An Unexpectedly Huge Halloween

Several weeks ago in the compound, a notice went up on the noticeboard in the clubhouse wanting people for a Halloween committee. Eventually a notice came around to all 210 houses on the compound, asking people to register their kids to attend a Halloween party for a nominal fee. About the same time, decorations started going up outside some people's villas - witches, broomsticks, pumpkins, tombstones and the like.

Leo had a Very Important Halloween Function to attend at his girlfriend Nicol's compound (she is gorgeous and Italian) but Robbie was dead keen to go, as was his friend Jared. Robbie dressed up in black with a gruesome mask and Jared turned up completely wrapped up in bandages, as a mummy.

Here's little Jesse Otimi dressed up in his giraffe costume. Their family are the other Kiwis on the compound.

When we arrived at the clubhouse, there was a huge big thang going on. The Halloween committee had done a fantastic job. There were spider and bat decorations, a registration desk, the restaurant had turned into a children's fast-food outlet, there was a disco going outside and there were 96 children of all sizes and persuasions running around in full costume. There were kids bobbing for apples, and eating donuts on strings. I helped with one of the games - throw the quoit onto the witches hats. When there was an announcement that there would be a prize for the best Halloween costume, ALL the kids stampeded to be part of it, even the boy wearing a Riyadh soccer shirt.

After the games, the manager of our compound turned off all the streetlights and the kids went trick and treating in the dark. I gave out 60 lots of lollies before I had to turn kids away. Robbie arrived back wild-eyed from sugar just as I left to pick up Leo.

When I got to Alfardan Compound, I drove past Leo at first. He was sitting on the footpath with three girls, and I didn't recognise him because he was wearing a long black wig. He hefted a supermarket bag into the car, three-quarters full of sweets and declared it was the best Halloween he had ever had.