When a lovely, charming and highly popular go-getter like Marissa Fenton invites you to a party, you are most likely to drop everything to be counted as an honored and privileged guest.

That's exactly happened when Marissa, who was getting ready for the holiday season, rolled out a list for friends to fill up and become part of a group that she named Ladies and Gentlemen. It wasn't long before this elite registry, as it were, would fill up and soon a get-together was forming, with everyone looking forward to what promised to be an exciting and fun-filled night.

And indeed, when the awaited evening came, everyone, coming from everywhere as far as Pampanga and the southern metro, and from various holiday events yet, gathered at the number one watering hole of the upper crust, Cerveseria in Burgos Circle, all ready to party and enjoy.

The promise of a good time indeed did not disappoint the enthusiastic crowd that sang, danced and, yes, chatter till the wee hours, even as they enjoyed the sumptuous dinner of cochinillo, paella, salpicao and fried mushrooms.  

An impromptu highlight was the blowing of birthday candles by the well-liked jeweler Robert Castañeda, famous as well for his scrumptious ensaymada, who himself hosted a party in his home a day earlier. But as it turned out, it was this very night that was his birthday. And so, everyone sang to greet him long years ahead and continuing success even when he admitted to taking it easy after all these years of purveying the most fabulous jewelry. 

Throughout the night, the ladies irrepressible in their cheerful spirits, formed themselves into line dances, or alternated on the mike, this amidst chatter and laughter.

Only Marissa could come up with such a fanfare of an evening and the ladies and gentlemen all agreed it was a most auspicious way for a new set of friends to come out — in style yet in this in place, a brainchild of Consul Agnes Huibonhua and her select friends, with the gregarious Dave Mungcal, Cerveseria managing partner, attending to this A-list of revelers.

And thus went the first Christmas gathering of the Ladies and Gentlemen. Indeed, with Marissa leading the pack, one can be sure many more exciting events will follow in 2024.