MIDDLE
Early Birds

We had a rule. We''d reach a Delhi dinner party "punctually", ie, precisely 30 minutes after the given time. Quite often we found ourselves the first to arrive. "Are we too early?" we''d mumble. To which a genial host would respond soothingly, "Someone has to be the first." And, getting a nod from his mate, would start dispensing drinks. Once we
surprised a hostess busy feeding her dog.
In the light of such experiences, coupled with an elevation in bureaucratic rank, we have now taken to reaching an hour late. (Amazingly, we can''t help fret and fidget over every minute of our guests'' delay beyond the invited time.) And yet we find ourselves among the first few. Often the "important" people arrive even later.
Perhaps it merits some research as to how there''s always a minimum gap of 30 minutes between the arrival of the "powerless" and the entry of the "powerful" at a Delhi dinner party. If the "powerless" somehow start delaying their arrival, the "powerful" automatically adjust their timings too.
Does this time synchronisation flow from a sixth sense? Or is there a miraculous method by which the information gets relayed?
About punctuality at dinners, Germans pro-bably represent the other extreme. Posted as consul-general in Hamburg, whenever we asked a few couples to dinner at 7.30, the doorbell would ring at 7.30 sharp. As one opened the door, all the invited couples would troop in. Not a coincidence, we learnt. Guests arrive a few minutes in advance and wait in their cars; they don''t want the host to be distracted by opening the door separately for each invitee.
And they would send their gift of flowers during the daytime, so that the hostess could use these instead of buying them.
Arriving punctually at a Delhi dinner party has another feature to contend with. You have at the minimum two solid hours of liquid refreshments. And here operates a general rule: The more plentiful the liquids, the more deferred the solids.
Incidentally, alcohol is an item at dinner on which a host and hostess may be putting conflicting interpretation. The more he succeeds in dispensing alcohol, the more he expects jollity. Yet a very "jolly" guest is rarely in a position to appreciate a quality meal. A bit dismaying to a hostess who had stood an hour before the butcher''s counter selecting choice cuts and laboured hard to plan and organise an elaborate meal.