By Lavern Clarke, News EditorEVEN HEADS of Government take time off for Christmas, go hunting for gifts, and spend the time bonding with family and friends.
Prime Minister P.J. Patterson chaired his last Cabinet meeting for 2003 on Monday, clearing his calendar of formal meetings and engagements for the rest of the year, and began "winding down" to Christmas, remaining accessible "only for emergencies" he said in a Gleaner interview.
But, yesterday he slipped in a tour of downtown Kingston commercial district where seasonal vending was normalised with only slight upheavals this Christmas. And, as the current chair of CARICOM, he continues to be kept abreast of any regional developments.
The Gleaner spoke with the Prime Minister about his holiday plans, and while they are typical of any household, we were surprised with a few titbits.
Mr. Patterson has a new granddaughter, Brianna, who will be arriving with her mother to be christened in Jamaica on December 28 at a private ceremony. His more immediate task is finding Christmas presents for persons on his gift list.
"I am sorting out various presents to staff, relatives and friends."
The PM shops personally for his gifts, and tends to do it over a period, he said. But like most holiday shoppers, he fully expects that he will get caught up in that last minute rush that will necessitate visits "to some special haunts" to complete his list on Christmas Eve.
"On Christmas Day by tradition we have a dinner for family and close friends and their families," he told The Gleaner, relaxed and sipping sorrel on the side verandah at Vale Royal, St. Andrew, his gold shirt blending smoothly with a wicker chair.
"It is customary that in the evening a few other colleagues and friends drop in for drink and music."
A LITTLE BIT MORE
But this year, Mr. Patterson, who is a known ska and oldies fan and the former manager of the Skatallites during his days in the music industry, will be giving his visitors a little bit more that the usual musical feast.
He celebrated his 68th birthday on April 10, and was presented with a karaoke machine which he plans to crank up for his guests.
As to time for himself, the Prime Minister says he hopes to catch up on some light reading.
He returns to formal engagements on January 1 when Haiti, the newest and most populous member of the 15-member CARICOM bloc, celebrates the bicentenary of the Haitian Revolution of 1804, noting that the CARICOM leadership must be represented on such a "historic day."
