Sorry mate, I am late but I wish you all the best and all the happiness possible for all of your future. I know you had a nice day, I wish you, Corina and Krian the same for all of the days to come.
In the above photo (post #5), Andrew is the dapper country gentleman standing in front of the lady with the pink jacket; his younger son Charles is to his right. Next to Charles is his new stepbrother. Corinne, Andrew's gorgeous young wife is dressed in white and she was "given-away" by her English brother-in-law who's dressed as a Teddy Boy.
Wonderful and unique gathering of family and friends. Looking very dapper Andrew, my sincere congratulations to you both.
Thanks, everyone. Corina's outfit was all her own work; she sourced items from the Internet and the shorts were shopped for in Subic Bay and brought by Elizabeth Basul, the maid of honour. Corina had litters of kittens about it but screwed up her courage and carried it off brilliantly.
The Best Man's speech: ANDREW AND CORINA I must apologise for not being able to join you on the happy occasion of your wedding. Following my success at avoiding prosecution for tax evasion and money laundering during my tenure as head of the world’s local bank, I have recently taken over a new position as Chairman of the Patagonian Oyster Preservation Society. This has kept me very busy in this part of the southern hemisphere and prevents me from travelling overseas. Please accept my apologies and condolences. I am extremely pleased to know that my testimonial was a factor in convincing the British government to approve the visa for Corina and Kiren to enter the country. The truth is that Andrew has had to jump over numerous bureaucratic hurdles, both here and in the Philippines to be able to marry the woman he loves. For anyone contemplating marrying someone from outside of the E.U., with the intention of living in the U.K., be prepared to have your commitment tested by government. In this regard I believe Andrew has passed with flying colours. It has been an equally testing time to get to this day for Corina, and she deserves to be congratulated forstaying the course and not giving up, especially during those very unsettling times when it looked as though getting to the U.K. was going to be a bridge too far. Indeed you are both very fortunate to have found each other. Andrew’s pursuit of Corina’s hand has beentenacious to say the least. An epic tale of noble gallantry that overcame all obstacles, consumed many air miles, and much beer. And Corina has risked all to leave her sun kissed tropical islandto cross the world and endure the almost frozen estuary of Woodbridge just to marry this rather unusual, sometimes eccentric, yet very dependable and kindhearted man. To those of you who are not familiar with the Far East and the Philippines in particular, you may well have the popular view that Asian women are submissive, especially those from the islands of the Philippines. Hence their allegedappeal. But nothing could be further from the truth. The reality is that they enjoy being women, know how to handle the male ego in all its forms, and are damn good managers whether at home or in the corporate sphere. They rank 4th in the world of the ILO’s rankings for having the highest proportion of women managers in the labour force.They come from a society where women have real status and real power. The Philippines ranks 7th in the World Economic Forum’s Gender Gap Index, compared to the U.K at 18, and their women run the show, with grace and good humour. Andrew knows all this of course, clever fellow that he is. But just a reminder – good managers expect good performance. And tonight is the night !! So good luck Andrew.We shall be thinking of you here in Patagonia. I have known Andrew for the better part of 30 years, and seen him at his best - and under pressure. He manages to stay cool, and as the saying goes – KEEPS CALM AND CARRIES ON. I have known Corina for almost as long as they have been together, and can say that her “no frills” attitude and pragmatic, matter of fact way of dealing with life’s challenges will make for a solid partnership. So on that note I wish you both a long and happy life together full of love and mischief wherein each will be the custodian of the other’s well being. BuenViaje. Al Pacca, Chairman, Patagonian Oyster Preservation Society. LibertinajeCalle, Somewhere between Chile and Argentina. 18th March 2016.
