All eyes of the extreme sports world will be on the British Virgin Islands in anticipation of the inaugural BVI Kite Jam, taking place March 1-5, 2010. Five days of inter-island events including flat water freestyle, waves, sliders and racing, plus A-list parties on some of the destination’s top locales will serve to highlight the destination as a kiteboarding Mecca for riders from around the globe.
“Come March, our islands will be teeming with kiteboarders from intermediates, to pros, sports enthusiasts and a stream of VIPs. We’ll be the epicenter of extreme sports and the toast of the international kiteboarding community,” says Myron Walwyn, Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board. “We have had extraordinary support from all of our sponsors and we’re counting on the participation of some of the sport’s finest athletes.”
Meet Charlie Smith, one of the founders of Kite Jam
BVI Kite Jam 2010 will include visual competitions, demonstrations and technique clinics taking place in key locations throughout the British Virgin Islands — including Sir Richard Branon’s private Necker Island. The BVI, an archipelago of some 60 idyllic islands, islets and cays in the northeastern Caribbean, provides the perfect weather conditions and winds necessary for kiteboarding.
The event in March will kick off the festivities on Feb. 27, 2010 with a VIP Party at the Fat Virgin Cafe on Virgin Gorda. Additional events, competitions, parties and meals will be hosted on Bitter End Yacht Club, Necker Island, Anegada and Moskito Island for Kite Jam participants throughout the five days. Pro riders confirmed are famed German kiteboarder Kristin Boese and American Gretta Kruesi.
Check out The Bitter End Yacht Club
Guests and competitors will have the choice of staying at the Bitter End Yacht Club or spending the week onboard one of Sunsail’s sailing catamarans that will follow the event around the various locations in the British Virgin Islands. Each boat has four double cabins all fitted with AC. Skippers are also provided. Alternatively, riders looking for the ultimate in luxury have the option to stay on Necker Island with up to just 24 other guests and their own staff of 60!
Stay on Necker Island for a fraction of the usual 52,000 dollars a night
Normally Necker Island is hired privately by an individual or group, but during our Kite Jam Celebration Week in February, couples or singles can book one of 14 rooms individually and share the island with others.
Necker Island will host a Celebration Week to coincide with the inaugural British Virgin Island Kite Jam supported by Sir Richard Branson and sponsored by the BVI Tourism Board. Kite boarding enthusiasts from around the globe will descend on the British Virgin Islands for races and freestyle competitions. The event will take place from March 1st to 5th, but the Celebration Week starts on the Feb. 27th. Click here to learn more.
Learn more about Sir Richard Branson and Necker Island
BVI Kite Jam also strives to benefit the local community and is partnering with charities including the Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) and Tortola’s Kids And The Sea (KATS), a nonprofit water sports program.
Sir Richard Branson will be participating in the race and he has opened up is newest piece of paradise, Moskito Island, for the festivities.
Potential “KITE JAMMERS” can register online at the official BVI Kite Jam website, www.bvikitejam.com. Participation fees include accommodations on Sunsail Catamarans, lunches, dinners, festivities and more. Fee costs, additional amenities, contests and restriction details can be found on the event’s website.
For sponsorship opportunities contact ashley@jetsetextra.com
This is an upscale event featuring bay area talent and designers.
Live Music, Sexy Fashion Show, Comedy, DJ and Dancing
~Black Tie Optional~ 21yrs & over. Theme Colors Red & Black
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Purchase Tickets in Advance for a $10 discount
http://babybemine.eventbee.com
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$30 general / $40 runway seating Advance Tickets
$40 general / $50 runway seating at the Door
$20 students/models
Due to the fundraising effort of this event, there will be NO GUEST LIST.
Donations to Haiti resulting from this event will be matched.
Call the restaurant for special event reservations.
(415) 978-8853
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After Party
Harlot
46 Minna St.
San Francisco CA., 94118
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Hosted by:
Sterling James
Featuring:
Featuring: DJ Supreme – myspace.com/djsupremeuk
Musician – D Lee Soul Revival – myspace.com/dleeselfportrait
Singer – Jonno – movingupwords.org
Comedian – Daniel Dugar – myspace.com/danieldugar
Featured Designers:
Monae – monae.com
West Coast Leather – westcoastleather.com
Anayma Wear – myspace.com/anaymadefrias
A La Folie Lingerie – visitalafolie.com
Sponsors:
KBLX – kblx.com
Jade Studio Productions – jadestudioproductions.com
BurgerMeister – burgermeistersf.com/
EPI Center Medspa – skinrejuv.com
Cross Marketing PR – crossmarketingpr.com
FOTS – fashiononthesquare.com
Dr. Terecita Dean – terecitadean.com
Good cause and great music, it’s time to celebrate San Francisco talent and raise much-needed funds for Doctors Without Borders…..
Epiphanette is a San Francisco progressive rock/blues band featuring bass player Tiki Houseman, drummer Kelly Child, and multi-instrumentalist Dave Gursom. The trio is known for its complicated rhythms and soulful lyrics, written by Houseman (writing, besides the usual angry rock themes, economics).
Bass player Tiki Houseman’s first instrument was the violin, which she began playing at age 7 and took lessons from her great aunt, who played with Frank Sinatra, Elvis, and the Sacramento Symphony. She moved on to classical guitar, but fell in love with the bass when she became more attracted to rhythm and blues. Houseman writes the majority of songs on her vintage Fender Jazz.
She formed Epiphanette, a blues prog rock ensemble, in 2009 with keyboard player Mike Chase met while work-shopping her songs at a San Francisco open mic; Kelly Child joined them later.
