By Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner WriterWELL, ME Daah-lings, it is Ash Wednesday, with last night being Fat-Tuesday, parties there were aplenty and not just across Jamaica, but across the globe as the fun-loving criss-crossed the globe in search of the hottest parties, and how!
Luvs, for those seeking bacchanalian hotness, neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago was the first choice. For the well-to-do however, it was destination Rio, Venice or Cologne, as indeed the latter two destinations are known for their haute-carnivale and
costumed balls.
And so, Venice it was for the glamour heiresses as they, Toy-boys in tow, and fresh from an idyllic winter on French St Marten where every thing is flown in fresh and daily decided on making theirs a European carnival experience, this year.
My dears, notwithstanding the fact that quite a number of the fabulous headed overseas for various carnival destinations last week, Kingston was her usual busy self ablaze with fabulous parties, dinners, receptions and goodwill affairs.
One such goodwill event still has guests talking and the word is that it was all-fabulous, and how!
REVERED SECRET
Now Kingston is one of those finer cities of the world, which like any true chanteuse, never gives up all her secrets, and in so doing remain that much more attractive because of her mysterious nature. One of this city's more revered secrets is the absolutely charming residence of the lovely Monica Chen, located over there in the coveted Golden Triangle in St. Andrew proper and a stone's throw from the Prime Minister's official Vale Royal residence. It was at this tres fab home that the annual Chinese New Year fundraiser by Prime Minister P.J. Patterson was held, for schools in his Western Westmoreland constituency, organized by social and political powerhouse Pinky Bowers and friends.
This year, however, instead of the funds going to the traditional projects, the Prime Minister decided on contributing to the school of his early primary education, the Somerton Primary School in St James.
Anyways, a number of scheduling conflicts made for a late Chinese New Year Fundraiser by the Prime Minister this year, with the event actually being staged last Saturday, and to fabulously raving reviews!
GIFT PACKAGES
Imagine arriving guests being welcomed with gift packages from Ralph Lauren and then being ushered into a simple must-talk-about garden of an oasis, that gave way to a marvellous garden and pool boasting a fabulous entertainment area and gazebo that made for a fantasy of an evening, highlighted by sensational Chinese cuisine that had the palates of guests a-tingling in rapture; a Dutch-Auction that saw a coveted Gene Pearson head, being auctioned of for a princely $100,000; Jimmy Cliff, auctioning a live performance of Rebel In Me and Many Rivers To Cross in his own inimitable style and described by guests as: Ah-mazing! That fetched a quarter of a million dollars, for his old school, Somerton Primary in the process.
And the names were out too, as among those spotted at the $6,000 per plate fund-raiser included: Karl and Nellie Hendrickson; Canadian Jamaican multi-millionaire Raymond Chang and companion Donette Chin-Loy; Dr. Vin Lawrence; Vincent Chang; Yvon and Cynthia DesUlme; Chris Nakash and wife Zein Issa Nakash; Jack and Jean Wilmot; the elegant Sonia Witter; Neville Blythe; Steve and Betty Ashley; Alston Stewart; Doreen Frankson; Len Crooks and wife Debi Hamilton; Mrs. Diana Fraser-Campbell; and Ambassador Raymond and Sharon Wolfe; plus a number of others.
RANKS OF BILLIONAIRES
Now, not that all the fabulous and wealthy headed away from destination Jamaica, for carnival carryings-on, as indeed Jamaican born mega-millionaire a tups more millions and he too moves into the ranks of billionaires the fabulously wealthy Raymond Chang and his belle, the former PR Maven Donnette Chin-Loy, were on the island enjoying a few days of R&R, as well as scouting possibilities for the further expansion of his largely Canadian based empire!
Well, my dears, to toast the success of the investment tycoon, as well as to introduce him to some of the power-players here, the charming, almost retiring multi-millionaire and his belle were the special guests at a very cozy and intimate little dinner-party hosted in Old Stony Hill over the weekend that was a smasheroni and then some!
Doves, we are talking a charmingly intimate "A-Crowder" here and nothing but, with among those out sharing each others society included: his charming sister the absolutely style-perfect social empress and Honorary Consul General of the Thai Kingdom, Thalia Lyn and her hubby Capt. Michael Lyn; Ambassador Charles Cobb and his charming and oh so elegant wife American Ambassador Sue Cobb; Canadian High Commissioner Claudio Valle and his absolutely fabulous wife Louise Valle; the mega-wealthy Texan power couple Dennis and Jane Joslin; Ian Levy and his beautiful wife Celia Levy; celebrated Lawyer George Fatta; Mrs. Michelle Orane; Howard Mitchell; Mark Pritchett; legally luminary Anne Marie Feanny; Capt. David McRae; Patrick Brady and his lovely companion Suzette Chin-Loy; Michael Lyn Jr. and his oh so beautiful wife Denise Lyn and their children Matthew, Michael and Annabella Thalia; plus a number of others.
Indeed, the affair made for one fabulously civilized evening, and then some!
HAUNTS FOR THE SOCIAL
The Hilton Kingston Hotel, located on Knutsford Boulevard over there in New Kingston, under the management of international hotelier Frank Roshouvel and his support team, has made itself one of the city's leading haunts for the social, and financial powerbrokers of this thriving metropolis. Little wonder here as indeed, since his appointment GM Roshouvel has instituted many innovative changes and policies geared towards making the hotel and its many facilities not only more accessible to its clients, but more customer friendly.
As part and parcel of this strategy, there's a weekly managers poolside cocktail reception that sees the hotel's top managers not only interacting with guests, but the opportunity is used to showcase one or more of the hotel's varied offerings and/or attractions. And so it is, that over drinks and nibbles last Tuesday evening guests were treated to a nimble and at times acrobatic display of the exercise programme the hotel's in-house gym Gymkhana owned and operated under the banner of the Guardsman Group, has to offer to its in-house guests as well as fitness buffs and enthusiasts from the wider community.
It could have been titled "Fabulous Bodies In Motion" as the three female and male instructors from the gym took center-stage and executed a power-fitness-display, that literally shamed a few of the more rotund guests into waking away from the platters of sinfully delicious nibbles on offer. With the instructors on hand advising, however, that the gym is a seven-day twenty-hour day and night affair, the resolve was to work off the calories later.
The cocktail reception, however, was as charming as charming gets, as is to be expected when there is a gathering of the fabulous and/or the charming, as such company makes for wonderful society.
And wonderful society it was too, as among those out included: Former Deputy Prime Minister and Jamaica's Commissioner to Washington High Commissioner HE Seymour and Mrs. Leleith Mullings; Dennis Joslin and his charmingly lovely wife Jane Joslin; Honorary Consul of the Republic of Iceland Robert MacMillan; the charming and engaging Valerie Juggan-Brown; Laurie Broderick; Janet Farrow; Claude Clements; the charming Mrs. Lorraine Roshouvel; Robbie Epstein; Sonja Sutherland; the sensationally fab Audrey Miller; Marjorie Gordon; Lieutenant Colonel PK Young and Mrs. Dagmar Young, he of the Canadian Air force and Commandant of the Central Flying School; Maj. Geoff Butterworth; Maj. Marc Rogers; Capt. Dave Skinner and wife Corporal Karen Christian; Capt. Andre Wigstaf; all of the Canadian National Defense Force; Erin Chang; Jacqui Night-Campbell and Mitsy Pratt; plus several others.
