Aruba’s Minister of Tourism Otmar Oduber gave a welcoming address at a reception last Thursday night.

On a cold and rainy New York City night, Aruba Tourism Authority provided a mini-getaway to a warm and friendly climate with their evening reception at the Carriage House last Thursday.

Having an #ArubaCultura theme, the evening featured a very special guest, Aruba’s Minister of Tourism Otmar Oduber, and introduced attendees to the culinary and cultural aspects of this Caribbean island. Currently, the tourism board is using the tagline “One Happy Island” (also as a hashtag, #onehappyisland) to promote Aruba as a still largely popular destination.

I enjoyed an Eagle Beach Bellini.

It was good fit with our festive night. As a different take on being a barista, a special mixologist from Aruba concocted specialty drinks highlighting the island’s tropical flavors and ingredients. These cocktails were named for beaches and other key attractions.

The evening also got a little artistic. Guests were asked to sit for a painting session led by an artist, also from Aruba. Literally starting from a blank canvas, painters like myself were encouraged to recreate the island’s landscape by using an assortment of yellow, blue, beige, and green hues. We even were able to top off our masterpieces with sand by gently sprinkling a few grains on our finished work. Although I went with what I would call an abstract approach toward my painting, it was still a fun thing to do.

My sort of island painting.

Our evening ended with a sit-down dinner and entertainment that got us all up and dancing!