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[ This page was last updated on Friday, January 04, 2008 ] [Facts] [Business]
[Attractions] [Where to Stay] [Travel]
Registered
with The Aruba Chamber of Commerce since 1997
|
This past Sunday, the buzz was at its peak with the much touted last
performance of Cuban pianist Gustavo Corrales who gave his farewell
concert here. Corrales used the festive opportunity to also baptize his new CD,
Palimpsesto, a compilation of his favorite Cuban danzas and sones, written between 1847
and 1969. A live performance of some of the recorded materials opened the concert program.
Then Corrales finished his portion of the entertainment with 2 Mazurkas and 1 Polonaise,
by Frederic Chopin, dazzling his listeners with his flying fingers and
flowing musical mastery.
Corrales with freshly wedded wife Karen Russell, will be
going to Cuba then to Europe to further his artistic career. Palimpsesto, more than meets
the eye, was recorded on the island just before his departure and Corrales thanked Rene
Kan, and Emil Kelkboom, his sponsor and the recording engineer
for their generous contributions to his career.
While Corrales grew up a child prodigy and developed into a
professional musician, Ron is a merchant, he owns the Sting Boutique and
Flor is a TV anchor man, editing and reading the Dutch news broadcast on Telearuba each
evening. They are both in possession of an extensive musical education, which they use to
entertain friends and family members. 
This time, they put it all on line, investing much of their time
to polish their skills and further their technique to be included in the same program with
Coralles. It's apparently true what they say that practice makes perfect. The audience
enjoyed the musical offering wholeheartedly, and warmly applauded the musicians,
appreciating their many sacrifices in the name of perfection. Emil Kelkboom
already offered to record it, especially the love song.
The Tierra Del Sol Golf Tournament over the weekend was pronounced
a great success. Sponsors HUGO BOSS & 
The tourney wrapped up Sunday night with award ceremonies and a
BBQ. The BOSS team of Antonio Lozada and Aureliano Chopitea
made an excellent showing. So did local husband and wife team the van Schaijk
and golf partners Breuninger & Leonard. Charles Croes, the HUGO BOSS
man on the island wanted the honors of being in last place, but was only able to secure
second to last. 
Attorney Andin Bikker won a HUGO BOSS sports
watch for his outstanding "Shoot-out"(closest to the marker shot.)
Some of the best dancers on the floor were liquor tycoon Oiky
Posner and his two fun loving sons, Aruba’s Minister of Public Health
Dr. Israel Posner and the developer of Aruba Aloe, the light on
his feet Luis Posner. Ligenne, the Marriott
Marketing kid was the ballroom belle, sharing the spotlight with the Marriott
accounting chicken heads. Showing off some fancy foot work, finance man Edsel
Lopez, the Saladins from Frasa, the Theysens
from Kenro Jewelers, plastic surgeon Dr. Hunt Riley with TV
producer Tabita Fecunda, cradled in his arms. 
Linda & Hans Schnog are
great dance partners, I guess they have been doing it for years. Tita
showed up with her hottie brother. Ruben offered me another shampoo and I
turned him down. 
Tito Lacle, Brigitte Wauben,
Diane Vis, the place was crawling with good-looking folks including Roland
Lopez! Young lawyers Patrick Brown, Lincoln Gomez,
and Andin Bikker graced the bar with their presence. True to himself,
Andin also felt compelled to stand on the bar top and recite hot air, romantic poetry. 
Tourism officials Glennie Tromp, Natalie Fingal
and Amayra Boukhoudt, mingled nicely with press members Margaret
Wever, Elizabeth Guanipa and Grace Mary Maduro.
Great party, Kay, we had a wonderful time!
This is just to tease your appetite as the store will be opening
next week, but stuff coming out of boxes at Playa Linda on the oceanfront boardwalk looks
absolutely gorgeous, hand picked gifts, souvenirs, better quality tee-shirts and resort
wear. 
Moreover, a bonanza or fridge magnets, hand-made silver jewelry,
batique beach wraps, thongs and hats await you, as the store offers endless shopping
possibilities. The new Juggling Fish at Playa Linda fits nicely into the resort's 'beach
revival' plan. The resort is currently engaged in redesigning and rearranging its
spectacular beach front areas with new showers, walkways, landscaping, playgrounds, beach
bar and grill restaurant.
