An Aurobindo Christmas Party

Since I have been woefully remiss in updating my blog (mostly due to the fact that I am still living in the 20th century and have to wait to fill up a roll of film and then get it developed), I am shockingly doing two posts today! Hold on to your hats, ladies and gentlemen!

So the next big adventure after Northern Ireland was Christmas. My second in the UK. The first big shindig was the Aurobindo Pharma Christmas Party, organised by yours truly, on 14 December.

First up was a friendly game of bowling (Vivek snapping pictures left and right, Mike focusing intently on the game, and Innes and Ashish in the background unable to stop talking about work for 5 minutes). I was fairly surprised that I did reasonably well. After all, the last time I went bowling was nearly 20 years ago (YIKES!).

Sadly my team lost, but in my opinion it was all about the fun. And fun it was!

Bowling was followed by dinner at a rather posh Zen Oriental Restaurant at Hilton Heathrow. I have to admit to being completely addicted to roast duck. Roast duck made an abundant appearance along with various dishes of sweet and sour chicken, lamb with broccoli, shrimp with chillies. It was all followed up with seriously yummy dessert. I have to say, we do know how to have fun when we put our minds to it.

The following week, after much complaining by the troops at our lack of Christmas spirit, I got a tree from Argos and Vishnu and I got it set up and looking gorgeous.

Complaints turned to awe and wonder at my extreme cleverness and good taste.

I would say the Christmas spirit was helped along in large part by copious amounts of chocolates, chocolate biscuits (cookies), and and Italian Christmas cake called pannetonne (which is a yeast cake, very light and sweet, and flavoured with orange and almonds and all kinds of dried fruits).

We had another impromptu party on the 21st since I had ordered a big lunch and lots of sweets for the MHRA inspectors who ended up leaving at noon. What we're we to do save throw a party and enjoy the yummy food. It would have gone to waste, otherwise. And we couldn't have that!

So, full of Christmas spirit (and way too much food) we rolled ourselves home early Friday to enjoy the Christmas season.

Next up a Christmas Feast with my friend Neashon! After I get the pictures developed, that is!