Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter
Managing Director of Red Stripe Mark McKenzie (left) chats with Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner Dennis Francis at the Venezuela National Day Reception, held at the Hilton Kingston Hotel, Knutsford Boulevard, New Kingston on Tuesday.
JULY SEEMS to be the month for National Day celebrations.
The Canadians started it off with a thoroughly enjoyable albeit rainy affair on the first. By July 4, it was time for the United States. So the sight of marine guards in uniform, the sounds of swing music blaring from the speakers and every conceivable design of red, white and blue you can imagine at the Pegasus Hotel was a great way to start. Two hundred and twenty-nine times they've celebrated this day and it's not getting old.
Speaking of old, ol' glory (or the star spangled banner or the stars and stripes whichever you prefer), was everywhere. The colours were evident on little windmills lining the walkways and balloons swaying gently in the afternoon breeze; on candy-striped poles; adorning ribbons; the whole deal. The setting was more of a small town 'back home', than in the capital city of a Caribbean island.
So amid the bottles of Jack Daniels and the swinging jazz music, guests mingled and tried to keep cool on a typical Jamaican afternoon.
VENEZUELA'S TURN
A day after the United States celebrated their big day with their Jamaican friends, our amigos from Venezuela did the same. The Hilton Kingston Hotel was the venue for this fiesta.
Now Jamaica and the South American nation have quite a strong diplomatic relationship, spanning some 40 years. Madai Hernandez, head of mission, hailed the recent Petrocaribe oil agreement between her country and some Caribbean states. She also pledged her country's continued support in fields such as education and health.
Guests dined on excellent cubed pork, Venezuelan flat bread and other delicacies while listening to the pulsating Latin rhythms coming from the speakers. To wash it down tequila and Venezuelan beer Polar Ice. Excelente!
Among the guests spotted at either (or both) events were Joseph A. Matalon and Bernadette McKinley; Morin Seymour; Robert MacMillan; Thalia Lyn; Audrey Marks; Clarence Clarke; Carolle Guntley; Heinz Simonitsch; Barbara Gloudon; Paul Issa; Vivian Crawford; James Forbes; Paul Pennicook; Ambassador Madge Barrett; Marcia Erskine; Claudio Valle and wife Louise; Mark Shields; Dennis Hickey; Jennifer Lim; Jean Lowrie-Chin; Argentine Ambassador Gonzalo Fernandez; Spanish Ambassador Rafael Jover and wife Maria Dolores; Jackie Nielsen; Tanya Hoshue; Ecuadorian Consul Clelia Barreto de Hunter; Herman LeMont; Leonor Segura; Rear Admiral Hardley Lewin; Kent Pantry; Mark Waller; Nicole Madden-Greg; Indian High Commissioner Kailash Agrawal; Dr. Omar Davies; Arnold Foote and wife Patricia; Maurice Gordon; Anthony Jenkinson; Becky Stockhausen; Pat Francis; Kay Osborne; Mark Pritchett; Acting British High Commissioner Phil Sinkinson; Honduran Ambassador Carlos Matute: Trinidad High Commis-sioner Dennis Francis; his First Secretary Kirk François and wife Stacey-Ann; Mayor of Kingston Desmond McKenzie; Aubyn and Tamara Hill and Senator Anthony Johnson.