It was late Saturday night in the spectacular Las Palmas ballroom. The Miss
Aruba pageant was coming to a nail biting conclusion. After crowd favorite Zizi
Lee was elected Third Runner-up, nobody had any idea who was going to be our next
Miss Aruba. 
be representing Aruba
next year at the Miss Universe 2002 Pageant in San Juan, Puerto Rico. First Runner-up is Lainda
Westerhof. She will represent Aruba at the Miss World Pageant in South Africa
this year. Second Runner-up, Dione Croes, will represent Aruba at the
Miss International Pageant in Japan. Zizi Lee was elected Third Runner-up
and Ruthlene Flemming Fourth Runner-up. The candidates had elected Iris
Robert as Miss Amity 2001(Miss Congeniality). 
The afternoon took off with five different presentations, given by Myrna Jansen
of the Aruba Tourism Authority, Horace Hord, the CEO of the Aruba Hotel
& Tourism Association, Dr. Lili Beke, the Minister of Tourism, Eduardo
de Veer, the President of the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association and guest
speaker Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace, Director General of Tourism in the
Bahamas. 
Also invited to the
conference, the representative of the 10 political parties and representatives of 6
private sector NGO's including the FTA, the worker's union. Among NGO's in attendance were
the San Nicolas Business Association, the Aruba Merchant Association and the Chamber of
Commerce. They reacted very positively, prepared to contribute their resources to enhance
awareness of the importance of tourism, island wide. Various decision-makers within
government agencies, including the Airport, Justice, Labor and more, received invitations
to hear and be heard. With the appropriate education the island's ultimate goal will be
reached, namely quality of service improvement. 
Myrna Jansen of the Aruba Tourism Authority in her
presentation focused on the challenges confronting the Aruba tourism product, how tourism
affects all sectors, and how it is influence by the goings-on on the island. The
collective endeavor, she explains, will be governed by World Tourism Organization Global
Code of Ethics for Tourism, which was created to help minimize the negative impact tourism
might have on the environment, on cultural heritage, indigenous people, customs and
traditions and help maximize the benefits of the economic boom it brings. We need to roll
up our sleeves she concludes and produce timeshare legislation, preservation and zoning
laws, tourism laws, we need to do a better job at integrating immigrants, it is all tied
to our tourism product. 
Eduardo de Veer used to opportunity to once more air his
views. Just like airlines use yield management to get better operational results, Aruba
should do the same. Can't beat around the bush anymore, he admonished. The island, with an
inventory of 8000 room has ample opportunity to play host to 800.000 land visitors,
annually. While in 1992 Aruba surpassed the Bahamas in performance it is today lagging
behind. If we do not manage the product carefully, de Veer advises, we might as well go
back to be an island nation of 5,000 people. That's how big Aruba was, before tourism was
introduced.
chicken; Reggae superstar Shaggy will reportedly be
having lunch there, on his upcoming visit to the island in the Fall. Jamaica Me
Krazy is the latest in soul food eateries on the island and it is gearing up for
opening at the Mega Mall, adjacent to Certified Groceries, in the old Coco Joco location.
Jamaica Me Krazy specializes in nicely marinated jerk chicken, pork and beef, curried
goat, ackee and salt fish, great Jamaican soups and irie beverages, including Red Stripe
beer. We're taking it slow for the soft-opening, says Danny Wilson who
overseas the operation. We'll be steaming ahead by the end of the month, with a full
take-out, eat-in menu. Jerk Chicken is available every day. Danny reports there are
literally dozens of ingredients mixed into the spicy marinade. A container of ackee, is en
route. Danny swears his ackee recipe - a tropical yellowish fruit stewed with onions, salt
fish and green peppers - is a to live-for! In Jamaica, Caribbean
rice and beans are called
rice & peas; Festival is a sinfully fried bread-stick, made of pastechi-like dough;
Dumplings are shaped like pretzels and Mackerel Run Down is cooked in coconut cream as a
main course; Pepper Pot is the name of a hearty soup, so thick, you can't see the bottom
of that pot; Jamaica Me Krazy promises to be a culinary learning experience. Wait till you
taste the Front End Lift Punch made with peanuts and Irish Moss.
