By Chester Francis-Jackson, Contributor 041119.JPG)
Ricardo Bowleg, General Manager of Couples Swept Away, with Karen Lanigan, his counterpart of Couples Negril (left) and Jan Polack, Financial Controller of Sans Souci. - Contributed
MY DEARS, the yuletide season is most definitely upon the land! Luvs, it's like this: y'all know Christmas is fast approaching when there are more parties to attend on any given night, than there are hours in which to do so! But not to worry, we pray and party on!
Now, y'all know that at one time the yuletide party season was all about the parties, soirées, luncheons, dinners and the very many get-togethers, hosted by families, friends associates and companies across the island. Dears, not any more, as there are more and more offshore parties to mark the annual season.
Now there are hot parties and HOT parties! And then there are the dos that are really so fine, they take the cake! In fact, so much so that long after their shelf lives, people are still a-talking about them!
Sweet-things, one such affair was the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) 23rd Annual Awards Gala for Jamaican charities and scholarships, hosted at the world-fab Waldorf Astoria Hotel, in the divinely decadent New York City, New York.
THE BUZZ
Doves, the buzz is that this was indeed a hot one, with Finance Minister Dr. Omar Davies being the guest of honour and the Jamaican-born Canadian billionaire Michael Lee Chin being the other 'real big man' in the house with him being the recipient of the AFJ's 2004 International Humanitarian Award, for his international philanthropy.
Make no bones about it Michael Lee Chin is an exemplar of the maxim: 'To whom much is given, much is expected'. So little wonder that he was the AFJ's Humanitarian Honouree this year.
The annual gala from its very inception has been about members of the international élite (primarily Americans), bonding together under the common umbrella of raising funds for the furtherance of the cause of many Jamaican charities and or of making that difference in the life of an individual and or a community through charitable donations. At the same time, it manages to promote a positive image of Jamaica.
And as you all know, the rich and famous, as well as the fab, prefers its own company, so ergo the historical success of the AFJ.
Well me daahlings, with each year, the AFJ's gala and the not-so-publicised luncheon keeps getting not only bigger and more fabulous, it is fast becoming the signature most recognised pro-Jamaican/American organisation, and with a slew of American celebrities, former ambassadors and the mega wealthy as its principal members.
Dears, talk about cachet! Well, it most certainly does not get any better than this!
Anyways, with this year's honouree being one of Jamaica's favourite sons, particularly one who has kept in touch with his roots over the years and has reinvested a considerable amount of his capital in the island, the AFJ's was indeed one of the season's hottest tickets!
'A-CROWD'
The well-to-do of American society came out and so did their Jamaican counterpart, St. Andrew's "A-Crowd" and haute-society was out and in full social regalia, headed by the parents of the honouree Vincent and Gloria Chen; his siblings Wayne Chen and wife Diana, Richard Chen and wife Lisa, Adrian Lee-Chin and his companion Sonia Hamilton.
Also out were: Former U.S. Ambassador to Kingston and President of the AFJ, Amb. (Ret.) Glen Holden and wife Gloria; Jamaica's Ambassador to Washington Gordon Shirley; U.S. Ambassador to Kingston Sue Cobb; former U.S. Ambassador to Kingston J. Gary Cooper; former Charge d'Affaires and Acting Head of Mission, U.S. Embassy Kingston Lacy Wright and wife Jackie; Dennis and Diane Lalor; Capt. Michael and Thalia Lyn, Jo-Anne Issa Padgett; Donovan and Andrea Lewis; Charles and Brunetta Matthews; Saira Joshi; Jennifer Lim; Paul and Becky Stockhausen; Suzie Feanny-Savari; Richard and Diana Stewart; Angella Rainford; Mr. and Mrs. Neville Blythe; Aubyn and Tamara Hill; Dr. and Mrs. Wilfred Gooden; Alvaro and Jean Casserly; Dr. and Mrs. James Goren; Paul and Lorraine Lorenc; Josef Forstmayr; Dr. Bernard and Andrea Benjamin; Tony King; Mr. and Mrs. James Cada; Mr. and Mrs. Denny Chandiram, and Maureen Denton plus several others.
Indeed, the buzz is it was all good and already reservations are pouring in for the 2005 AFJ's Gala!
COUPLES CELEBRATES
And speaking of fabulous hotels, well dears, the Lee-Issa-headed, third-largest north coast chain of fab resorts, Couples Resorts, is doing cartwheels my dears as they celebrate their
prestigious awards from the International Bible of travel and leisure
Luvs, the buzz is all about Couples Swept Away Negril, headed by the very Ricardo Bowleg, as the very fashionable boutique resort was voted the top all-inclusive resort of the Caribbean, by the very Bible of travel and leisure Conde Nast Traveler, in the magazine's November '04 issue.
And as if the fine property needed any more kudos, readers of the same magazine also voted the hotel the Top Jamaican Resort; and an overall placing of number 9, of the top 20 resorts of the region!
Kudos all around dears and wait for the celebratory reception to follow!
Then my dears, last Saturday, it was all about destination Blue Lagoon, over there in flawless Port Antonio, as Donna Chen of family-owned SuperPlus chain of supermarkets, invited friends and family to join her for a party that promised to be as fabulous as fabulous gets.
The occasion was a smasheroni of a soirée-turned-party to mark the 50th birthday, of the hostess, and those who guested celebrated at the world famous landmark in fine and regal style. Beginning at 11:00 a.m., the affair continued way into sunset and beyond, Jacqui Tyson, doing up the lagoon to reflect the spirit of the occasion, the fare she served up: a Jamaican brunch that progressed into a regal dinner boasting roast-suckling-pig, poached salmon, beef filet de armagnac, chicken-curry a-la Europa, pasta stations, salad bars, and some of the most sinfully delicious desserts ever created.
A GENERAL BAR
Dovecakes, a general bar, kept guests buzzing, but it was the daiquiri and martini bars that had guests queuing. And with Errol Lee and his Bare Essentials band, providing the musical fare, y'all know, there were no musical prisoners, only a celebration of life to mark a truly special milestone of a birthday!
And back to the diplomatic scene luvs, as the new deputy chief of mission over there at the Canadian High Commission, is Bryan Burton, the High Commission's political and economic counsellor, who replaced Robert Richard, who left Kingston earlier this summer.
Caught up with DCM Burton and his charming wife Janice Burton last weekend at the buzzing International Proxy Parents Bazaar, hosted at the poolside of the Hilton Kingston Hotel. Not only were the couple in the thick of things at the annual fund-raising bazaar, they were clearly 'in-their-ackee', as they joined their diplomatic and consular colleagues in raising funds for the IPP's charities. We welcome them and wish for them a prosperous tour of duty.
And it was cigars and champagne toasts last Monday at Old Hope Road as friends and well-wishers joined Kenny Benjamin in celebrating the arrival of his offspring, Brandon Jorge Benjamin, born to him and companion Aloima Suarez earlier that day!
