By Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer 
Edith Jarbeau, mother-in-law of the Canadian High Commissioner (left), shares a joke with Nanita Chopra (centre) and Jennifer Lim. - Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
JULY IS traditionally one very busy month on the social calendar here, and how! To begin with, the month starts with the July First Canadian National Day Celebrations. Then there is also the American Fourth of July Independence Day Celebrations. And off course, there is the July Fourteenth Bastille Day celebration by the French!
Add to this, a number of birthday celebrations, cocktails and soirees, by the leading citizenry of the island's Capital, and you all know that we are indeed, talking one almighty round of happening doos here! Now, add to this cauldron of social hotness, the annual trek by snob-society, to Europe, for their annual holidays, and you know we are talking major social scheduling problems here!
Dears, that is simply how it is and how!
Anyways, the societal opener for the month of July, is the annual Canada Day celebrations, as this usually signals the start of a summer of fabulous parties, soirees and cocktails that sets high-society abuzz and in the throes of party-fever.
Well my dears, the season opener did not disappoint, as last Thursday, Canadian High Commissioner HE Claudio Valle and his tres elegant wife, Mrs. Louise Valle, threw open the doors to their official residence, over there in the Golden Triangle area of St. Andrew, and welcomed a bevy of socialites, politicos, diplomats, the intelligentsia and off course the chic, for a reception to mark Canada's National Day, and dears, it proved one fabulous Do!
SOCIAL JUICES
Dears, there's nothing like a theme party to get the social juices of the fabulous going, as indeed, not only does a theme add a certain lan to any festivity, but for just the right dose of cachet, to any party to which a theme is employed!
Now, with the national colours of Canada being red and white, the theme for the Canada Day celebrations, were naturally, red and white!
My dears, by a quarter to 7:00p.m. last Thursday, Seymour Avenue, in the vicinity of the official residence of the Canadian High Commissioner, was a seas of red and white, as guests descended in droves on the fortified estate that is home to the High Commissioner, to attend at celebratory reception, marking Canada's National Day!
Luvs, it was prime time and then some, with dignitaries pulling up to the portico, in chauffeured automobiles, whilst lesser mortals strolled up the driveway, and then unto the red carpet for the official welcome by a beaming High Commissioner Valley and his radiating wife, Mrs. Louise Valle, and then unto the lawns of the stately mansion, to greet and be greeted by the many, who had gathered, for the occasion.
Dovecakes, it was a cocktail reception of the flawless order, as the lawns and pooldeck area were also done up in the national colours of the host country, the mood on the lawns and poolside, sunny and cheerful, as guests simply went into cocktail overdrive, embracing the disposition of the hosts, as they worked the jam-packed party area.
Dears, we are talking a bumper attendance here and then some, but little wonder as indeed, the continental Canadians, have always found favour with the Jamaican community and vice versa, as their nationalistic style, being less jingoist than their neighbours, but no less intense and flavoured as it is with the style of the French, and the reserve of the English, make for a warmth, that Jamaicans have embrace, for decades. And without the fanfare too!
HOME, AWAY FROM HOME
One has only think of the number of Jamaicans who have made Canada their home, away from home and the successes they have earned in their field to realise that indeed, Canada, has for sometime, represented that other land of opportunity for aspiring Jamaicans; as evidenced by Time(Canada) Magazine naming Jamaican born Canadian Billionaire, Michael Lee Chin as one of the most influential philanthropic elite of Canada, in its August cover story, celebrating the new Heroes of Canada, as the issue commemorate Canada's Independence Day!
Dears, it was that kind of a party bustling with power and style!
From the social elite, to the all-powerful, they were all out, and celebrating. There was a brief interlude, where HE The Most Honourable Sir Howard Cooke, brought greetings on behalf of the Government and People of Jamaica, and HE High Commissioner Valle, spoke in kind on behalf of his Government and people, following on the playing of the national anthems of both countries, and then it was back to enjoying the relaxed but buzzing reception.
Amidst the sips and thrills, among those spotted, included: Mrs. Edith Jarbeau, mother of the High Commissioner's wife; the Hon. Maurice Facey; Mrs. Beverly Levy; Kenny Benjamin; Paul Issa; Senators Burchell Whiteman, Noel Monteith, and Dwight Nelson; MP Delroy Chuck; JDF Chief of Staff Rear Admiral Hardly Lewin and Mrs. Tessa Lewin; US Ambassador HE Sue Cobb; British High Commissioner HE Peter Mathers, his wife Mrs. Elisabeth Mathers and their daughter Philippa Mathers; Chinese Ambassador HE Zhao Zhenyu and his wife, Madam Wang Xiaoju; French Ambassador HE Pierre-Antoine Berniard; German Ambassador HE Dr. Christian Hausmann and his charming wife Harriett Huber; Spanish Ambassador HE Rafael Jover and his elegant wife Lola Jover; Indian High Commissioner HE Inder Choper and his charming wife Mrs. Nanita Choper; Cuban Ambassador HE Jose Piedra Rencurrell; Trinidad and Tobago's High Commissioner HE Dennis Francis; Chris Bovell; Dr. Dhiru and Dr. Laura Tanna; the lovely Mrs. Jennifer Lim; Dean of the Consular Corp and Consul General of Turkey Arnold Foote and his lovely wife Trish Foote; Consul General of Korea Yvon Desulme and his gracious wife Cynthia Desulme; Rear Admiral and Mrs. Peter Brady; Le Grand Dame of Haute style Sue McManus; Tonty Barrett and wife the supremely elegant Ambassador Madge Barrett; Tom Tavares Finson and his wife Rose Costantini; Capt. Rupert Bent and wife the beautiful Cindy Breakspeare and her mom Marguerite; the charming Wyvolyn Gager; Air Jamaica's David Banmiller and his lovely companion Michelle Hussey; his son David Banmiller Jr. and his wife Amy Banmiller, also out; Professor John Rapley; Banker Barrington Chisholm; Director of Tourism Paul Pennycooke; Director of Immigration Carol Charlton; Town Clerk Errol Greene; Petrojam's Anthony Watson and his lovely wife Cecile; Dr. Kernel Gajaraj and his lovely daughter Nadine Gajaraj; Claude Clements of Guardsman; James and Marina Gill; Al Niazi and his wife, Charmaine Johnson-Niazi, she looking as fabulous as ever; Maurice Wright and wife former Judge Nerine Small; Paul Shoucair; Tom and Tracey McArdle; Judith Spencer-Davies, plus several scores others!
Indeed, it was quite the Do, and fabulous way to open the July season!
