Glamour and Style Unplugged

Faujis work hard and party hard with the perfect doses of glamour, style and decorum. In a peace posting, parties and social dos form an intrinsic part of an army life. Army is a close knit family and these functions help make the bonds stronger. They serve as a great platform to know each other and socialize. Friendships are formed quickly. While some of the parties are formal and are set in the Officers' Mess, where the ambience is dignified and formal, others are informal get-togethers at each others' houses. Hosting and attending formal parties, informal get-togethers and impromptu festivities are an inherent part of a fauji life, especially during a peace posting, away from the pressures of a field posting and separated family life. And Faujis surely know how to party in style. There is shimmering cutlery, lip smacking cuisine, a lively band, chic and neat waiters, exclusive drinks, a joke here and a tittle-tattle there, all set in an ideal ambience.
Each party has its own appeal there are impromptu parties where the lady of the house receives guests at the middle of the night, (bachelors, who insist on having dinner!). There are formal parties like dinning in and dinning outs, regimental guest’s dinner, raising day dinners which are organized with such meticulousness, grandiosity and finery that they would give even five-star banquets a run for their money. Then we have theme parties like Husband’s night, Hippy Night, Halloween Night where the whole idea is to have interaction notwithstanding the fun and the glamour part. The company is great and so is the atmosphere and food. What more does one need to enjoy? In Army, co-operative effort and courtesy are of paramount importance hence these parties work as a unifying and driving force amongst the services. They are a deeply binding anchor and tradition in the peripatetic Army life. Its raison d'être, however, goes much deeper than its surface appearance of being one of the most frivolous, though certainly attractive facets of social life in the Army.
Children also learn the finer nuances of socializing from a very young age. By the time they are 4-5 years old they look forward to the tambola evenings, club functions, social evenings and of course the dance parties. For them its time for unlimited supply of soft drinks, juices and chips with their own exclusive group. Ask any retired officer and his family what they miss the most in their post-Army life they reply in unison, "Parties and Parties, ofcourse.” Civilian friends often quip, what is the difference? Well, I would say a LOT! Although, receptions, dinners, dances, teas, etc are held essentially in the same manner as in the civilian communities but the cordiality, unity and community interest of service officers and their families and above all punctuality are the most striking features. Long live the celebrations!!