Wednesday, June 19, 2013

GOODBYE TO OUTGOING AMERICAN AMBASSADOR DATUK PAUL JONES

KEE@FSWMAG.COM
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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo, American ambassador HE Datuk Paul Jones and Nilou de Luca Gabrielli
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I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW 3 YEARS HAVE ZOOMED PAST! SEEMS LIKE LAST YEAR WHEN AMERICAN AMBASSADOR DATUK PAUL JONES (THE FIRST AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO BE AWARDED A DATUKSHIP) HONOURED ME BY ATTENDING MY BIRTHDAY DINNER HOSTED BY DATO ROSEMARIE WEE AT SHANGRI-LA CHINESE RESTAURANT.

Now he is leaving us!

He and Datin Catherine Jones invited me to his farewell dinner party on 18 June at his residence and I told him I had been weeping all day though he seemed unconvinced.

However, Datuk Paul Jones is only abandoning us on 8 July after the 4 July celebration of Independence Day so that will be his last party!

We will miss you Ambassador Datuk Paul Jones and his wife Datin Catherine!

Datuk Paul Jones has a very special attachment to Malaysia---this is his first post as American ambassador!

"I was Charge de Affaires and deputy Chief of Mission at Philippines embassy in Manila under Ambassador Kristie Kenney," he recalls fondly. "In 2009 I worked on Afghanistan and Pakistan."

President Obama nominated Datuk Paul Jones as ambassador to Malaysia on 12 July 2010 and he arrived on our fair shores on 13 September 2010 and presented his credentials to the King of Malaysia DYMM Tuanku Sultan Mizan Zainal Sultan Mahmud Bilal Shah on 18 October.

Datuk Paul Jones and Datin Catherine Jones attended my 30th birthday dinner on 7 January 2011.

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Datin Catherine Jones and Princess Dr Becky Leogardo
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British High Commissioner HE Simon Featherstone in blue batek
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Russian ambassador HE Lyudmila Vorobyeva
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Guests
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Datuk Paul Jones thanking guests
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Handsome Datuk Paul Jones
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Inside the residence of the American ambassador in KL
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Guests
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June Wong, star of The Star
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Datin Catherine Jones beams as her husband thanks her
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My wife is my pillar of support
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Datin Catherine Jones
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A farewell gift
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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo with half Korean half American friend Judith Lee von Nostitz
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Princess Becky and Judith Lee von Nostitz
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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Nilou de Luca Gabrielli
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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo and Nilou Gabrielli
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Princess Dr Becky Leogardo, HE Datuk Paul Jones the American ambassador and Nilou Gabrielli


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