HE Charles Humfrey, the new British Ambassador, will grace the occasion with his presence.
Yes, Minister, I've received an invitation to the latest British Chamber of Commerce monthly networking next Tuesday. This is nothing to do with the fact that I'm a warden for the British Embassy here. (A mere functionary, my role would be to assist with the evacuation of Brits in the event of mass civil disturbances. In common with the vast majority of my friends and colleagues, I'd stay put. The Americans, by tradition, would have a Boeing 747 on standby. "Hey mister, you America?")
Anyway, as I was saying, my presence is requested because I once tried to do some networking at a meeting to get sponsorship for a gig by
Soft Works, the band of British jazzers who once graced Soft Machine. Of course, that came to nought. But I did enjoy the non-stop flow of beer.
The last ambassador, Richard Gozney, was universally popular here. He regularly appeared on TV discussion programmes speaking impeccable Indonesian; in fact he was given an award last year for his prowess.
The embassy does have a social club, the Goose and Durian, which carries a nice line in Ruddles and other imported beers, but I do wonder about the embassy's effectiveness in meeting the needs of Brits resident here and intending tourists. Have a look at the '
advice page' and check the date. Whilst you're on the site, see if you can find any current pages. I couldn't last night.
Ho hum Humfrey.
|
