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OUR LIFE Monthly, published by Ukrainian National Women's League of America, Inc. VOL. XLIX JULY-AUGUST 1998 Editor: TAMARA STADNYCHENKO 1776 HAPPY 4th O F JULY AM ERICA!!! 1998 EATING FOR ONE'S COUNTRY by MARTA ZIELYK Marta Zielyk holds the position of Diplomatic Interpreter at the State Department. She is not a political appointee. All views, thoughts and ideas expressed in this article are her own and do not reflect the views of the U.S. Government. "Once again we must eat for our country" is a popular saying around the State Department, especially among those diplomats who often travel overseas as part of official delegations. They say it with mock exasperation, usually before sitting down to a wonderful dinner with multiple courses, fine wines and exquisite desserts. I find it hard to feel sorry for them because while I am often present at these fancy occasions, I rarely have the pleasure of “eating for my country". I usually spend my evenings "interpreting for my country", facilitating dinner table conversation between American diplomats and their Ukrainian counterparts. Social occasions, dinners, banquets, luncheons, even working breakfasts, can be considered instruments of diplomacy. They supplement, and at times supplant, negotiations or bilateral meetings where the bulk of the interaction between officials of two nations take place. Thus they are just an extension of the working day: compromises are often reached between the main course and dessert, deals can be struck over the last brandy of the meal, treaties have been agreed to over a plate of varenyky, valuable insights are gained about a national psyche during the endless rounds of elaborate toasts. I never forget that the most basic function of these occasions is to physically nourish diplomats who have been working intensely throughout the day defending the interests of their governments. So despite the fact that I rarely get to eat these memorable meals, or maybe because of that fact, I usually take special note of what is being served and how it is presented. The difference between the Ukrainian and American styles of entertaining official guests during state dinners or banquets can be summed up simply: while the Official State Department Menu for dimer in honor of His Excellency Leonid Kravchuk, Ukraine's former president. March 1994.
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