News: Dr Lynn D’Souza
Daijiworld Media Network – New York (SB)
New York, Dec 16: Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle All the Way… Nay, not Santa's sleigh, but it was the flagrant excitement of the Mangalorean Catholics and friends clad in colourful Christmas finery, who drove from all over the East coast, to enjoy the Christmas gala at the Our Lady of the Snows Church hall, Floral park here recently.
What a wonderful day it was for a Christmas party! Chilly, but not terribly so, our lady of the snows in all Her magnanimity, ensured that we had no snow, for a perfect Christmas party! It was a very welcoming atmosphere inside, with yuletide music drifting through the air, tables so discerningly decorated and the ambience of the 'winter wonderland', all contributing to the festive tone! It was blissful to see about 200 guests register, and in a twinkle of an eye everyone was into the swing of the Christmas celebration.
The programme started with a prayer, after which, accompanied by the rhapsody rhythm of the Humpenkutters’ music, the carolers captured people's hearts singing Christmas carols in English and Konkani. There was lots of excitement and laughter amidst the enthusiastic guests during the games. Passing the snowflakes with interlocked hands was quite a treat to the observers’ eye. The children’s games also elicited vibrant participation. The icing on the cake was a visit from Santa Claus, who distributed presents to the children and posed for pictures with the little cherubs.
Some lucky guests were also treated to exciting raffle prizes including coveted American Express gift cards. The emcee, Charles Rodrigues steered the party with perfect hospitality, amid a precise blend of wit and humor. Manesh Aranha took the stage briefly to impart a Christmas tiding, with the vote of thanks.
A gourmet paradise and a food lover’s heaven, the food corner won hands down. Our taste buds were numb from the sensory overload - chicken Manchurian, Apams, Pork vindaloo, to name just a few of the delights. Of particular mention, ‘Making spirits bright’, the bar was a favorite stop for everyone, with a constant flow of ‘spirits’, of which there was a wide choice. All the guests received a bag of authentic Mangalorean Kuswar, flown in especially from Mumbai for our esteemed guests.
After dinner, everyone took to the dance floor, and chimed in with joie de vivre to an assortment of tunes from the live band! It was a very memorable party! We hope to see all our members at our next event in the summer of 2010. Stay tuned for updates at www.mca-ec.org