This evening, Ian and I were invited by the Dean of Engineering for cocktails and dinner at the Skyline Country Club. As we drove past the guard on the way to the three-story clubhouse, past rows of million-dollar houses, we remarked to each other that rich people really like to show off.

And when we arrived at the reserved room where the “Industry Advisory Council” was meeting, we were greeted with a room full of suits, and an impressive view of the city through floor-to-ceiling windows. We shuffled toward the drinks, thanking the Dean for his invitation, then introducing ourselves to CEOs and Presidents along the way. “Do you think this is an open bar?” Ian whispered to me; in response I grinned and ordered a gin and tonic. (“Would you like lime with that, sir?”)

Shortly after, an impromptu musical chairs game started as the smells of food wafted through the area. I was seated between Stu, a sharp-witted exec from Raytheon, and a certain Mr. Brown, Vice-President of Raytheon. They grilled us about our trip, our future plans, the food overseas, whether we could figure out the language… meanwhile I couldn’t keep my eyes off the wonderful meal. We started with a fancy salad with raspberry vinaigrette, then moved on to the main course: juicy filet mignon with salmon, scalloped potatoes, and asparagus (with a nice cabernet, of course); desert was a custard with fruits in a chocolate cup, then we finished off with a cup of coffee.

All this so we would be convinced to give a small presentation about our year in Japan tomorrow morning. Heh, somehow I think we got the better end of the deal.