Around town
WITH
DONNA
SHOR
“Age does not
protect you
from love,
but love does
protect you
from age.”
AS TOASTED BY
KATHY KEMPER
AMBASSADOR OF HEARSAY
One of Washington’s favorite former
ambassadors is having his ears boxed
back in London because of his tellall
book, DC Confidential. Laid-back
Sir Christopher Meyer, the British
ambassador, and his wife, Lady
Meyer are not your typical diplomats;
he always wore his trademark
red socks, and she, petite, pretty and
utterly charming, wore mini-skirts
which amply revealed her great
legs (to which he pays enthusiastic
homage in these memoirs.) His six
years here straddled the Clinton
and Bush administrations and the
run-up to the Iraq war. The British
decision to join the U.S. military
effort is still a bitterly contested
issue in his country, and he shows
us the behind-the-scenes diplomatic
maneuvering between the Bush
administration and Tony Blair which
brought them on board.
On New Year’s Eve, the text of some
of the documents exchanged with
the British Foreign Office came to
light. They reveal “threats” if Meyer’s
book were not submitted to them
pre-publication. Because he had
seen the book of another diplomat
stopped after the FO was given
extended time to study it, Meyer
cannily held his back until the last
couple of weeks before printing.
(The Foreign Office evidently keeps
pretty tight controls on their subjects.
He tells us the informative FO
directive on sex given to budding
diplomats is “White, single, female
and NATO”).
Meyer’s publishers, Weidenfeld
and Nicholson, have not yet released
the book here, but it can be ordered
on the Internet. He is under criticism
for some of his observations, and the
book, which is written with his characteristically
dry wit, also takes aim at
several of his British colleagues and
has them squirming.
He seems truly fond of President
Bush, saying that in talking to him
informally, he found him “articulate,
interesting,” and “smart as a
whip.” Unfortunately, he added the
comment that in person he found
George Bush to be quite different
from the reputation he has abroad of
being “a religious simpleton.”
Now that’s the type of compliment
that could make the recipient
say, “Gee, thanks. Now try one for
your right hand.”
SAFE AND SOUND
Another former ambassador,
Germany’s Juergen Chrobog, his
Egyptian-born wife Magda, and
their three grown sons were released
unharmed after being kidnapped in
Yemen. After Washington, Chrobog
had returned to his country where
he served as deputy foreign minister
until the recent elections voted in
the new government.
The Chrobogs are eager archaeologists,
which led them on their
trip to Yemen, where they were
seized by tribesmen. Their friends
here, where they were known as a
warm and hospitable couple, have
breathed a sigh of relief.
TOAST FROM THE TOTAHS
Hailed as one of the most elegant and
festive dinner parties of the holiday
season, Annie and Sami Totah opened
their home to welcome and entertain
about 300 family and friends. Gold
reindeer, festive topiaries and a winter
wonderland scene adorned the marble
stairway in the foyer as musicians filled the air with holiday music.
Guests included Senator Paul
Sarbanes and his wife, Christine,
along with up-and-coming congressional
candidate John Sarbanes.
Annie Totah extended a heartfelt
toast to the Senator for his 40 years
of dedicated public service.
HONORING THY TEACHER
The National Education Association
Foundation hosted its 11th annual Salute
to Excellence in Education Gala at the
Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Former
President Bill Clinton and the NAACP
were awarded the prestigious NEA
Award for Outstanding Service to Public
Education, bestowed upon individuals
and organizations that have made
exceptional contributions to public
education.
LOVE AT THE VALENTINE’S
Despite a disheartening Redskins loss,
the mood at the Valentine/Kemper
home on November 20th was upbeat
as Rep. Roy and Abby Blunt, Al Hunt
and Judy Woodruff, Wolf and Lynn
Blitzer, and Sen. Joe Lieberman
all celebrated the engagement of
Morton Kondracke, executive editor
of “Roll Call,” to Marguerite Sallee,
CEO of America’s Promise. The best
toast of the evening came from Kathy
Kemper, who eloquently stated: “Age
does not protect you from love, but
love does protect you from age.”
THE BIG DROP
The thirty international guests at
Giorgio and Anna Maria Via’s McLean
home New Year’s Eve were talking
so animatedly at their round tables
that they almost missed the stroke of
midnight. Someone yelled “It’s five of
twelve,” and everyone rushed to the
television, but they were still talking,
and not until someone handed the
remote to Heba Agustsson, the wife
of the Icelandic ambassador, saying
“The one with the remote has the
power” was the Times Square scene
tuned in at 11:59.34.
CLASSIC WEEK
Since The Week magazine launched in
2001, it’s readers have increased by 200
percent and it’s advertising over 500
percent. The magazine’s annual Capital
Classics event on November 21 was
a tribute to that success drawing all
the favorite political pundits in town
including, Chris Matthews, Margaret
Carlson and Ana Marie Cox.
ONE HUNDRED AND COUNTING Marlys Chatel reached that special year
the day after New Year’s and Jill Smart
Gore helped her celebrate along with
her California relatives Bill and Vini
Floodman, and Connie and John
Byrne, who made an entrance singing
and bearing a candle-lit cake. Marlys,
with the late Garnett Stackelberg,
shared the marvelous years betweenthe-
wars in Shanghai. (See Pollywood
section for more on Stackelberg)
Send advance notice of an event you
think Around Town should know about
to donnashor@washingtonlife.com. |
