New Trini' High Commissioner gets acquainted

Daviot Kelly, Staff Reporter

The melodic tinkle of steel pans was one of the first things that greated guests to the Terra Nova All-Suite Hotel.

On Wednesday, new Trinidad and Tobago High Commissioner Dr Iva Gloudon, hosted a reception to formally introduce herself to her fellow nationals living in Jamaica. 'Trini' guests were busily filling out info sheets, giving the high commission staff their data, a further step in getting both parties to connect.

She expressed gratitude to the number of persons who turned out including nationals with their Jamaican spouses. Dr Gloudon said she knew that when the twin-island-republic people get together, it's party time. But Wednesday night's event was going to be a less festive affair as her mission that night was twofold. The first task was to get the community of nationals here in Jamaica get to know the people at the high commission.

"The mission is here to serve you and to serve our country," she said, before calling up the staff and encouraging guests to mingle with them. Her second goal was to encourage the nationals to create a more formal organisation so that they can be, in an organised way, more visible in Jamaica. She promised the high commission's help in that endeavour. She stressed that it was important the nationals contribute to the island while also joking that there had always been relations between the islands, "hence all the marriages."

Guests out included: Prof Sir Roy Augier and Lady Augier, Marcia Erskine, Dr John Hall, Jacqueline DaCosta, Dr Alfred Sangster, Paul Bernard and Joel Villafana.