Page 59 - KPA 19 OCT,2015

DIALUNA 19 OCTOBER 2015 DIARIO PAGINA 27
Wega di spanta hende por a
sali hobennan di malo den
mondi na Palm Beach

LIT UP LIKE A CHRISTMAS TREE. Imaging the two offshore drilling ships, lit up in ORANJESTAD (AAN):Den careda di 10or di anochi diadomin-
celebration of the season like giant Christmas trees, bobbing in the ocean across our swanky go, Polis a haya un yamada cu tin un Tercel blanco cu bahul cora
Palm Beach resorts? Yes? No? I woke up Thursday morning and noticed that there were two. para sospechoso den e mondi pariba di Palm Beach Plaza.
Not just one. So I called Carlyle de Coteau in search of answers to my questions. I also noticed
that Tisa LaSorte and Arlette Oduber, were preoccupied with the potential ruin of perfect Na yegada di patruyanan di polis riba bicicleta, den auto y mo-
sunset pictures! I asked: What are these two ghost ships doing on our horizon, and Carlyle toriza, a bin topa cu dos hoben disfraza cu mascarada y scondi riba
accommodated. The Pacific Mistral and the Pacific Meltem, fleet members of Pacific Drilling, un fundeshi bou construccion. Esaki pariba di Palm Beach Plaza.
a multinational with American roots, suspended their operations in Brazil, because of yet
another decline in oil prices. The ships lost their oil drilling contracts and needed a quiet place Ora polisnan a baha riba nan, nan a spanta y a bin conta polis
to go until prices recover. That quiet place is Aruba. Mind you, three different islands competed cu ta spanta nan kier spanta hende. Un di e hobennan a core bay
for the privilege of hosting the ships and collecting parking fees: Curacao, Trinidad and Aruba. for di e sitio lagando e otro amigonan atras cu Polis. Polis a
Apparently Aruba won the bid and the island is now charging the ships for anchorage, ship papia cu e dos hobennan y a hiba nan cas pa asina papia cu nan
to ship services, maintenance, and bunkering, which is the supply of fuel for the ships’ own mayornan over di nan intencion. E yamada cu Polis a haya tabata
consumption. You realize that we have been playing host to ships, in between jobs and during cuadra pasobra a haya tambe mascarada. Mescos cu ta haci wega,
hurricane seasons, for years, but we only started charging for shelter and services mid 2015 e cos aki por a Sali nan di malo tambe. E area aki Polis tin extra
-- a nice source of income, perhaps half a million florins since the summer. Also important, atencion mirando mas cu un atraco arma cu a tuma lugar. Mayoria
the added value, as Aruba’s maritime companies now supply the visiting vessels with various di e caminda di fuga tabata e caminda pariba di Palm Beach Plaza
services, generating extra cash. The Mistral and the Meltem, in suspended operation, on a caminda cu e hobennan aki tabata scondi haciendo wega. Danki
skeleton crew, idle in our water, until such time, they can go back to work. Then when oil Dios e cos a caba sin incidente mas serio.
prices stabilize their normal level of deployment will be restored, engines restarted, all systems
up and running. It’s like they are hibernating now, and that’s why they are anchored in open
water, and out of the way! We should put them to good use, true to the old saying: If you can’t
lose it, decorate it!

TIERRA DEL SOL BACK ON THE PARTY CIRCUIT. Two recent parties at Tierra del
Sol, reminded local invitees how much fun that place is. The first get-together celebrated the
positive conclusion of the fiscal year of Deloitte Dutch Caribbean, with free-flowing cocktails
and hors d’oeuvres to the music of the Bamboo band. The second hoopla was a launch of the
Aruba Wine Club, a new organization in charge of stocking our wine cellars, so we never
run out. Marrit Gorter organized the party with a handful of concierges, property & rental
managers, and the crew of Pepia Est in attendance. The wine Club will help distribute the
premium liquors, fine wines, Miller beer and Saratoga water, imported by that wholesale
company. The banqueting team of Tierra del Sol, gave guests a good time, and compliments
are due to the reorganized property, on its recent stellar performances. Most importantly, those
who have been owed money from the previous van den Nieuwenhuijzen’s/van der Valk
era, have been receiving steady small bank direct deposits for the past 10 months, to cover a
percentage of that debt. A very praise-worthy, decent move, at the wake of the suspension of
payments, granted by the courts in 2013. As you recall local investor Martin Van Romondt
Canadian businessman Michael Mattalo, and real estate guru Ed Friedman, have taken over
management around that time, determined to revitalize and revamp the much loved resort,
country club, golf course and spa, with Cisco Quant, as their General Manager. Of course,
their work is never done, but they are on the right track!

