Spain celebrates

There are few National Day receptions on the cocktail circuit that are as anticipated as that of Spain.

The reasons for this are many-fold, but perhaps chief among them would be the historical, almost genetic bond between Jamaica and Spain that remains at the subliminal level. It might be explained by the Spanish influences and due to the period of colonisation that however brief, it was significant enough to have left lasting legacies not only in names and landmarks, but also in character.

Bilateral relations between Jamaica and Spain have been ably facilitated by Spain consistently assigning competent and capable envoys, who have actively participated in the ongoing process of strengthening the ties between both countries! It can be said of Spain that its foreign policy has been one of progression and continuity, as where other countries have faltered and resorted to lower levels of diplomatic representation, Spain has been no fair-weather friend!

So much so that it has been argued with the end of each tour of duty by a Spanish ambassador, the successor would have a very hard act to follow! But each successor is yet to fail to shine! Keeping with this vein, following the departure of the beloved Jesus Silva, there were many who wondered if his successor would be capable of filling his shoes.

Enter Her Excellency Ambassador Celsa Nuño! And for the many wondering if she could handle it, within weeks of taking up her assignment, Ambassador Nuño made it very clear that she had some mighty fine trailblazing shoes of her own! Talk about 'hitting the ground running', Ambassador Nuño has done that since her arrival just over a year ago. She has embraced her new assignment, taking the Spanish presence here and infusing it with her own élan.

Well, traditionally, the celebration of the Spanish National Day is October 12. And here in Jamaica the occasion of celebrating it is one accompanied by torrents of rain! Well, this year, the Spanish Embassy decided on moving forward the annual celebrations to Wednesday, October 5. The venue was the Mona Visitors' Lodge, at the University of the West Indies, Mona, and luvs, what a fab evening it proved! To begin with, it rained in parts of the city earlier that day, but on the night of the celebrations, the rains stayed and the lodge, festooned in the Spanish colours, was not only the place to be and be seen; it was the social epicentre of the city. The nation's leading citizenry, politicos, the quoted, were out in fab numbers as they joined Ambassador Nuño and her husband, Alex Crowther, in commemorating the event!

Dears, among those out were Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Dr Ken Baugh and his wife, Vilma; Justice Minister Delroy Chuck and wife Pat; Works Minister Mike Henry and his stunning wife, Dawn; Senator Dorothy Lightbourne; Opposition Shadow Minister of Investment Anthony Hylton; Dr Alwin Hales, permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Works; Archbishop of Kingston Charles Dufour; Custos of St Andrew Marigold Harding; chief of state protocol, Ambassador Elinor Sherlock; Contractor General Greg Christie and his fabulous wife, Janice; Director of Public Prosecutions Paula Llewellyn; Deputy Chief of Defence Staff Brigadier Rocky Meade; DCP and Mrs Les Greene; Glynne Manley and daughter Janine Ewart; director of protocol in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ricardo Alicock, and wife Suzanne.

Out to celebrate

Also out were Dean of the Diplomatic Corps Venezuelan Ambassador Noel Martinez-Ochoa; US Ambassador Pamela Bridgewater; Japanese Ambassador Hiroshi Yamaguchi and wife Yoko; head of the EU mission, Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi Alemanni and wife Fiela ; British High Commissioner Howard Drake and wife Gillian; Russian Ambassador Viktor and wife Olga ; French Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry; Belgian Ambassador Frederic Meurice; Canadian High Commissioner Stephen Hallihan and wife Cathy; Indian High Commissioner Mohinder Grover; South African High Commissioner Mathu Joyini; Senegalese Ambassador Dr Nafissatou Diagne; Ambassador Alfredo Garcia and wife, Luz Santamaria, of Chile; Cuban Ambassador Yuri Gala Lopez; deputy head of mission French Embassy, Bruno Jouannen; UNICEF's Representative Robert Fuderich; and World Bank Representative, Giorgio Valentini.

Also celebrating were the pre-eminent legal luminary Christopher Bovell and his wife, socialite extraordinaire and philanthropist Michelle Bovell; the très elegant Ruby Martin; celebrated artist and fab socialite Susan Alexander; Emil George and wife Dr Pamela George; Dr Ralph Thompson and wife Dodi; Robert MacMillan; Maria Pinchin; Joe Matalon and his fabulous wife Bernadette; Sameer Younis and his and très fab spouse Leila Younis; Charles Johnston and wife, the charming Lisa Johnston; Capt Michael and Thalia Lyn; Richard and Diana Stewart; Paul and Oriente Isa; the elegant Janette Stewart; Jennifer Lim; the oh-so-regal Minna Israel; Patrick and Marguerite Lynch; Clelia Barreto de Hunter; Richard Byles and his lovely wife Jacinth; Ricky Mahfood and his wife, the lovely Sandra Foster-Mahfood; the lovely Rosa Joseph; Anthony and Erin Chang; man in the news - Patrick Wong and wife Peta-Gay MacMillan; Cedric and Kamla McDonald; the lovely Shannon Shields; Dr Jonathan Greenland and wife Dr Rebecca Tortello-Greenland; David Hall; Betty McKenzie; Aubyn and Tamara Hill; Maria Josephs; Fiona Godfrey; and the lovely Natalie Spence; chair of the Institute of Jamaica Vivian Crawford; Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Milton Samuda; Monsignor Father Richard Albert; Ed Khoury of the Observer; Michele English of Flow; Ingrid Emmons of Lime: former Scotiabank boss Bill Clarke; Rodney and Nadja Davis; general manager of Bahía Principe, Ricardo Esteban; managing director of Iberostar, Philipp and Fernanda Hofer; general manager of the Grand Palladium Resort and Spa, Dimitris Kosvogiannis; Rafael Matas; chefs Pedro Vargas and Henry Bernard of RIU Resorts; Carlos Moleon of VIP Attractions; Baltasar Maim, president, SPS Logistics; Simon Browne of YS Falls; deputy chief of mission of the Spanish Embassy the charmingly lovely Marta Mendez and her spouse, David Martin; and Spanish Embassy official, the charming Julia Mendoza; plus a number of others!

But luvs, we are talking all that's grand, and very regal here, and very Español, as it was easily one of the Spaniards' finest hour in Jamaica and the Caribbean, as the event was tantamount to the very best of Spain on display and offer. It included traditional music from the Flamenco group, from Andaluc'a, in Spain - El Macareno Quinteto. They whetted the appetite with a few selected offerings from a clearly vast and colourfully cheerful repertoire that electrified the audience, and left them asking for more!

And then there was the official address of the ambassador in which she outlined the Spanish government's continuing commitment to Jamaica through its support and funding of programmes through the EU, and her desire to strengthen those ties. Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Kenneth Baugh was fulsome in his praise and acknowledgement of the strength and historical ties and more recently, the investment by Spanish investors in the tourist industry here, fuelling the industry's growth.

Dears, with all protocol observed for the august gathering, it was back to basking in the ambience and atmosphere of what truly was a magnificent evening! Talk about an 'olé' moment! My dears, this was the whole enchilada!