By Daviot Kelly, Staff ReporterAHHH, THE life of a diplomat. Cocktail receptions tonight, national day receptions tomorrow, and some bilateral trade talks in between. The wine, the good food, the perks of the job; excellent!
But alas, after three, maybe four years, 'that' phone call comes. Your government tells you it's time for you to leave and take up a new posting. That's when all the other things about the country you were residing in come flooding back.
That is the dilemma that faces Ambassador Arsenio Jimenez-Polanco as he makes a very lengthy farewell tour. The ambassador has served the Dominican Republic government with dignity, efficiency and class. The fact that he was the toast of a farewell reception almost every night during the month is testimony to his
popularity.
MIXED FEELINGS
He came to Jamaica as the charge d'affaires to open the embassy. While here, orders came for him to become Ambassador Plenipotentiary. His task: work with both the public and private sectors and try to strengthen links between both countries.
He will be returning to the Dominican Republic to work in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. For that, he has mixed feelings. "I am happy because I am going back to the Dominican Republic, but I am sad because I have to leave Jamaica where I have made lots of good friends."
The departure is also tough on his daughter Joanna. "When she came here she was a pre-adolescent, now she is a teenager and she has made many friends, so she is sad as well. But I told her that we are very near to Jamaica and she will be able to travel."
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
He took specific care to thank members of the public and private sectors for their support for him, especially the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade. "They made my job
easier. I have great satisfaction when I review my achievements here to know that most of them were possible because of the co-operation I received."
ENJOYABLE TIME
So enjoyable was his time in Jamaica that he can't pinpoint a specific event or location that he will miss most. He admitted getting 'emotional' everytime he saw the Jamaican people, especially the young ones, expressing themselves artistically at the different functions he attended. He also finds it difficult to choose a favourite vacation spot in Jamaica: "The entire island is a garden," he said. He is even considering writing a book about his experiences in the island.
His successor, Barbaro Batista-Fernandez, is a medical doctor who has diplomatic experience. His new job will be in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Department of External Affairs. He will have to travel to other communities, including the Caribbean. That means he may very well be paying a few visits to the island. By doing that, he will never be far from 'home'.
