An artful evening to help the elephants of Ayutthaya.
Photo credit: Be Your Guest
We were greeted with a cold glass of bubbly as we mingled through the lush outdoor space of Be Your Guest replete with intimate sitting areas and a pool. However, due to night heat we escaped into Villa’s cool interior, which is a colourful and clean take on Thai design. I sat down on a comfy window seat surrounded by pillows and enjoyed the hors d'oeuvre circling the room while other guests made their way indoors. Hugh Tran’s bold and contemporary artwork inspired by Warhol, Gaga, and Elizabeth Taylor is currently featured at Villa.
As the night transpired and the champagne continued flowing, the guests let loose. I spoke with representatives from Quintessentially, a premier concierge service in Bangkok. These girls are confident they can get anything on earth for a client. Shut the Louvre down for a private wedding proposal, done. Or if I wanted a pink dolphin? ‘No problem, we’ve done it before.’
At one point in the night, I overheard a woman insist a guest remove his clothes to judge his modelling potential. Too much champagne perhaps. The Moroccan-themed dinner served family style ended with three delicious desserts: Baklava, a refreshing orange mint salad, and a crisp and creamy crème brulee.
At the end of the evening we met representatives from The Royal Elephant Kraal Village in Ayutthaya, the focus of this evening's get-together. They told us of the more than 100 elephants suffering from two months of severe flooding in Thailand and currently living in substandard conditions. For additional information and donation instructions, contact Ewa Narkiewicz by telephone at +668-0668-7727 or by email at elephantstay@hotmail.com.
All in all, great space, great art and a great cause.
24/11/2011 - 09:27
