Raise Your Glasses
Dissendat forwarded me an obituary of Tonga’s King Taufa’ahau TupouI V, the eccentric but amiable 440 pound ruler who used to close the capital’s airport so he could ride a bicycle up and down the runway accompanied by his bodyguards.
The most interesting quote from the story, however, was this:
A scandal erupted in 2001 when it emerged nearly 26 million dollars had been lost in speculative investments by the king’s appointed court jester and former US banker Jesse Bogdonoff.
“Court jester and former US Banker?”
A king with that sense of irony could turn me into a monarchist.
Thats awesome. How does that career transition come about? Did he just wake up one day, and decide he wanted to follow his true dream?
If King Taufa’ahau Tupoul V was in any way representative of a Tonga woman named Blanche who I met at a concert (Rolling Stones) sometime back in the Expo ‘86 days, then he must have been a hoot. This woman Blanche was a laughing, generous and friendly person who immediately put the people around her at ease. We shared a hearty belly laugh when we met and exchanged names: she was black as the Ace of Spades and named Blanche, I was the exact opposite of my own name, and we both found that hilarious. I’m just telling you all this now because perhaps Blanche will read this blog someday, and I would like her to know that I often think of her and laugh, remembering her indomnitable spirit and sense of fun. Every New Year’s Eve I think of her seeing the Sun come up on the New Year before everyone else in the world does.
Too bad the King had a court jester/former US banker. Good luck to his next in line following the money. Sigh.