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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
|
Elton
Arends, a graphic designer by profession downloaded text from web chat rooms,
making a point that language is evolving, while we go about our ordinary life. PAW, LOL,
BRB, even Papiamento abbreviations such as KTK, kiko ta kiko(what’s what) SUE,
suave(fine) are mushrooming and filtering main stream. Another wonderful glimpse into the
prolific vaults of artists is Johan Stopple’s Mind, an
installation with light and sound effects depicting the insides of the artist’s head,
his motherboard. It’s funny and fresh and irreverent, with a blaring speaker,
red-blinking eyes, in short a mini circus in motion.
Fernando Veremeer, his father is a famed photographer, his mom
a merchant-rights activist, presents Not Enough Memory, a digital collage of
computer memory chips, installed where his forehead should be, with images of himself
naked projected into his own cheeks. It is an erotic, disturbing and beautiful work, which
is very typical of the intellectual that he is. Glenn Carvahal who is
pictured here with his parents used digital printing and paint to produce stark, vivid
colored surfaces. I missed the work of Chef Frenk Graat, but if he is as
good an artist as he is a cook, his work should be decent. In a conversation with artist /
curator / teacher Stanley Kuiperi, he 
praised
the exposition yet expressed fear that unless cultural institutions on the island support
young talent, shows such as Troubleshooting will be infrequent and rare to find. On a
lighter note, the opening hosted a bunch of very good looking hip people, from Tessa
Pieters to Farida Luidens, also a slew of more mature artists
among them Ciro Abath and glam girl Osaira Muyale.
The forum was also welcomed by Marion
Braun, of the Dutch Caribbean Travel Center, Horace Horde,
CEO of the Aruba Hotel & Tourism Association and Myrna Jansen,
Interim Director of the Aruba Tourism Authority. In total 61 suppliers were on hand
representing the islands of Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, St. Martin, Saba & St.
Eustacius.The DCME European guests, a total of 62 visitors, hail from The
Netherlands, Germany, UK, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, Finland, Denmark
& Sweden, among other European 
countries. KLM, and Martin Air are both present
as the official carriers. The Minister opened her speech acknowledging the importance of
the meet. She welcomed the influx of European tourists saying delegates may see for
themselves what a variety of vacation pleasures Aruba has to offer. Holiday makers
experience wonderful hotels, a great climate, lovely beaches and blue waters, gentle
people who are willing to serve in short a top quality product.
The government of Aruba, she added
is aware of the fact that direct flights are a major issue, yet Aruba has an Open Sky
policy and just built a magnificent airport with eyes on the future. We are ready to
listen and learn, the Minister concluded, we would like to maximize opportunities, though
our budget is not bottomless; we are willing to make sensible investments. Marion Braun in
her discourse explained the meet was expanded last November from the previous more limited
format of Aruba Meets Europe. It now includes 6 islands, not just one, making it more
interesting for tour operators as they witness more variety. The meet, funded by the
European Union is designed to increase tourism to the 
region. While it isn't easy she reported to sell the Caribbean as
a vacation destination due to the dollar exchange rate in Europe, the islands still offer
good value for money, they offer safety and security and a very high standard of
facilities. Horace Horde quoted his vision for Aruba from a 1995 document he compiled. The
goal of making Europe & South America account for 50% of the number of island-visitors
hasn't been reached yet, he reported. He too asked for the forum's assistance in also
meeting Aruba's other goals namely a 7.3 average day-stay, $950 per person in expenditure,
80% island-wide occupancy and mostly one billion dollars in revenue. Myrna Jansen
praised the upcoming strategic
alliance with the Europeans travel agents and tour operators. Aruba has a very high rate
of repeat guests she stated, once you sell visitors on the island, they keep coming back,
which is good for your business as well. Aruba she concluded is a great place to live, and
a wonderful place to visit.
yet her department would be
happy to tailor an event for just fifty invited guests with the same meticulous attention
to detail, at very affordable prices, from $15.95 to $22.95 per person for food, $18.00
for the first two hours of quality cocktail service. Ike Cohen Aruba's senior hotelier
personally gets involved in the planning of events at the Pavilion, providing party-tips
and contributing to the careful planning from his rich experience. He is inviting you to
call #(297) 823444, for a no-obligation consultation with his party-experts. Taste the
food and see for yourself, he 
adds, we offer value for money at a very elegant setting. The Pavilion at
One of the biggest
surprises are the dance numbers. Those cast dancers move wonderfully and the fresh
choreography by Gayle Hagedoorn and Bob Ollar is quite
demanding. No more pretty faces loaded with feathers a la Vegas showgirls. "Welcome
To My Party," the opening number, all of Madonna's and Gloria Estephan
sequences, including going under a limbo stick, Victor / Victoria's "Le Jazz
Hot," Celia's Cruz' sizzling "La Vida es un Carnival," are
technically difficult and very flashy, glitzy, jazzy. John Hernandez the
man behind Madonna's "Hanky Panky," is a superb star dancer, no spanking
required. Irene, Astrid, Jacky, Gayle and two male dancers Orlando
& Alcides all give brilliant supporting performances. Joan Rivers is
no doubt the Queen of the Night. 
Gary Dee
is in perfect command of the stage and appears to love the freedom the new era affords
him. He regularly pauses to banter with audiences, live, off -script. His gowns are
naturally showstoppers, and every time he walks in dressed to the ninth ticket-holders
voice their complete satisfaction with spontaneous applause. Gary's Joan discusses marital
vows, weight loss, menopause, intercourse, or the lack of, with incredible candor. She
picks on front row guests mercilessly, ripping their hair and waist lines, size of wedding
and engagement rings, apart, yet she also regularly practices self effacing humor
announcing she looked like a Gay Rooster or Big Bird in Drag. Gary's
daring segment as Judi Garland, is unexpected and very good. It helps define his
dramatic abilities. Eddy Pinero as Dionne Warwick and Tina
Turner is the world greatest make up artist. Steve Andrade, as Celine
Dione in "I Know I'll Never Love This Way Again," has smoldering eyes. He
twitches and flips his hair, just like the Canadian superstar. 
Junior Castaneda, a
newcomer to the stage holds up his end of the revue, respectfully. Humphrey Odor
seems to have buckets of fun as the Mambo King's Celia Cruz, and he has really
perfected her signature gap-toothed "Azucar." Bob Ollar possesses a powerful
stage personality as Bette Midler and "What Makes A Man A Man." The
Charles Aznavour song, a touching classic, answers that eternal question quite
conclusively. 
It is no secret that the 
Filipe Koolman, better known as Flip, came up with the
"Wishing Well" idea. Wouldn't it be wonderful, he asked owner Ike Cohen, if we
had an old fashion dream depository where guests could make their wishes known? What a
great idea, exclaimed the island's most dynamic senior citizen - for the record, Ike will
be 90 in June! - and entrusted the construction to the multi-facetted Dieter. 
I am the handyman around here, banters the restaurateur.
After much deliberation as to the size, design and location, Dieter made three miniature,
12 inch prototypes. Ike narrowed the choice down to the one you see in the middle of the
lobby. It took a while to procure the lovely cedar wood required, then Ike threw in a
genuine antique, an old Aloe boiling pot from his backyard. Construction took
place on Dieter's patio. The half-finished product was perfected at the resort. 
Every time it is served the
waiters ring the bell and exclaim Mmm . .. Ooh La La, in true French fashion.
Repeats guests, says Dieter love it. They make us go back into the kitchen and give them
their Ooh La La, even if we're busy and skip one. 
