Some coffee party

I have mentioned that I joined some groups to meet people. One group is Canadian Association of Singapore.
One of the things CAS does is Canadian expat women meet for coffee at a Starbucks, every second week throughout the school year. Because most of them have their children in the International School, which takes North American summer holidays, we had our last coffee clatch until September, this week.
But it was special. The wife, Mary Broderick, of the Canada's High Commissioner, David Sevigny, hosted the coffee party at her home. She lives in an area of the city I had never been to- I didn't know existed. It is a few blocks from Orchard Road, THE shopping street of Singapore. Gucci, Versace, all the big designers selling items costing thousands of dollars.
This area, I think called Dempsey Road, has homes that far out-do Forest Hill. Rosedale, anything I have ever seen. Homes on acre lots, treed and manicured, with huge beautiful homes. The High Commissioner's home is new, and elegant, and fabulous. A gate at the driveway, with a guard house and a guard, who, having checked that we were on the preregistration list, then let us in. You walked up to the front door, past an infinity pool, and a huge outdoor kitchen, to the front door. There, a maid checked our names off again on another list, and we entered. The home is beautiful, perfect for entertaining. I am sure that they could entertain a hundred in the living room. We were only about 20, and it was potluck, so coffee and sweets.
The group of women are wonderful. They certainly lead a different life to the one I have in Singapore. We really live in a resort, and I never wear anything fancier than a tank top, cargo pants and sandals. I did the panic as to what to wear, and ended up wearing a bathing suit coverup that looks like a dress, over legging pants, and my fanciest rubber sandals (thank you Jill Foster). The sandals were  huge hit, several asked where I had got them!
Mary Broderick is a gem. We are well represented in Singapore. Their posting ends at the end of July. I just loved her, and am sorry she is leaving. Apparently it is not a given that the High Commissioner's wife would entertain CAS in her home. But Mary has done it her four years here.
I got a ride from a woman I have be-friended, Laurie Whittaker, from Calgary, her husband is in oil and gas. They came here from a posting in Aberdeen Scotland, so she had a car, and drives on the wrong side of the road. I am very impressed. She drove me around the area after, and we went to a tiny high end mall, that makes Pusaterie's look like a dollar store!
It was a delightful coffee clatch.