Washington Life Magazine
Washington Life Magazine

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.

Shayne Coletta, Dennis Friedman, Tim Albrecht and Annie Totah at the Totah Residence

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.

Nilou Amini and Dr. Ahmad Esfandiary at the Totah’s Holiday Gathering
Kathy Kemper and Wolf Blitzer at the Kemper /Valentine Home

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.

Jordanian Amb. Karim Kawar and Jim Valentine at Kemper/Valentine Home
Former President Bill Clinton, Bruce Gordon and Reg Weaver at the NEA Awards

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.

Jason Smith, Sen. Christopher Dodd and Margaret Carlson at The Week’s Capital Classics

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.



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