Out to dinner with Colin Powell

Before I get everybody's hopes up, let's start here: I did not get to personally meet Mr. Powell. I did get to sit near him while we both ate an absolutely fantastic gourmet dinner. 

Unfortunately, I arrived to the soiree (At Mina A'Salam, above) after the time for photo-ops and handshakes, due to being stuck in the parking garage of the Trade Center after the commencement for almost an hour, waiting for every other person in the parking garage to pay their fee and exit before me and my chauffer. The commencement at the trade center was fine, fun to see the graduates and everything. See one walking across the stage while Colin Powell and Sheikh Mohammed hand him a diploma....

...and I was worried about being late to the commencement after getting out of the salon late prior to that. My expert chauffer, however, navigated us to the graduation with deft, class and style in plenty of time. He even insisted I take time to change in the bathroom of the Dubai Mall before departure - so confident was he in his abilities to bend time.  I, of course, needed to be in the salon for 4 hours, in order to look like a movie star in the unlikely event that I should get to meet Mr. Powell. (Exhibit A: beauty-rific Alicia gazing at a biography of Colin Powell.)

So, salon and commencement aside, the real fun began at dinner, even though we arrived late. We were served wine and a terrific salad with like a balsamic & truffle oil dressing with some cheese... it was MELT in your mouth delicious. Then we had some kind of very good lentil soup with fresh lemon juice. Then, Colin Powell had to leave to catch a flight. Which means he missed... the filet! A huge, perfectly medium-rare juicy tender flavorific steak with a little glazed potato and some roast cherry tomatoes. Mmmm. Dessert was a baked cheesecake that I hardly paid attention to while eating, but I think it was good.

We even had complimentary valet parking, which is great because I get a huge kick out of it when the man in his formal hotel wear opens the creaky door of the crapulator for me, so I can step out looking all fancy and then wait while Mr. Man explains how you have to press a button under the steering wheel to start the car. Very classy.

The funny thing about the night was the number of terrible fashion faux-pauxs everywhere - sitting in front of us at commencement was a beautiful woman in a beautiful white backless dress.... with a big fat black 3-hook brassiere strapped across the middle of her back. On the way out? Some woman in a black top and leopard-print skin-tight pleather pants was being accompanied by a gentleman who seemed truly enthralled, and who appeared to be actively ignoring the giant white and hot-pink tag hanging off the back of her shirt which read: "Marks & Spencer / M / $17.99". She must have been in as much of a hurry as I was yesterday.