Washington Life Magazine
Washington Life Magazine

Fond Farewells at Blair House, Robert Duvall (and his wife) turn heads at Kuwait and Germany wins an Oscar

BY GAIL SCOTT

The Yale Connection, Again
Departing Chief of Protocol Donald Ensenat was "flabbergasted" when his old college buddy donned a cowboy hat and walked over from the White House with his wife Laura to surprise him and his wife Taylor at their official Blair House farewell.

After personally greeting dozens of ambassadors, President George W. Bush casually clinked two empty wine glasses together to get everyone's attention. "'Enzo studied hard and got A's, and you know what I did," the President said of his old Yale classmate, "But, look who's president." The crowd roared. For them, it was a rare opportunity to catch the President's ear and pose for photos with him.

The Ensenats call New Orleans home but their Texas ranch - five miles away from the Bushes - has kept the two couples close.

"Laura's cooking dinner tonight, so it's time for us to go home," the President said, signaling his exit after almost an hour.

 

Departing Chief of Protocol Donald Ensenat with President George W. Bush
Departing Chief of Protocol Donald Ensenat with President George W. Bush (photo credit: Gail Scott)

 

The star factor
Ambassador Salem Al-Sabah and his high-profile wife Rima looked regal in their formal Kuwaiti attire as they welcomed over 600 guests to the Willard Ballroom, including Supreme Court Justice Sam Alito and his wife Martha; Secretary of Commerce Carlos Gutierrez; Under Secretary of State for Democracy and Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky; Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Rodrigo de Rato; and Mayor Adrian Fenty and his wife Michelle. Almost all of the Arab ambassadors were there, along with PLO Representative Afif Safieh and his popular wife Christ'l.

Just as the endless receiving line was finally breaking up, movie star and hunt country resident Robert Duvall and his wife Luciana Pedraza, a world-class tango dancer, arrived at exactly the same time as Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff. This rare moment - a quintessential example of the Al-Sabahs' wide reach - created yet another ballroom buzz. Even in Washington, sometimes an older American movie star with a pretty young wife can garner more attention than all the ambassadors and top-ranking VIP's put together.

 

Actor Robert Duvall, his wife and world-class tango dancer Luciana Pedraza
Actor Robert Duvall, his wife and world-class tango dancer Luciana Pedraza, Kuwaiti Ambassador's wife Rima Al-Sabah, Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff and Kuwait Ambassador Salem Al- Sabah (photo credit: Vicky Pombo)

 

Dance Floor Diplomacy
Dominican Ambassador Flavio Espinal and his wife Minerva and two daughters, along with OAS Ambassador Roberto Alvarez, celebrated that Caribbean country's 163rd anniversary by dancing the night away in the OAS's Hall of the Americas. "This is how I learned to dance," said Webster Group CEO Lizette Corro (a Latin ambassador's daughter herself). "My father taught me how to dance. It was a wonderful way to grow up."

Before the throbbing Latin music took over, guests were invited to "¡Merengue!," an art exhibit of visual rhythms in the Art Museum of the Americas which continues through May.

 

Dominican Republic Ambassador Flavio Espinal
Dominican Republic Ambassador Flavio Espinal celebrates the 163rd anniversary of the independence of his country with younger daughter Maria and his wife Minerva (photo credit: Gail Scott)

 

Better than the "others"
German Ambassador Klaus Scharioth and his wife Ulrike were on hand to celebrate with first-time filmmaker Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck when his Lives of Others won the Oscar for best foreign film at the 79th Academy Awards.

"The film has two especially remarkable sides," the joyful ambassador said. "A perfect enactment of the stifling and indeed repressive atmosphere in the GDR and ... this positive message that even if you have been on the wrong side all of your life, you can still do the right thing and make a difference - if you are willing to pay the price."

Although the film swept last year's "Lola" awards in Germany, the 33-year old Oxfordeducated filmmaker told Reuters: "An Oscar is the ultimate symbol of recognition so it means everything. Everybody in the world dreams of winning an Oscar, even people who don't work in films."

 

German Ambassador Klaus Schiaroth with Oscarwinning German filmmaker Florian Henkel von Donnersmark
German Ambassador Klaus Schiaroth with Oscarwinning German filmmaker Florian Henkel von Donnersmark

 

Take it Personally The ambassador's wives are doing their part to keep things "green":

Do You Know Embassy Row?
Ecological concerns may be easy to fold into plans for new chanceries and ambassadorial residences, but few Embassy Row mansions can be redone so easily. Yet, many foreign diplomats were recycling long before we even thought about it.

  • Finland's prototype "Green House" has a very small environmental footprint: only three trees were felled during construction. Now, the Finns are eyeing "Help Restore the Trees of Embassy Row," a group planning to reforest Massachusetts Avenue
  • Switzerland's new residence is completely environmentally friendly with a green roof of dirt and small succulents for insulation, keeping the building cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Automated window shades also keep interior temperatures just right.
  • With the help of a waste-management consultant, Germany is making green reforms in the upcoming chancery renovation and had a global warming media conference in March.
  • The Netherlands Embassy was recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for its purchase of wind energy. Besides serious recycling, the embassy has participated in the Environmental Film Festival for the past 15 years.
  • Denmark is spending $1.7 million to replace its embassy's windows with energy efficient glazing (solar filter) and insulated frames; the building's thermostats automatically turn off when it is closed. Outdoor lighting is eco-friendly photocell.
  • Norway's building engineer is helping them "become greener," but they have always been a leader in global warming research and conferences.

 

Japan Ambassador's wife Hanayo Kato Costa Rica Ambassador's wife Diana Dueñas
Japan Ambassador's wife Hanayo Kato says there is strict recycling in her big Nebraska Avenue residence, "by separating everything into seven different categories; otherwise, [the trash collectors] won't take any of it." Costa Rica Ambassador's wife Diana Dueñas vows she tries to live without heat and air conditioning. "Even if I'm freezing, I'd rather have what's natural, more like at home in Costa Rica."

 

The environmentally friendly Swiss residence Argentina Ambassador's wife Monica Bordón
The environmentally friendly Swiss residence Argentina Ambassador's wife Monica Bordón says, "We don't have central air and our pool isn't heated so we are saving lots of energy."



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