"There is no hope of joy except in human relations." - Antoine de Saint-Exupery A colorful Turkish setting greeted outgoing Belgian Ambassador
Christian Tanghe and his lovely wife
Gul at the themed farewell party hosted by Consuls
Helen Ong and
Mellie Ablaza. Held at the luxurious Forbes Park residence of the Ongs, the celebration was given Turkish touches by sought-after designer
Junjun Ablaza through brightly colored pillows and lanterns imported from Turkey.
A Turkish cook was employed to prepare the unique menu. To top it all off, an alluring belly dancer from Romania entertained the guests, who were also in Turkish-inspired attire. The kind ambassador and his beautiful wife were thankful to their hosts and friends who made their stay here in Manila such a wonderful and unforgettable assignment.
| A thanksgiving birthday dinner |
Illustrious fashion designer
Bobby Novenario recently hosted a Thanksgiving dinner party at his elegant residence in Forbes Park, Makati. It was a late celebration of his birthday here in Manila, as he came from Europe and the USA. Many of Bobby’s close friends came to celebrate and wish him well — some even came from abroad.
The food was carefully prepared and meticulously arranged by
Arlene Arce and
Katrina Kuhn in five food stations: a seafood table, a carving station, a Japanese station, a Spanish station and a dessert table. Needless to say, it was an overload of delectable gustatory sensations for everyone!
The evening’s musical entertainment was provided by
Noel Lopez’s String Band and singers. Guests were requested to donate their gifts to the Arnold Janssen Mission Foundation, where Bobby is the vice-chairman of the board of trustees.
Happy birthday and happy Thanksgiving as well, Bobby!
| An authentic German festival |
Mandarin Oriental Manila sets the stage once more for the most authentic
Oktoberfest celebration in the Philippines. "Oktoberfest 2005" will be held on Oct.7 and 8, from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the NBC Tent in Bonifacio Global City. Capturing the essence of the world’s biggest outdoor festival, the event promises two fun-filled evenings of free-flowing beer, a lavish buffet of German delicacies, entertainment from the 11-piece band Bavarian Sound Express flown in from Munich, exciting raffles and games, and non-stop dancing. Proceeds of the event will go to the European International School’s scholarship for underprivileged children.
(For ticket reservations and inquiries,
call 750-8888 extensions 2400/2401.) | Johnny says, ‘Check This Out!’ |
The Bellevue gets a Rockin’ Revival. The definitive entertainment and business destination of the south, fresh from successfully holding a jampacked Bloomfields concert, invites party people once again to a night of fine wines and rocking revelry. On Oct. 14, The Bellevue Grand Ballroom hosts
A Night to Remember, a wine tasting affair and concert in one, with crisp whites and flavorful reds from Philippine Wine Merchants at 7 p.m. and all-time favorite songs from Rockin’ Revival at 8 p.m. Get a chance to rock and roll at Alabang’s celebrated concert venue, The Bellevue Grand Ballroom, while partaking of gourmet canapés expertly prepared by the hotel’s executive chef
Hans Peter Eckstein.
(For inquiries, call 771-8181.) ...the Philippine Tot Pony Baseball Team for recently participating in the Asia-Pacific Pony Baseball League Tournament in Tokyo, Japan. The other participating teams in the four-day tournament were from Chinese Taipei, Russia, Japan and the host team of Edogawa City. Philippine Ambassador to Japan
Domingo Siazon Jr. warmly welcomed the team, which was led by Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation VP
Ramon Manuel.
Happy birthday to our celebrators today, Quezon City Mayor
Feliciano "Sonny" Belmonte,
Rolly Asis, The Westine Philippine Plaza’s
Rose Libongco, maritime lawyer
Jerby Rebanos and architect
Gerry Contreras.
Advance birthday greetings to
Manila Times’ Tessa Mauricio and
Lani Aquino,
Oct. 3;
Ramon Fernandez and
Francisco "Kit" Tatad,
Oct. 4;
Inday Gabaldon, newscaster and celebrity
Korina Sanchez and
Business World’s Ferdinand Lucero, Oct. 5; PR queen
Susan Joven,
FCCP’s
Carmen Dy-Liacco and
Mark Cojuangco, Oct. 7; and
Arnold Gamboa, Oct. 8.
So how was your week?
(For comments and inquiries,
please e-mail me at jjlitton@indanet.com)