Archive for February, 2012

On the cusp of marking ten years of publishing, the creative team at Island Temptations has refreshed their online presence with an updated website. In print, the magazine publishes 300,000 copies a year, with a readership estimated at more 750,000. The online version—the only magazine with links on Aruba’s two main search engines (Visitaruba.com and aruba.com)—attracts in excess of one million readers, reaching all corners of the globe via the island-temptations.com address.

Presented in a virtual magazine format, where browsers can flip through the pages of the magazine in its original entirety, the current issue of Island Temptations can be found, as well as two years of back issues.

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The introduction of the Tivoli Lighting Parade to Aruba’s carnival schedule over 25 years ago added what is today one of the most popular events during the entire season. How better to spend a Sa­turday night than dancing in the streets with friends and family while admiring the creativity and artistry of carnival costume and float designers?

Saturday evening’s parade filled the town of Oranjestad with the driving beat of carnival music until well after midnight from 12 different bands as 3030 participants wound their way through the town, demonstrating how well they can swing their hips and shake their shoulders to the music. They had quite some competition from the spectators that lined the road.

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Even after 58 years of Carnival history, the election of Aruba’s Grand Queen is still an event to rival the most elaborate and exciting of pageants. On Friday evening, February 10, a panel of judges chose Lynette Do Naci­miento as Aruba’s Carnival Queen 2012.

It was a well-deserved title, as the lovely young woman demonstrated ultimate poise and congeniality throughout the evening; however, she couldn’t resist a little victory dance after being handed her congratulatory bouquet, something very much like you would see in a football end zone, with quite a bit more wiggling of the hips.

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Local artist Grace Ashruf held a succesfull one-woman Art Exhibition ‘Destination’ in October last year for two weeks in the old Toyota Building (sponsored by Garage Cordia) at the LG Smith Blvd 114, with a collection of 30 large paintings. Many of these artworks went to local and international collectors of contemporary art.

Grace generously promised again to donate a percentage of sales, this time to Children’s home Casa Cuna in Aruba. Recently, Corina Linssen, Director of the home, accepted a generous check from the artist in presence of Astrid Muller. Casa Cuna surprised the artist Grace Ashruf with a beautiful thank you painting, created with colorfull prints of the little hands and feet of all the children residing in Casa Cuna. In 2009 Grace donated in the same way part of her proceeds to Kinderhuis Imeldahof. One of her art collectors added an extra amount to the donation, Just like in 2009,

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Minister of Tourism, Transport & Labor, Otmar Oduber, was joined by staffers of the Aruba Tourism Authority, ATA, and the Department of Public Works, DOW, in the formal introduction of the new canopies provided by the government which will be used during Carnival time, instead of the usual trailers put up by those who have won a place on L.G. Boulevard during the annual lottery.

Presently, the Department of Public Works is working steadily to complete the first phase of the Linear Park and the trailers would provide a serious impediment to their efforts. The government has obtained 121 sturdy and spacious canopies located along L. G. Smith Boulevard which lottery winners can rent for the remainder of the Carnival season.

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