The good folks at WEB and De Palm Island got seriously together over the weekend
to clean up the no-man's land lying between the Water & Electricity Plant and the
Aruba Nautical Club. That small area with boilers on the right, power and sailing boats on
the left is home to the De Palm Island ferry terminal. The ferry commutes between main
land and the island, transporting hundreds of sun worshippers, snorkels, and Snuba
recruits to the beautiful barrier reef, off shore.
water. Hubert explains he teamed with his powerful neighbor, WEB; they have resources, he
points out, cranes, heavy equipment. De Palm Tours had an abundance of muscle power,
employees in vanguard of the environment. Together they fished old pipes and engine blocks
out of the water, collected industrial debris, and tackled jobs neglected for decades.
They managed to fill 2 trash containers with their finds. Especially helpful were some WEB
employees who volunteered their own small fishing crafts for the day. 
Giovanni & Simone
did their share. The island under and above water is very clean, the trio reports, as
employees regularly instruct their guests to bring whatever trash they find, mostly
plastic cups and cans out of the water. While all of this was going on life continued
undisturbed on De Palm Island, kids collected shells, visitors were sunning their buns, Johnny
& Ryanne served frozen concoction at the bar. Business was as usual. Only
thanks to Hubert, his environmental gang and WEB engineers the world is now much cleaner. 
Resorts. Pizza may be ordered by phone then picked up at the lobby
bar of Costa Linda; or should you want to stay in, Diana will be
delivering a box to your doorstep. Margarita is the most popular with
kids, as it is simplicity itself, topped with tomato, mozzarella, fresh oregano and basil.
Adults will enjoy the Four Seasons, a symphony of different tastes and textures, loaded
with artichoke, mushroom and prosciutto ham. Pepperoni, the perennial favorite, is
garnished with black olives and green pepper; the Capricciosa, Naples's most popular pizza
pie, is flavored with the sweet kiss of tomato, the sharp bite of anchovies, bubbling with
mozzarella, artichoke, onion and a touch of fresh pepper. 
Jeroen van Rijen the
rector of that 12-year-old school. He gave an academic overview of the institution's
activities and outlined its future vision. He then introduced the Director of Part-time
Programs at the CHN Leewarden University, Ernest Jonker. The visitor gave
a presentation of the local university's new phase of development, namely the introduction
of a Part-time Bachelor's degree in hospitality, offered on Aruba to members of
hospitality middle management aspiring to accelerate their careers and move into higher
management functions.
working in the field, an
opportunity they never had before. Studies will be conducted in the classroom and via
internet, and the admission criteria are quite high. There are academic requirements,
language requirements and mostly the program doesn't come cheap, yet it is a fraction of
the effort it takes to educate a tourism professional overseas. 
BMW got more than it bargained for when it orchestrated an art
exposition BMW goes Art. The dealership's PR executive Nilca
Franken envisioned colorful canvases artfully arranged between sleek wonders of
Germans design and technology, the new BMW cars. Thus she asked artist Alida
Martinez to curate an exposition for the light-filled, airy, high ceiling
showroom. "Art is not just the finished object but the creative process that leads up
to it," read the fancy, four-color invitations. "The aim of this event promoted
by BMW is to make this process visible. We have therefore invited thirteen Arubian
artists to present their work in our showroom. The emphasis on this occasion is
not only on complete works of art but also on those who produce them, and the methods they
use." Then the text subtly suggested, "You can also see other masterpieces of an
equally impressive kind, BMW cars." Nothing wrong with mixing business with
aesthetic, over wine cheese, on a Friday night. 
Alida invited the
forerunners of the art scene to deliver their work and last Friday the industrial car
showroom was converted into a glamorous art gallery. Lovers of fast cars mingled with the
bohemian set, namely the thirteen artists whose works were on display. The event was a
commercial success. Blue Madonna by Alida Martinez and two of Belinda
de Veer's painting, Union Separa & Kibra, were sold to a local attorney. A
pair of restaurateurs opted to lease two spanking new roadsters, one slate; the other
canary yellow. It was an enjoyable evening, peppered with a bit of controversy over a few
pieces on display, whether or not they were appropriate. The elegant crowd wanted answers
and tried to understand images born in creative heads. 
Then
one of Monday morning's newspapers hit the stands. There, a three-column article by a
local journalist of religious orientation poured a bucket of ice water on one of the
exposition installations, by Elvis Lopez. Elvis, a well-respected local
painter, openly gay and preoccupied by related subject matters, focused on his rear-end
with a piece he called Bin den Mi Hul mixing photography and acrylic
paint. 
