Aramco Brats Reunite in Asheville Over Memorial Day Weekend
- Community
- Aramco Brats
Author: Aramco ExPats
Released 1 June 2007
Lewis Songer
For a few hundred Aramco Brats Memorial Day Weekend was far more than an extra day of rest tacked onto the end of Saturday and Sunday. It became a much more meaningful and significant holiday to them because they were lucky enough to attend the Asheville, North Carolina Brats Reunion. For these short, blissful days, many generations of Brats from all of the Aramco camps were united by a mutual love and respect for all things Saudi.
Registration opened at 1:00 on Thursday afternoon, and over the next 24 hours the beautiful Crowne Plaza Resort gradually filled to the bursting point with Brats and their loved ones. The event truly kicked off during the opening reception Friday evening from 6:00 to 8:00 as old friends got reacquainted in the the Crowne Ballroom. However, the pool-side barbecue dinner did much to draw the crowd outside onto the patio where they could enjoy the beautiful North Carolina weather as well as each other's company.
Festivities and moderate consumption of beverages continued well into the wee hours as Brats are no strangers to late nights spent in the company of friends. Some of these individuals were even brave enough to face an early wake-up call Saturday morning in order to participate in the bowling tournament at the local Star Lanes. It couldn't have been easy, but no doubt the 11:00 AM Bloody Marys helped to settle the occasional upset stomach.
Saturday evening was reserved for members of the various class years to get together with old school chums in order to reflect on their shared experience of growing up together in Saudi Arabia. The itinerary referred to this as a time for "Class Parties" and the choice of words could not have been more appropriate. While some folks lazed by the pool or huddled around Mulligan's at the Crowne Plaza, others opted for the party bus that delivered passengers to various hotspots in downtown Asheville. At one point in the night a crowd of more than thirty were engaged in a particularly energetic pub crawl.
Hookah Joe's
One contingent of mid to late 90's Brats discovered Hookah Joe's, an establishment boasting 80 flavors of shisha from all over the Arab world. The beautiful Arabic water pipes hold a special place in the hearts of those who were fortunate enough to have sampled them during their time in Saudi. Hookahs were actually available for purchase in the candy section of the commissary. Regardless of where all the Brats ended up Saturday night, partying of one kind or another was definitely the order of business.
Aramco Brat Karl Zercoe
Sunday morning began bright and early for anyone taking part in the golf tournament. The scheduled start of the event was a difficult 8:00, but that wasn't enough to deter a slew of dedicated Brats. The lush greens and verdant fairways at the Crowne Plaza were certainly a far cry from the oiled sand most of them learned to play golf on, but this didn't seem to detract from anyone's enjoyment of the game.
At 9:00 four lone Brats gathered at the tennis courts to participate in the 2007 Brat Reunion Tennis Tournament. The great thing about a tournament that involves only two teams is that you are virtually guaranteed to place either first or second. It was clear, though, that these four men were playing neither for glory nor prizes. They played tennis that morning to get lost amongst the pleasant memories of a bygone era.
As Sunday evening approached, a bittersweet feeling hung in the air as reunion attendees slowly awoke to the idea that it would all be over the following day. Fortunately a great deal of fun remained in store for the Brats during their last night together. Yet another round of cocktails by the pool preceded a lavish banquet paid for by Aramco Services Company.
During dinner Deya Elyas, Director of Public Relations at ASC, took a moment to thank those in attendance for all their continued support for and interest in Saudi Aramco. He went on to mention a few of the exciting new projects the company has in the works and concluded by voicing his hope in seeing everyone again at the Annuitants Reunion in Las Vegas.
Jeff Hutchins, Dhahran '62, stepped into the roll of auctioneer following the banquet and did an admirable job of raising funds for AramcoBrats, Inc. Some of the items up for grab included ghutra ties, hookah lamps, a handmade quilt, and gold earrings shaped like arab sandals.
From that point on it was up to the Fabulous Flabbergasters to keep the dance floor packed. This goal was easily achieved, and Brats could still be seen dancing well after 1:00 in the morning. Mulligan's was again crowded with patrons desperately clinging to their last, precious hours together.
Sadly, all good things must come to their eventual end, and the 2007 Aramco Brats Reunion was no exception. A great many tired, melancholy faces passed through the Crowne Plaza's lobby doors Monday morning. Elsewhere people may have been celebrating a holiday, but being forced to say goodbye to each other left little cause for celebration among the Brats. Of course, there is a bright and shiny silver lining here when thoughts turn to what lies ahead for the next reunion.
Aramco Brats Dancing