The inspiration for that unique affair was a Christmas in Vienna, Austria where the Joneses were posted before their assignment in Manila. "Vienna is a beautiful city that becomes magical at Christmas, truly magical," says Catherine, honorary president of the USEC. "I vividly remember sipping glühwein at a Christmas market while an accordion played and snow gently fell. I wanted to recreate that magic here in tropical Manila. I want our guests to feel for just one night that they are at a Christmas market in Europe."
Thus on a crisp clear night that had no hint of the storm that ravaged other parts of the country, guests were welcomed with beautiful carols by the acclaimed University of Santo Tomas Singers, as a discreetly positioned snow machine sent snowflakes falling gently on appreciatively surprised guests queueing up at the registration table, manned by the ever-efficient team from the embassy protocol office.
Paul and Catherine–she’s quite a model in a pink and green piña silk dress by Nono Palmos–and USEC president Christiane Armstrong (her husband Bruce, cultural counselor of the embassy, was "somewhere inside, with the guests" and joined the reception line later) welcomed guests. In the foyer, a Christmas booth offered Christmas cakes, breads and cookies. More booths were set up in the living and dining rooms and lanai, which accommodated 17 beautifully set dinner tables (all the regular furniture was "upstairs in the rooms and hallways," Paul said, "and you can hardly get through!" Even their labradoodle Poochie was "exiled" to a guest room). These booths offered yet more Yuletide goodies: chocolates, cheeses, sausages, beers, even a raclette station. Waiters went around with trays of hors d’oeuvres–ratatouille, paté, chicken lollipops, pickled cabbage, schnitzels, more sausages. And where there were carols sung by a choir outside, inside there was accordion music from Rolf Henkel.