The cheeky Elvis, no pun intended, created a number of eight-shaped
panels and allowed viewers to literally enter the space. The above journalist who only saw
pictures of the installation labeled it degenerate, a disgrace, an anti-social expression,
in short made a moral judgment over the subject matter though viewers all agreed, 
Elvis is the proud owner of a aesthetic pair of buns. The journalist
made the mistake thinking art should serve a higher purpose, teach, educate, and make
moral or ethical statements. While Elvis in his dedication specifically said the piece is
an Auto-Critica, nice play on words, remember, we are in the auto-car business,
and that he was confronting the spectator with his personal truth, or the viewer's truth,
and the duality of our daily life.
Elvis' Chan-Chan, that's butt is Papiamento, got taken off the floor,
banished to Alida's studio. (The studio, Insight, is open to the
public at Paradera Park 215, and can be visited anytime you tour the island. The walls
hang a lot of Elvis' works also a few of Alida's canvases.) Temporarily, Marcello
Werleman's childish naïve sketches with some overtly sexual overtones got taken
off the wall, but then quietly returned to their place by Nilca.
The exposition had some other provocative works, but Elvis
apparently stole the show. Escaping the public wrath two collages by Renwick
Heromino mixing male naked body parts with the very suggestive, leather-bound BMW
stick shift. Renwick also collated an entire BMW engine block with a sexy naked
super-model, displaying the inner works of her combustion engine. 
Osaira Muyale produced a few shocking works. She
uses traditional religious images of Saints and the Madonna and juxtaposes them with the
snapshots of Aruba's most famous street woman, an aging, suffering crack addict.
The addict poses petulantly; striking poses, imitating the holy images, which in turn
frown down at her, look down their noses at the wreckage of humanity, at the destruction
of beauty. 
Paul van Driel a talented photographer delivered a
few pieces to the showroom. They were black & white photographs carefully wrapped and
protected in clear plastic wrap. Nilca did what comes naturally and removed the images
from their wrapping. Wrong. That was the whole trick, apparently. How the image breaks
through the crinkled saran.
Once
we turned right at Mundo Nobo supermarket, I just kept my nose on the road straight ahead,
no left, no right. First, there was asphalt, for the charming ride through the Urataka-San
Fuego neighborhoods. Then once we drove past the friendly wooden ranger’s
booth at the gate of 
seems
untouched, windblown and wild, though where are the goats? Where are the donkeys? We
noticed one baby cabrito stuck in the bush, and later we were introduced to a pet donkey
at the Fontein Plantation. That was the extent of our wildlife encounters. We also came
upon a crew of film-makers aiming their lenses at Yamanota. The Dunes are now blessed with
a nice stone-marked parking lot to prevent reckless adventurers from driving over them.
Just a few meters ahead to the side of the road before turning in to the old plantation
the rock fence was cut to allow access to the 
Boca Prins Bar & Restaurant. The land had
apparently belonged to the Lacle family for many years. Leoncita
is now at the helm of the modest bar & restaurant project. Another Leoncita
is the bartender you might recognize her from Aruba’s only drive-in Katochi shack,
across Kowloon restaurant, which she sold, in order to join the south-coast project.
Leoncita II mixes drinks and is naturally super beautiful and friendly. The wind, beware
of the naughty zephyr! The winds cart food and drink away, unless your treats are nailed
to the bar top. The Grand Opening reception was very pleasant doused with Balashi beer and
home made greasy snacks, just the way we all like it. The
place is surrounded by . . . nothing. In the distance the sea is
raging. It smells deliciously of salt and algae. Fisherman’s nets, cocolishi, shells
all indicate the menu is mostly seafood, also sate, burgers and tuna fish salad
sandwiches. The drive back over the Arikok hills, into the setting sun, with the sky pale
gray-pink is very eerie. Worth a visit, the Fontein Plantation around the bend, nice
garden, old country estate, museum with rattle snakes and centipedes.
time share members of the resort. It's wonderful for
the owners, said highly pleased Board Member Roland Falcioni, seen in the
picture shaking Luis Mansur's hand. Falcioni, along with other Board Members Martin
Doctrow and Rina Lacle witnessed Aruba biggest transfer of
assets with a tax value of over Afls 100.000.000. The transfer restores total credibility
to Aruba's timeshare industry, said Hans Vink, representing the
developers. Following the transaction the Interval members of La Cabana Beach &
Racquet Club indirectly own individed shares in the resort real estate. Attorney Maura
Brown, the President of the Co-Op Association who handled the transaction and
Attorney John v/d Kuyp representing the developers are also pictured here
as the legal documents were signed.
