‘This man is the best kisser on earth’

In an unorthodox move, fashion designer, ex-flight attendant and twice divorced mother of two, Yoko Fung said “I do” to her beau of four years naval architect, Courtney Lange aboard a 45 ft float amidst hundreds of masqueraders on Carnival Tuesday, February 8. Popularly known for her flamboyant taste in fashion, Yoko set a precedent when she designed and placed on wheels one of the largest structures in the history of Carnival symbolising a castle with chamber, in which she tied the knot. No marriage officer was present, but in an air-conditioned cabin located to the left of the castle, Yoko, 49, exchanged wedding vows and rings purchased in a novelty store.

Instead of the gold and diamond wedding rings that Lange had earlier bought and Yoko refused, skull and claw rings which cost $10 a piece, were used. Yoko and her groom were dressed in costume and toasted the occasion with champagne, Johnny Walker Black scotch whiskey and freshly squeezed juices. In an interview with Sunday Newsday, Fung described the affair as “marriage on a spiritual level.” She said: “I was feeling a higher spiritual awareness that I’ve never felt before. I was so overjoyed. I was the queen of my castle and my husband was the king.” The formal ceremony and the legal stamping of documents, however, took place on Thursday, February 10 at a chapel in La Seiva, Maraval. Pastor Claude Arthur of the Living Water Assembly conducted the service. Signatories to the event were Lange’s best friends Ted Bachelor and Manganita Kempadoo of the USA. Yoko wore a fuscia pink mask which she attached to her Raybans to hide the tears.

Equally enthused by their public marital display in their band called “Fast Track to the Future,” Lange said it was “a celebration with the country in a public way. The first was in a spiritual and private way and the second was in an extremely public way.” Without being evasive, Yoko said the two met at a “lesbian party” four years ago and a proposal for marriage came three months later. “I am not gay and my husband is not gay but I have gay friends and he has lesbian friends and we hung out a couple months well. Then I told myself I must get a woman for this man. I say he too sweet. Meanwhile, he was falling in love with me. But when I got that kiss ah say that man is the best kisser on earth. Hear meh nah, ‘I ent hooking yuh up I keeping you for myself,’” Yoko laughed.

Originally from Woodbrook, Lange grew up in San Fernando and at age 16, on completion of A’ levels at Presentation College, he was awarded a scholarship from then Texaco Trinidad Inc to study nautical science and qualify as a navigating officer. Following studies at Royal Nautical College in Plymouth, England and a high-ranking job with Texaco which took him to the far east during the Vietnam and Gulf wars, he received two scholarships — one from the government and another from Texaco. Subsequently, he pursued Maritime Commerce at the University of Wales and it was only in his final year that he learned of the government scholarship in naval architecture. “So I was told by the British Embassy that to benefit from the government scholarship I had to take it or lose it,” Lange said. Left with a challenging decision, Lange terminated studies at Wales and pursued studies at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne in England.

He returned to Trinidad, working as loading master in charge of loading tankers at Pointe-a-Pierre, and later was promoted to superintendent in charge of marine craft. Lange, 45, is also divorced and has four children. He said it was Yoko’s strength and uniqueness that attracted him to her. “Yoko is a strong woman operating in a man-like fashion and gets what she wants and women are mystified and jealous about that. I am very respectful of what she represents — something that every Caribbean woman likes to be. “When I see Yoko, I don’t see what everybody sees — this loud person. I see a warm, sensitive, sweet person. What is in people’s hearts is much more important. Yoko and I share a raw patriotism for Trinidad.”

Lange is also director of Tsunami Marine which he founded more than 10 years ago. He is the only naval architect in the Caribbean. In short, he said a naval architect carries the responsibility of “knowing everything about anything that floats, that includes ships and offshore platforms.” He has given up international contracts to focus on Trinidad and the Caribbean as well as work as a business partner with his wife. After 32 years as flight attendant, Yoko retired from her job last year after being diagnosed with menopausal depression caused by anxiety attacks and acute pain. “I had to quit flying which was bringing it on. I was flying through all hours of the night, from 90 degrees to minus 16 degrees and it was intense, intense work.

It had meh throw down in meh bed and ah couldn’t sleep. Ah cry, ah cry, ah cry but ah leave,” Yoko said. “Yamo (God) put it in my way, to stop me in meh tracks. The flying was killing me. This is my calling.” She pointed to plastic cupped bras to which she was applying neon paint. Yoko plans to house her colossal castle at a site in Chaguaramas as a tourist attraction. “It can be used for parades, weddings. You pay a fee to walk through the castle and see the gothic altar and chamber. There’ll be my showcases with costumes that you can put on and pose for ‘instamatic’ pictures which will be framed and right there you have a souvenir.”