- Contributed
Birthday girl Edith Jarbeau (right) shares a Kodak moment with her daughter, Louise Valle and friend, George Fatta, at her birthday party.
Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor
DEARHEARTS, THERE is no questioning the love that the absolutely and fabulously charming Louise Valle has for Jamaica! This affaire de coeur, actually began back in 1988 when she first visited the island as a part of the Canadian Emergency Relief Effort, here at the time as part of the post-Hurricane Gilbert, reconstruction effort!
Since that initial posting, Louise Valle and her husband Claudio Valle, took up their first stint in Jamaica, in 1991, he, as the Deputy High Commissioner, and she as an officer with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). It was a stint that ended in 1995, but saw them both returning in 1997. He came again as the Deputy High Commissioner, a post he held until the year 2000.
In 2003, however, upon the retirement of then High Commissioner John Robinson, Claudio Valle was appointed Canadian High Commissioner to Kingston; his charming wife, appointed CIDA's senior governance programmes manager, here in Kingston, and so the Valles were once again back in Jamaica, in the service of their country.
Now, Edith Jarbeau is the very charming mother of Mrs. Louise Valle, who has spent most of her life living in her native Canada. Upon the passing of her husband, however, her daughter advised her to look into the possibility of relocating to Kingston, as indeed, the climate and relaxed pace of the country might be the ideal place to live.
And so it was, that last year, the lovely Edith Jarbeau, moved to Kingston, and has been loving it, since. Since her arrival, the spirited grand dame, the charming Mrs. Jarbeau, has been really making Jamaica, her home, and in so doing has not only been making friends, but has earned a reputation of being the life of the party, when she parties!
80TH BIRTHDAY
For those knowing the lovely lady, however, this comes as no surprise, but for onlookers, indeed, it does take some getting used to, and perhaps understandably so, as indeed, Mrs. Jarbeau, on Friday, April 7, celebrated her 80th year of life, and to mark the occasion, her daughter, the serenely elegant Louise Valle, opened up the doors to the official residence of the Canadian High Commission, and threw her mom a birthday party, that was smart!
Indeed it was flawlessly fashionable! And quite memorable! And wait, it did not stop there, as the occasion was also used to propose a special toast in honour of James Gill and his betrothed Marino Sakhno, on the occasion of their impending nuptials. (They actually tied the knot last evening over there at the tres chic Sunset Beach Resort, in Montego Bay).
Well, me daahlings, the couple was duly toasted and their impending union faultlessly celebrated, but, and without a doubt, the night belonged to Edith Jarbeau, and celebrate it she did! In a word fabulissimo!
Now, there are some simply great residences here in Kingston/St. Andrew, made that much more so for their olde worlde charm and the stately elegance, they wreak of! Interestingly enough, the majority of these residences are to be found in the preferred locale known as the 'Golden Triangle'. It is within the Golden Triangle, that the official residence of the Canadian High Commissioner is to be found! A sumptuous residence, with lush gardens and acres of lawns, the property is indeed, a thing of beauty, and then some!
It was here that guests gathered for the 80th birthday celebrations of the charming Edith Jarbeau, and my dears, it was a faultless Do!
MERRY-MAKING
The celebrations began with cocktails on the garden terrace, as the shortlist of friends, gathered to make merry, on what was a milestone of a celebration.
Cocktails taken, dinner was a feast, and then some of flawless epicurean order, the jumbo-shrimps looking and tasting more like succulent lobsters; the salmon and cheeses, simply precious! But it was the Chicken-a-la-Louise, that took the prize! Dovecakes, it was to die for!
There were several champagne moments, but none so dear, as when the hostess paid tribute to her mom, mentioning her tenacity and the sacrifices in seeing to the well-being and education of her children. It made for a moving moment. A tear-jerker, even! But it was not going to be that kind of a party, as the birthday girl was determined to celebrate, the bounties of her life and, pumpkins, she did!
Amidst the sips, toasts, and cheers, and cake tasting; and with some red-hot Caribbean rhythms warming the soles of the feet, my dears, the affair went into overdrive as guests led the birthday girl into a congo line; took turns in the ring; shook, shimmied and 'shaked', and simply partied up a tsunami and there she was, the birthday girl, partying up a storm, in the company of family and friends, and feeling no pain! It made for a fabulous moment!
Doves, it was as intimate as it was memorable! And flawlessly so!
Sadly, official duties took H.E. Claudio Valle out of the country, but among those out, sharing the momentous occasion, included: her son, Robert Brisebois and his lovely companion, Chantal Perron, who both jetted in from Canada, for the celebrations; socialite emeritus Roy and Sylvia Collister; conglomateur and bon vivant Kenny Benjamin; Celia Mair; 'A-Crowders' Ron and Barbara Sasso;
Celebrated lawyer George Fatta; the charmingly lovely Jennifer Lim; Dr. Kernel Gajaraj, his fabulous French wife Beatrice Gajaraj, and their beautiful daughter Nadine Gajaraj; Claude Clements; Rupert and Joan Lindo; Dr. Napoleon Ochoa; James Gill and fiancée Marina Sakhno; Nerine Small and hubby Maurice Wright; Tom and Tracey McArdle; the lovely Alison Peart; Paul Shoucair and his English companion, the beautiful Catherine Garrett; and the oh so statuesquely svelte, Sonja Sutherland; plus a number of others.
But what a party!
