Windows line the front of the room, and a long buffet station dominates the back.
I was starving after the long ceremony, and therefore a bit impatient with the old fella in front of me at the buffet who took an age to decide between chicken and beef.
There's so much to ridicule, rather dissect, about your topsy-turvy but charmed celebrity life that I feel like a starving man in front of a lavish buffet in Las Vegas, the haven of debauchery and shamelessness that has hosted many of your public appearances and accommodated your indulgences.
In front of the usual Zurich crowd of power brokers, buffet-lurkers, desiccated legends and appallingly tuxedoed superstars, Lionel Messi has been awarded the Ballon d'Or for 2015.
When the doors opened, the fans ignored the lovely Southern-style buffet and immediately swirled in front of the booth selling hats, bags, "Zenyatta Way" street signs, photographs and jewelry.
Leaving his wife, Tami, and their two boys at the front of the hall, he took a place in the dispensing line at the buffet tables and began doling out food and chatting with those passing by.
I feel like I'm standing in front of this huge buffet of possibilities and I'm taking my time to chose.
