Feels like Royalty

Last week Saturday, Gisele and I were invited to be guest of the Dutch Consulate to attend a black tie Gala for a fund-raising event and to honor a person of Dutch heritage who has accomplished something special through their life.

Of course I had to scramble to get a black tie outfit together, so the search for a tuxedo began. I ended up getting it together: shoes from P., shirt from Thur, pants and jacket from Vanguard, and I bought a bow tie (the store where I went rented them for $10, but sold them for $8...?). I had to pass on a day at Disneyland with P., Mercury, CTo, Vanguard, and Thur, but I got to spend the night with Gisele, what ended up being a night to frame and bring with me where ever I go!

P., CTo and Thur on some ride at Disneyland. Pictures courtesy of Vanguard

I drove to Gisele's house in Venice to pick her up. She looked amazing! After some Kodak moments, we drove The California Club in Downtown, getting in the Dutch mood by listening and singing along with Dutch songs on my IPod! Good times!

We arrived 1/2 hour fashionably late at the reception at 6:30 PM (it started at 6 PM). I can not describe the next 5 hours or so to do them justice, but I'll try. When we entered the reception hall, and waited to be greeted and sign in, we felt like we were in a old castle, centuries ago, and were going to be announced as we would enter. We right away started to grab drinks from the waiters, and enjoying the hors d'oeuvre. We had to check in Gisele's coat, so we walked to where we saw a rack with a bunch of coats, and people standing around it. Once there, and trying to drop her coat we realized this was not the coat check, but a rack with coats to be auctioned. Nice. We eventually found the real coat check. Gisele tried one one of the coats for sale, and the lady tried to convince me to get it for her, because it's was reduced to $3800 or so. Yeah, you starting to feel it: we were a little out of place. We decided to mingle with the slightly older crowd, introducing ourselves to everyone we sueded interesting enough to make our acquaintance. The reception room was gorgeous, and enormous, and we couldn't stop laughing at ourselves. We looked like we totally fit in the way we dressed, but felt totally out of place, but enjoyed it! The photographer walking around couldn't get enough of us, simply because we were the youngest people there.

This post is getting way to long, so I'll quickly cut to dinner. For some reason we were placed on the number one table, seated with the Dutch Consulate and her husband, two very prominent Dutch professors (of which one I actually knew from work), and the official representative of the mayor of LA (lovely lady!). Speech after speech was given, but it took me until dessert to be served that of all the tables (20 or 30), we were the first table served, because of the Dutch Consulate's presence. I busted out laughing, because I couldn't believe how Gisele and I got into this situation. Gisele couldn't stop laughing either, and I tried very hard to hide my laughing, but every time I looked at Gisele, I lost it again. After dinner (which was delicious of course), we took the dance floor, and the photographer of course snapped away at us dancing as a well known Dutch Pianist played some lovely jazz tunes. When an 80 something year old tapped me to take Gisele on a tornado trip around the entire floor, I took the opportunity to dance with the young Opera singer who sang before dinner started some song written by the pianist, and also sang the American and Dutch Anthem.

After saying goodbye to every president of foundations, companies, the honoree of the evening, and everyone we didn't know, we took one more smoke break on the amazing patio on the 3rd floor, where you are honestly in the heart of the downtown skyline. We were invited to join the Consul for Arts and Culture to join him and his party to go to The Standard next door for a drink, but that was kind of a anti-climax. Still it was a amazing formal, stiff, but very memorable evening of which I soon hope to post some pictures.

Picture is taken with my phone, pretty bad, but oh well...

Comments

[gaby]

hee jeroen, was dat toevallig michiel borstlap? klonk wel alsof hij het was, zou kunnen zijn.....
lachen
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