Usually I seem to attend about one wedding a year – of family or friends. But this year has been a wedding bonanza. First was my brother’s wedding in Washington DC this past May. My brother’s lovely rooftop wedding overlooked the White House and the Washington Monument. Then I attended two weddings in Manila this past week. The first of the two was a very relaxed wedding of a Filipino colleague who got married in the garden of my house with a casual gathering of friends and family. The other one featured a Filipino Senator (and Vice Presidential candidate) who married a very well known Filipina TV journalist. That wedding was held in a church packed with more than 2,000 people and featured music by the Manila Philharmonic.
The three weddings I attended this year featured very different styles, but some common themes bind them together for me. All three were, as weddings tend to be, joyous events. No matter how large or small the crowd, a wedding is a celebration of love, togetherness and of hope. All three were moments that brought people together: My brother’s wedding reunited old school friends, introduced us to the bride’s Cuban-American heritage, and gave us the excuse to catch up with long time family friends; The relaxed Manila garden wedding combined Filipino families from different parts of the country with the bride and groom’s work friends from Manila; And the large and elegant wedding of the two prominent Filipinos had guests from across the political, business, and cultural spectrum of the Philippines.
The sentimental part of me always chokes up at weddings. I wish all three of the couples whose weddings I was proud to attend a lifetime of happiness.
Ambassador Kristie A. Kenney is a career United States diplomat who has served since 2006 as the first female U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines.
Comments (3)
Kevin Charles
Location: New York, NY
November 3, 2009 at 16:42 EST
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Dear Ambassador Kenney –
I just wanted to take a moment and let you know that I have been really enjoying the blog (and various other ways that the Embassy has been reaching out with Twitter, Facebook, etc.). It has given me a better appreciation for all the work you — and our Embassies throughout the world — do on a daily basis. As a student, it’s made the ideas of an Embassy or Diplomacy something more tangible than just words you see in the papers!
I’ve been reading up on the history of various U.S. Embassies and Ambassadors, and found that one aspect not often mentioned is the more personal side of the job — namely, what it is like for Ambassador’s families. I’m sure there are many challenges — I know you mentioned that your husband is across the globe in Columbia.
I actually have a question related to this; which may seem odd, and I fully understand if you are not able to respond (I am working on a creative writing project, and this is one answer I have not been able to find on my own).
Would the spouse of an Ambassador be permitted to hold an outside job, or are the duties as part of the Ambassador’s family be too great? (Also, are they restricted from working or doing business in the country the Ambassador is assigned to? I would think it to be a “conflict of interest”, but am not sure.)
Anyways, thank you for taking to the time to read this — and, more importantly, keep up the good work. I look forward to reading about your future work on this blog!
Best,
Kevin
(nyc)
Kristie Kenney
November 4, 2009 at 02:17 EST
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Hello Kevin. You raise a really interesting issue — the role of Ambassador’s families. Actually there is no official role. Ambassador’s families in general can live their own lives — children go to school and spouses pursue their own interests and hobbies. There are some exceptions. Employment activities of the Ambassador’s spouse have to avoid any conflict of interest or nepotism issues. We have US Government ethics lawyers who review all that very carefuly.
In my case, my husband is the US Ambassador to Colombia. So as two career diplomats we are pursuing our chosen profession but in two different countries. We stay in close touch through phone, email and visits. And we both love our jobs and feel honored to represent our country.
All the best to you, Kristie
Kevin Charles
Location: New York, NY
November 4, 2009 at 11:10 EST
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Thank you so much for taking the time to reply. I am sure you are busy, and it was very helpful!
Thanks again.
Best,
Kevin