Masquerade Ball 2008

Yesterday I went to one of the most anticipated happenings in the expat community here in Brunei, the British Loan Service Summer Ball. They arrange one every year, and apparently it's always a very good party.

The theme this year was "Venetian Masquerade", and you could choose if you wanted to come in character costume or just black tie. I opted for the latter. I had a dress made, and bought a masque in Sydney, that I blinged with some glitter glue and pimped up with some peacock feathers. The Ball was held at the Empire, in their huge ballroom.



Unfortunately Nathan had to work, so I had to go by myself, but the good thing with a small community is that even though you are by yourself, you are not alone. Everybody knows everybody, it's like one huge school dance!
I went up to have a pre-drink in Marias room, with a beautiful sunset view over the Empire and the coast. Most people were taking the opportunity to stay over at the hotel for the night, so they could have a bit of a sleep-in the next day.



Everybody weas really looking fantastic! I thought I had pimped my masque, but some were really in a different league:



It was so nice to see people all dressed up! Everybody gathered in the lobby for a welcome drink and it was actually a lot harder than I thought to recognize people with their masks on! Here is Anna in my favourite dress for the night (mind you, she would look fab in a garbage bag!), Amanda (in a little Elizabeth-Hurley-inspired number) and me:



Some more lovely ladies:



We had a fabulous dinner, and all throughout the dinner there was a band playing classical music, and music from famous musicals.





The whole setting was perfect, and everybody seemed to have a great time! After dinner we danced the night away down at the nightclub.







It was good fun, but next year we will make sure Nathan requests this night off. Would have been even nicer if he would have been there too.