After much anticipation, we finally attended the dinner reception to welcome President Tony Tan and wife Mary, on their first official state visit to the UK. We do consider ourselves really lucky to be given such an honour since most of our friends tell us they don't get such a chance to meet the president back in Singapore. Friday evening we went down to the Royal Garden hotel at High Street Kensington after work. This hotel is owned by the same owner of Goodwood Park Hotel in Singapore, a fellow Singaporean I believe. The Tans stayed two nights at Buckingham Palace, followed by the presidential suite at this hotel. The crowd that night was about 200 people I reckon, and all stood around chatting, with an air of anticipation before it started. I felt really warm and went outside of the ballroom to deposit my coat and overheard one of the security guys saying into the walkie-talkie "please bring the president down…" People milling about before the eve...