Swedish day celebrated

Islamabad : To celebrate the National Day of her country, the ambassador of Sweden, Ingrid Johansson hosted a reception at the Serena Hotel which was attended by a select crowd of Islamabad’s residents, including envoys of different countries; people from the arts and members of the business community. The guest of honour was Federal Minister for Capital Administration and Development, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry.

The Hall had been decorated appropriately for the occasion with balloons and the country’s flag, while Swedish companies which are represented in Pakistan showcased their diverse products and work in stalls which were set up on three sides – with a corner reserved for delicious fruit smoothies, a healthy alternative to fizzy drinks. The stage had a backdrop emblazoned with a number of facts and figures about the benefits of living in Sweden, and an added attraction was an exhibition of paintings by Ubaid Syed - an artist based in Sweden - curated by Nomad Gallery.

After the national anthems of Sweden and Pakistan had been played, Ambassador Johansson - who is a very approachable person with a ‘people friendly’ manner - welcomed her guests; thanked the sponsors and announced the ‘surprise’ of the evening – a performance by a visiting ‘magician’ Charlie Caper, before accompanying the chief guest for a round of the stalls.

Charlie Caper, an illusionist par excellence, delighted the guests not only with his tricks but also his humorous remarks. He performed his very high tech act with ease and also incorporated blurbs about Sweden’s economy and other interesting facts about Sweden’s higher education system, gender equality and open society, into the show – a very innovative way to get people interested in going to Sweden! His ‘disappearing bow tie’ was a real puzzler – we never saw it leave his neck yet it kept turning up in different objects used in the show! Guests ‘oh’d’ and ‘ah’d’ and laughed out loud and thoroughly enjoyed the show it was so entertaining!

It was a different kind of celebration than the usual reception and most people I met said it was a very pleasant way to spend an evening – a not too crowded hall; a treat of a show; delicious Swedish culinary delights and lively music playing in the back ground. Guests stayed to interact with each other and I’m sure if there had been chairs to sit on it would have been labeled ‘perfect’ instead of ‘pleasant’ Yes, indeed!

Charlie Caper is a street magician by heart and has been performing in forty different countries, perfecting his sleight of hand during more than 4500 shows.