TEAM FILMS ROCKS. I recently had the pleasure of working with Team Films Aruba. I
met a gallery of new and responsible people including the detail-oriented Urban Josephia,
and the very efficient Geraldine Lampe who is the Business Partner of Technical Manager
Ildemar Kock. Geraldine introduced me to Technical Director Favier Thode, Cameraman
Ender Rasmey, and Cameraman Assistant & Technical Assistant, Satesh Vreeswijk. That by
itself was expected, but she also did the unexpected. She gave me a detailed list with the Team
Films telephone numbers and email addresses. Just in case I wake up in the middle of the night
with a burning desire to talk to any of her crew members, no problem, I had the information
handy. Aruba Team Films produces television events, anything from beauty pageants to extreme
sporting events. So, for local television production and most importantly live streaming, you
may contact them. If you get married on the beach in Aruba, your friends in the Netherlands, or
anywhere else in the world, can now watch the ceremony in real time, cool!

NEW PLACES IN MIAMI. A recent trip to Miami, Florida, revealed a nice collection of new
and not-so new eateries, worth sharing with you. But first of all Reina Beatrix Airport: We think
the food and beverage operation at the airport is sub-par. Sponge bread, rubber ham and plastic
cheese are no longer acceptable. Sorry, you’re overdue for an upgrade and update! Out for
dinner one night, our friend and tour guide Jacqueline Collot, announced we were heading to
a BP gas station. Once we got there, it looked like a regular station, gas pumps and all, but the
sign gave it away: Food Store & Deli. Inside, in the back, past the convenience store cashiers,
surprise, a typical, adorable, Spanish tapas bar, El Carajo, with exposed brick interiors, low
ceiling beams, wine racks, wine carts and boxes everywhere, rustic wooden furniture, a long
community table, and a rolled up paper menu, like a scroll, which we unrolled to order. We
shared the fabulous bacon wrapped stuffed dates, the seasoned croquettas, Manchego cheese,
Spanish Chorizo and Serrano Ham, Grilled Skirt Steak, served with some amazing chimichurri,
and best of all we bought our own fancy bottles of wine, a St. Julien and a Chateauneuf Du
Pape, had one of them uncorked, decanted, then served, right there. So that’s the gimmick,
you buy a bottle of expensive wine at reasonable prices in the wine store, and enjoy it with
your dinner. It’s quite a novelty. The food’s good, the wine and champagne selection great,
the place charming. We had to wait twenty minutes for a table, so make reservations at El
Carajo, off Dixie Highway. Another place worthy of your attention is Finca Table & Tap, on
Coral Way, a restaurant combining Korean, Peruvian, and Cuban cuisine, creating unexpected
fusions, accompanied by micro-brews from a significant beer menu and or craft cocktails made
with craft spirits and herbs! We liked the Korean style Brussels sprout salad with bacon and
wontons, the mac n’3 cheeses with carne asada, bacon and scallions, the Cuban Cesar salad
with spicy pork, Cuban bread croutons, Manchego cheese and Caesar dressing, and the giant
grilled octopus tentacles. The place was abuzz with activity, beautiful people, grazing and
sipping, and a wood burning oven, with kept sending baca fritta and lomo saltado pizzas into
the dining room. If you’re on a salt-free diet, don’t bother to go. But if you are open to the mix
of cultures and flavors, this is a very fun, popular spot. RC@visitaruba.com