British Deputy High Commission hosts Olympic nail art party

Staff members celebrate with festive nail paint.

KARACHI:

If you expect the mood at an event hosted by a diplomat to be somber, this British diplomat will prove you wrong. The British Deputy High Commission’s office in Karachi was full of people in high spirits on Thursday afternoon. Female staff members mingled with each other at the event hosted by British Deputy High Commissioner Francis Campbell to celebrate the commencement of the London Olympics 2012.

“I will be at the opening ceremony in London on Friday,” said Campbell, clearly overjoyed. “It’s going to be something very special since it’s going to happen just once in my lifetime.”

“Ever since London was voted as the host city for the 2012 Olympics, our people have been trying really hard for Britain to win this chance. The idea is to highlight and show the world the contemporary version of the United Kingdom.”

Red, white and blue nails

Campbell’s office was decorated with pink, lilac and blue balloons – the theme of the London Olympics – along with colourful images adorned around the room that reflected how eagerly the world was awaiting the Olympics opening ceremony.

To keep the crowd busy, a nail art activity had been planned out by a team of professionals from Toni&Guy, who were present at the event with a vast collection of nail paint from Leighton Denny, a famous British brand. Saeeda Mandviwalla, owner of Toni&Guy Pakistan, was also present. “I am really honoured to be a part of this. London has always been a home away from home for me,” she said.

“I can vividly recall celebrating 25 years Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II, years ago in London,” Mandviwalla added. “Now in Pakistan, I am honoured to introduce Leighton Denny nail colours to the staff of the British Deputy High Commission in Karachi,” she added. “There is definitely a connection that I feel from within.”

A member of the staff at the High Commission, Malahat Awan, told The Express Tribune that she was looking forward to getting her nails painted with a beautiful design of the British Union Jack (red, blue and white colours of the flag), smiling and pointing out that the male staff members were jealous they couldn’t join in the celebrations. While everyone enjoyed chatting and indulged in the festive nail art session, Campbell remained the most excited of all. “I am looking forward to many of the Olympic Games, particularly swimming, athletics and cycling,” he said, referring to his break in London.  He feels that the Olympic experience will be unrivaled, as he added energetically, “This is definitely a prominent summer for London, the United Kingdom and the whole world to witness.”

Published in The Express Tribune, July 27^th, 2012.