Well, I really enjoyed reading this for a lot of reasons. I was interested in the menu and also in the floral arrangements, and wanted all the details.
Can't resist some social commentary that popped right out at me.
The first lady, Michelle Obama, has become something of an advocate for healthy food and fresh vegetables. The White House garden, under her supervision, has become an important stop in any visit to the White House. She has built it into something of a landmark. Mrs. Obama and her garden are featured frequently on food and cooking blogs, as are her official appearances at food and nutrition events and gatherings.
The White House bee hives are also climbing in popularity.They are now part of organized programs for school children, with professional demonstrations of bee-keeping for the benefit of school children, many city born and bred, who have no idea how honey is made, where it comes from, and how it gets to market.
Finally, the funny one. In the US it is a social convention for husbands and wives to mix and match. The higher in social status one is the more obligatory it is for Husband A to sit with Wife B, and for Husband B to sit with Wife A. This is true for seating at restaurants, dinner parties, and even in limousines when traveling. To do otherwise is "too pendu" to borrow the Punjabi phrase. So we have Mrs. Obama seated with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh; and President Obama is seated with Mrs. Gursharan Kaur, wife of the Prime Minister.
You can tell where I am in the social hierarchy over here. I think the mix and match husbands and wives is silly, and I am interested in fruits, vegetables, gardens and beehives.
