarian for sure...and I also NEVER eat anyone's ribs...I don't care HOW tasty or what the sauce sells for...nothing looks more like road kill than an animal's ribs...thanks all the same.

I skipped the quail and believed Narsai when he said it was delicious. The wine was of course flowing...and there were baskets of excellent bread supplied by a fellow I know.

The next course looked more like. First off soup plates were placed before us all...next white-gloved waiters came by with silver bowls from which they placed two meatballs in each plate...I have no doubt they weren't ordinary meatballs at all but some more refined and well travelled members of the tribe...I recall they had a sort of "hairy" coating...made of what, I don't know.

Silly me, I assumed that was the whole dish..and those of you who go out for fine dining will forgive my gaff...because the whole point of fine cuisine seems to be placing the least and most unpreposessing piece of food on the largest plate the kitchen can provide...so I popped the meatballs into my mouth and washed them down with either a red or white wine..or both. They were very tender and easy to swallow...but then, oh gentle reader, what was my chagrin when more white handed waiters appeared with more silver bowls from which they ladled a tomato cream soup onto the meatballs..or where they should have been. Yes...it's too true...I ate the MEATBALLS before they were watered down with bisque! It was admirable though how the waiters seemed not to notice.

Narsai went to the podium between courses and told us what we ate...also what wines to expect next...I think it was before the main course when he introduced Donny George who said he would not show us the photos he'd taken of the damage done to the artifacts and sites because we would weep.

His talk was all too brief...it included the fact that 15,000 pricelss artifacts had been looted...that while they had recovered some and knew where many more were....there was only faint hope that they would recover the bulk of them...he said two of his immediate staff had been gunned down only days before...Narsai had already mentioned that Donny went to work with a bulletproof vest on and carried a gun...and all the while I wondered at Aprim and Jassim and all the rest of them who ran out for very fear..and who continue to be afraid in America..so afraid they can't TALK....but they say a coward dies a million deaths...or runs a million miles.

Dr George closed by saying the artifacts in Iraq are not only the heritage of Iraqis but of all Humanity and they must be saved at all costs. I particularly liked his final statement...that knowledge and awareness of our past determines in large measure our future...measures how far we will go...for, said he, the farther you pull back a bow...the farther into the distance will your arrow fly...he was given a rousing ovation and you could tell the people were sincerely grateful that Donny hasn't joined Aprim in the United States...where he could be "safe". Donny George could work anywhere in the world at the most prestigious museums..he could have the materials and means at his disposal to conduct "safe" research...but he risks his life daily and the lives of his family, to stay and guard our priceless heritage...the one we threw away to go to heaven in San Jose.

The main course was the best...shireen pollow...roasted veggies and a nice tender cut of steak-type something or other. After this was cleared away Narsai got up again to hand out his little "Oscars" to the chefs and they were given a nice round...then the real work began: The auction, with Narsai barking out the bids in true fashion, was the part I found uncomfortable and was relieved that, if I had to be there, I didn't have to see my sculpture treated so.

As I was alone at the table, for the most part..with band members coming and going, the vice-president of AIDS came over and invited me to join his table..where his parents were seated...I thanked him and said I was fine where I was. Narsai also came over to ask how I was getting along...by that time I admit I was getting bored...but more than that...very sad...for some reason.

I'd gone out to the lobby area where we'd first gathered to sit and then pace around a bit...after the second or third item, I made my farewells to the few people around me and left. Good thing too...there must have been a tremendous crush of egos and cars later when they all left together. As it was, when I was waiting for my car, I was the only one there.

It struck me during the course of the evening how gracious people had been. Perhaps they were all pretending...but they all know they don't need to...that where I'm concerned there's no need to keep up "appearances"...if they can't be themselves, I sure as hell am going to be. It was interesting that the AIDS vice-president made a point of being welcoming...and Dr George didn't seem at all resentfull or "hurt" that I didn't "like" someone he liked. It goes to show that adults usually behave that way...it's the boys that give us a black eye.

I heard later that they estimated they took in close to $150,000...which is wonderful and a tribute to all of them...I don't see why, however, they refused to make it several thousand dollars more by auctioning off the sculpture I was willing to give them...but then I'm sure there are enough people on whatever committee they have who are there to promote themselves and their friends and agendas...screw em.

I should mention that a small portion of 12 hours of footage taken in Iraq was shown...Narsai introduced it by saying it would form a part a documenraty they hoped to get PBS to air. No chance. It was a dismal thing..patched and splotched together that basically told us what a great job was being done in Iraq but how much more help they needed...while many projects were shown and mention was made of the millions they'd raised already for projects...I was surprised to hear only Jackie Bejan's name mentioned...by a woman in Iraq...as a "true friend" to Assyrians. But then...it isn't so strange after all...for if she didn't ask for the recognition, still...the guy who made the film is no fool...had he NOT mentioned her...when he had the chance, that STILL would have been grounds for trouble.

I understand better this tactic we use to undermine ourselves. Jackie, Nimrod, "GS"...all of them use the same thing..it's what a poor athlete resorts to when he sees he has no chance of winning the race himself: He makes sure to trip up the one who can...especially if he or she happens to also be Assyrian. These boys can take their own defeat, they're well used to it...they can take being in the toilet...because Jesus put them there...to their greater glory as Assyrians, they'll tell you...they'll not mind if everyone else gets ahead of them, sits on them, craps on them...but what they WILL mind terribly is if ONE of them gets away from the toilet and climbs up...because his action shows that the rest are capable of doing the same...but that they PREFER the toilet of Life...because it is easier AND...because Jesus will love you more if you stink of poop instead of perfume...it's strange but in order to be "real and good" Christians...they HAVE to be godawful "Assyrians"...they have to TALK big about being Assyrians, but they can't BE big as Assyrians. The only thing they can excel at, if you want to call it that, is in making and being and remaining MARTYRS..people who lose every single time...but dedicate their losses to JESUS!

All the ones on the committee at AIDS knew my sculpture would bring in money...they knew Dr George would be pleased to meet me and receive a sculpture..they also knew I wasn't going to "misbehave"...as I never have...BUT...knowing all this and STILL not being able to meet me head to head on the MERITS...they pretended to be afraid of what I would do...that I might insult Jackie...or say something crude or out of place...it's very like "GS"...who would LOVE to win a point honestly but sees he can't...so he calls my mother names and thinks that makes him god-like.

They attempt to discredit you any way they can...and choose such despicable methods because for the life of them they cannot deal fairly, cleanly and on the merits of the arguments and points raised...that only by insult and crass comments about kissing your wife..or threatening to expose your children can they maintain their stranglehold on "Assyria".

All through the evening I couldn't help but remember that these same people voted FOR the war in Iraq...that they PLEADED for the Christians to be "liberated"...without a care or thought for what would be done to all the people...all the heritage...and yet, here they were...eating and drinking and dressing nicely...in order to send band-aids back to Iraq...to patch up the gaping holes that machine guns and fifty-caliber uranium enriched shells leave in children...that was the thought that made me sad...wiped the smile off my face...and sent me home early. I saw nothing to celebrate...nothing at all.


pss...no one saw Wellfed...or "Happy" Jatou.



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