Stop Horn Please: May 2009

Saturday night was a special party for the Twin-cities Expat Association. T.E.A. hosted the “Last Mango Tango” at Hyderabad's much-loved Grillroom. The “Last Mango Tango” was an adults-only dance party with a mango theme.

Many of our expats are leaving the city permanently to go back to their homelands or continue their work in different places. The “Last Mango Tango” was a party to honor these temporary citizens of Hyderabad and to reflect on how Hyderabad has changed and affected their lives.

The Grillroom staff did not disappoint with unique and lip-smacking snacks, amazing food and smooth and delicious drinks.

A table was set up with different varieties of mangos for sampling, and a pasta bar was present for made-to-order pastas... in addition to the variety of offerings on the buffet.

Friendly waiters circled the room with orange and green test tubes of sweet mango juice. The bar offered mango martinis, mango margaritas and a variety of mango juices in addition to the usual bar components.

The Grillroom was decorated by Indu Vaidyanathan with her exceptional sense of style. She festooned the room with brightly colored marigolds, mangoes and mango leaves. The tables were decked out with runners with the word mango written in different languages. The center of the tables had colorful recipes with instructions on how to make unique cuisine with mangos as a key ingredient. Each table had a sprinkling of mango-flavored candies, jasmine buds and green, orange and yellow gems.

Near the bar you would find a nonstop slide show projected on the wall with the theme of things you will miss when you leave Hyderabad. The slide show had nearly 700 photos of touching moments, Hyderabad landmarks, friends, and sometimes strange and funny sights.

The expats unabashedly danced the night away to the fusion of Indian and western dance music sporting their shades of mango clothing. At one point they even formed a conga-line.

This was such a well-planned and put-together party… It was a pleasant way to say a sad goodbye to these people who have become a part of our lives... also a nice way to welcome new expats joining us.

Below are some pictures of the party.

Me and Scott