Bati Bleki December 31st

WHER’S THE BEEF? AT URATAKA CENTER. We were invited this week for Happy Hour in the cunucu, in Santa Cruz, at some off-the-beaten-path hilltop with a nice breeze, where the goats, lizards and chicken, frequently feast on the beans, peanuts and corn, our farmer-at-heart host was attempting to grow. Right at the center of the yard, surrounded by a goat-deterring fence stood a Mata di Brasil, which I swear I have never seen before. How beautiful, with a curvy trunk and gorgeous yellow flowers. These trees were once abundant on the island, earning Aruba the Isla de Brasil name.  Then darkness fell and we piled into cars to travel to Urataka Center. I have been to UC before, for a photo shoot and for Happy Hour, but never before for dinner. OMG. The burgers. They are amazing and definitely worth the trip to the rum shop. Apparently, the whole world already knows that UC serves the best burgers and the best pizza on the island, except me.  Owner Rigo Croeze was around to recite how the burger is scientifically stacked on a home-baked bun, then topped with a hand-packed fat and juicy meat patty, fried egg, secret sauce, and garish. Ok, that really opened our appetite. Then we ordered the thin crust pizza. Wow, really good, and you can even have a Burger-Pizza, layering the same beefy ingredients on a pie, instead of a bun, which is a genius invention. On the terrace, enjoying the company of assorted family members we met Armin Solognier, Gregory Croeze, Dalila & Serge Mansur, Selena Goedhoop-Croes, Glen Croes with cute visiting daughters Julie & Jenny,  and other dignitaries, too numerous to name. Very cool spot, with a perfect view of the Hooiberg silhouette.

TAKE-CHARGE PEOPLE. Last week as I swung around the traffic lights in Noord, I noticed an elderly man, on my right, on the sidewalk next to the gym, tripping over his Chinese plastic slippers, hitting the sidewalk, and lying face down in the dirt. A crisis, just like that in the middle of the day! I stopped the car and jumped out. Dilemma. What shall I do? Help him get up, or keep him down, until his nose-bleed stops?! I tried to shelter him a bit from the sun, while I was debating my limited options. His glasses blew off. They were already held together by a fishing line. Now they lay on the ground broken in pieces. Another car stopped. Similarly, the guy rushing to the rescue had no idea what to do, though his intentions were clearly good. And then we were saved by the bell. Flying onto the scene came Lisa Thomas and her dive master husband Robertson Thomas, last year’s Shoco award recipient of One Happy Island Ambassador.  What a pair of take-charge people. They knew exactly what to do, sending me off for water from the supermarket, and patching the poor soul up, getting him up on his feet, and supporting him all the way home, where he could hopefully sleep off everything he imbibed at Lekker Restaurant, from the previous night, till that morning. In times of need, you want Lisa and Robertson on your side; they make a perfect rescue pair!

MAIN STREET LOOKIN’ GOOD.  We went for an Oooh- Ahhh trip on Main Street, and liked what we saw. Only I feel that the bobos who dragged their heels on processing the streetcar permits, and traffic regulations should be retired without their pension. You’re only as strong as your weakest link. And the nincompoops who did not push the legal aspect of the streetcar through, are the weakest link, they cannot be allowed to keep their jobs. They left us all hanging because they underperformed miserably. This is not a third world country, is it? Would something like that go unaddressed elsewhere in the world? The streetcar running for 20 minutes then back to the garage for lack of permits?! Anyway, we liked the energy of the street with an unfinished but optimistic feel. Our first stop was Yolo, on Margarita Plaza where there is something for everyone, at most affordable prices. Is that you Veronique buying all that goodies? Our visit at Inglot was fun, resulting in an orange lipstick and a pair of artificial eyelashes for New Years Eve. The store could use a dedicated cashier, as there was no one there to take our money. As Benetton is closing shortly and moving to the Renaissance Mall, into the space in front of Starbucks coffee, the Aventura Mall will be undergoing major changes and becoming a Zara, a new retail distribution outlet for one of the largest international fashion companies in the world, originally headquartered in Spain.  The House of Music opened four-weeks ago, just around the bend, where the defunct Music Factory and The Cellar once lived. I can still taste those delicious B52s at the bar. Is that you Danny running the show?? We noticed La Linda downsized into just one outlet, closing the corner building, and packing all its legendary diverse merchandise into four floors with a coffee shop on top. Velez for Leather Lovers from Colombia, is a good representative of the brand with shoes, bags, and belts for men and women. I visited the stores in the Medellin malls, they are awesome. A bit further down, Penha deserves a round of applause for an attractive new stone pacade, looking contemporary and upscale. However, all the glitz and glamour can always be found at The Sting, where the tireless Ron Speyer and his fashion maven daughter Nadja de Mey Speyer promote good taste and style, 365 days a year. The spacious, nicely stocked store is merchandise in all the colors of the rainbow, showing lots of New Year’s Eve dresses and tops off. Victoria Secrets was packed with youthful shoppers loading up on body lotions, fragrances and underwear! Finally, we reached our destination, the brand new Caribbean Clothing Company on Caya Betico Croes #32, the fashion store for men and women, by the always fresh and creative Salamander Group. The store interiors are beautiful, trimmed with Caribbean gingerbread woodwork. The clothes are bohemian and colorful, designed for the creative and artist chica who likes to display only gorgeous body parts, not all. We also found beautiful jewelry by the talented Candy Rasmijn Reino, and an attractive collection of tropical shirts for the men in your life.  Lunch at Cellar 23, capped our trip of discovery, the first of many, with delicious tapas, chased by chilled Sauvignon Blanc. Just a perfect afternoon with the girls.

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO MY READERS AND MY FRIENDS, STAY SAFE!  [email protected]

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December 30, 2012
Rona Coster