Chester Francis-Jackson, Gleaner Writer
No celebration is complete without some blessings in the form of Archbishop Donald Reece, as he is welcomed by German Ambassador Jurgen Engel. - Photos by Winston Sill/Freelance Photographer
My dears, there are diplomats, and there are 'diplomats'; the former almost always seemingly imbued with a grandiose sense of self, the latter giving true meaning and essence to the post they occupy as the execute their duties.
German Ambassador Jurgen Engel is proving to be the latter, the diplomat's diplomat, that is. One whose tenure is treasured and will be lamented when the time comes for him to leave our shores.
Arriving just over a year ago, Ambassador Engel and his wife, the very charming Ana Martha Engel, have proven equal to the task of winning over the population. A populace made that much more wary by the very off-colour complaints of his predecessor who, in the waning days of his tenure, found it necessary to publicly pen a complaint about his neighbour's dogs barking.
No stuffed shirt
Well, from his inaugural address last year shortly after his arrival, at the annual German unification reception, it was very clear that Ambassador Engel was anything but a stuffed shirt!
It's been 18 years since the Berlin Wall fell, giving way to a unified Germany, under the watch of the then determined Chancellor Helmut Kohl. Today, Kohl's perseverance has paid off. Germany is united, its people and industry becoming the engine of a somewhat jaded Europe, giving its people much to celebrate.
Germans the world over celebrate October 3 as the Day of Unification. This year, however, the actual reception to mark the special day was hosted last Monday at the Knutsford Court Hotel.
Scheduled for a 7 p.m. commencement, the reception got under way as per schedule, with the ambassador, his wife and his deputy, Maria Friedrich-Boerger, and her husband Anton Boerger, forming the receiving line, welcoming guests.
It was a fine do, with the hosts proving consummately so, as they not only greeted each arriving guests individually, but later did the rounds, exchanging pleasantries and greeting those who showed up a tad late.
Women with attitude and dressed to thrill, their bejewelled necks, earlobes and perfectly manicured hands adorned with gold, platinum, silver, or pearl necklaces and/or dripping with precious andsemi-precious stones.
The men were equally well turned out, but more at ease. And with cocktails flowing and a buffet of finger foods on hand, it all made for a most leisurely do.
Notable attendees
Among the notables were Senate President Dr Oswald and Marigold Harding; Security Minister Trevor MacMillan and wife Dr Olivia McDonald; Transport Minister Mike Henry; Roman Catholic Archbishop of Kingston Donald Reece; Glynne Manley; Lady Golding; Susan Alexander; Oliver Jones; Ron and Barbara Sasso; Chris and Michelle Bovell; Jennifer Lim; Christopher and Jill Roberts; Peter and Fay Bangerter; Herman McLarty and his elegant wife Dorothy Pine-McLarty; director of protocol Ricardo Alicock and wife Susan; former deputy foreign minister Delano Franklyn and Ambassador Maxine Roberts.
Also out were head of the European Union delegation, Ambassador Marco Mazzocchi-Alemanni and wife Fiela; Russian Ambassador Victor Zotin and Olga Zotin; British High Commissioner Jeremy Cresswell and his German companion Dr Barbara Munske; Spanish Ambassador Jesús Silva and wife Sara; Ambassador Marc-Olivier Gendry of France; Japanese Ambassador Masahiro Obata and Kinuko Obata; Canadian High Commissioner Denis and Jo Ann Kingsley; Ambassador Leonora Rueda of Mexico; Ambassador Filomena Navarro of the Dominican Republic; Ambassador Gisela Garcia Rivera of Cuba and her husband Jorge Crespo; and Ambassador Yvonne Gittens-Joseph of Trinidad and Tobago.
We also saw Ambassador Noel Martinez-Ochoa of Venezuela; Ambassador Ventura E. Diaz Mejia of the Republic of Colombia; Ambassador Mario Pino of Argentina; Ambassador Alfredo Garcia of Chile; Ambassador José Eduardo Norris of Honduras; Ambassador Dr Nafissatou Diagne of Senegal; United States Embassy Deputy Chief of Mission James Heg and wife Janet; Deputy Chief of Mission, Venezuelan Embassy, Madai Hernandez and her husband Marcelo Munoz; senior trade commissioner at the Canadian embassy, Robert Shaw-Wood; Honorary Consul of Iceland Robert MacMillan and Candy DePass; Honorary Consul of Ecuador Clelia Barreto de Hunter; Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Thailand Thalia Lyn and husband, Capt Michael Lyn, and the deputy Honorary Consul, Capt David McRae.
Other invitees were Honorary Consul of Switzerland Ueli Bangerter; Paul Issa; Robert and Barbara Henriques; Horace Bogues; Dr Laura Tanna; Duncan and Debbie Stewart; George and Hilda Kawass; Dr Kemel Gajraj; Andrea Bickhoff-Benjamin; Judith Wedderburn; Wolfgang Hohn and others.
Celebrating with the Germans is an affair not to be missed. From left, Trinidadian High Commissioner Yvonne Gittens-Joseph, Colombian Ambassador Ventura Emilio Diaz Mejia, Jennifer Lim, Haitian chargé d'affaires Max Alce, and deputy chief of mission at the Venezuelan Embassy, Madai Hernandez.
AT LEFT: From left, Judith Burke Clova Murray and Marlene Schorlemmer, came out to celebrate at the German Day of Unity last Monday.