Since then, Epiphanette has performed around San Francisco and added guitar to their instrumentation. Epiphanette features guest performers who add their own textures to the powerful rhythm section, powered by Tiki Houseman’s aggressive attack on the bass, and emotively broad vocal range.
Houseman’s Epiphanette lyrics are not typically intellectual faire. Besides writing about the struggles of relationships, she writes from an outsiders’ perspective. Funky and bluesy “Freaks” has become an anthem among San Francisco artists and is Epiphanette’s signature song. Said one local San Francisco promoter: “Tiki is an expressive artist who puts a microphone up against her soul. Who can resist THAT?”
Kelly Child is a San Jose percussionist and drummer who is steeped in early ‘60s Brit-pop/psyche sounds and has a passion for the topographic patterns of progressive rock. Playing for mod and garage bands in his early years and then moving into more complex and unconventional rhythms he has found a unique playing style and that expression culminates with Epiphanette. Kelly also plays with Tomorrowes, Hobby Horse, The 14 Hour Technicolour Dream: The Virtual Band (a side project headed by Steve Nardelli of the U.K. prog rock band The Syn).
Epiphanette puts on an energetic show. Houseman, who performed comedy for two years, draws that background to add levity to the seriously intellectual songwriting style. They can be found on Facebook and www.epiphanette.com
WHERE
El Rio
3158 Mission St.
San Francisco
WHEN
Wed., Feb. 10, 2010
8-11 pm
$10 cover benefiting Doctors Without Borders, Tax-deductible
A few weeks ago, I decided to go to Europe to visit my friends. I had enough miles for a free ticket, and I planned on staying with my friends across Europe, so I figured that the trip was going to be cheap and easy. These two words, I have now learned, don’t go together when trying to trek across the European Union on a budget. You see, I only booked my roundtrip ticket from San Francisco to Paris. I planned to stay in Paris for a few days, then jet up to Dublin, or perhaps down to Berlin, then pop over to Stockholm. I have friends sprinkled throughout Europe and I thought it would be easy as pie to get tickets across the E.U., so I kept my schedule optimistically wide open. I’d heard of great deal on EasyJet and Ryanair and for some crazy reason, I thought that the airlines in Europe would be much more friendly and easy to work with than those in the US. Plus, I assumed (ass-you-me, remember) that it would a breeze to book airline tickets within Europe online.
That was mistake number 1, assuming reliable Internet access.
Don’t assume that you are going to get the Internet access you need to book tickets while traveling. You are better off booking ALL your travel before departing. I was hoping that I would be able to keep my itinerary a bit flexible, but since I did not have access to the Internet when I wanted to book tickets, I became a slave to technology. During one very frustrating morning of trying to buy airline tickets, I was about to push “purchase” and I lost Internet access four times. I gave up and went shopping.
Mistake number 2 was not reading the small print.
I booked a ticket from what I thought was Paris, France to Dublin, Ireland on Ryanair. I was so happy to see that I got a one-way ticket for a mere 39 Euros ($56 USD). Well, Ryanair does not fly out of Paris, it flies out of some random airport called Beauvais Airport (BVA), which is about 50 miles outside Paris. It was going to take me around 3 hours by public transportation to get to the airport.
Mistake number 3 was not checking the departure time in military time.
By the time I figured out that my flight was leaving from an airport far far away, it was the morning of my flight, which I thought was at 9 pm. Wrong. I looked at my email confirmation again and it said 09:00. My flight had already departed.
I was able to find another ticket on Aer Lingus for $300 USD. No savings there, but I had a date with a friend to see Carmen at the Dublin Opera the next night. She planned a beautiful night for us, and I did not want to let her down.
After I booked the Aer Lingus ticket, I thought that I should book the rest of my tickets while I had a pretty reliable Internet connection at the American ice cream shop Haagen-Dazs in Saint Germaine. When I searched for flights from Dublin to Stockholm eDreams.com continuously popped up. I decided to check them out. I booked a ticket from Dublin to Stockholm on eDreams with Scandinavian Airlines for 175 Euros ($254 USD). I got a confirmation email, and everything looked legitimate, so I decided to book another ticket from Stockholm back to Paris. I found a great flight for 93 Euros ($134 USD) on Baltic Air from Stockholm to Paris, so I booked it. Once again, I got my confirmation email.
Mistake number 4 was not contacting my credit card company.
I have an iPhone, which costs a fortune to check voice messages and emails, so I kept it off for most of my trip. I even changed my voice message asking callers to send me an email or call me when I returned. But what I forgot to do before I departed was to contact my credit card companies and let them know that I was going to be traveling overseas. In the past it was never a problem, but since international credit card fraud in on the rise, contacting your credit card companies is a must. Without me answering my phone, I had no idea that CITI card was trying to reach me to confirm my numerous airline ticket purchases. Since they never heard back from me, they canceled my ticket from Stockholm to Paris. I did not find out this bit of important information until I was at the Stockholm airport ready to fly back to Paris.
Mistake number 5 was not confirming my ticket with the airlines directly.
I should have called Baltic Air when I was still in Stockholm to confirm my ticket to Paris, I should have let my credit card company know that I was traveling, but I did not do either. My mistakes created the perfect storm that brewed at Arlanda airport in Stockholm. My mistake cost me an additional $500 USD for a lousy ticket from Stockholm to Paris on a really crappy airline. When I was at the ticketing counter, I pulled out my laptop and showed the customer service representative my email from eDreams confirming my flight. What is so horrible to me is that I never received an email from eDreams informing me that my credit card company canceled my ticket. If I did, I could have done something about it. I never received anything from eDreams, so at that time I had no idea what could have gone wrong. EDreams had turned into a nightmare.
I scurried to all the different airlines and tried to book a ticket back to Paris for less than $500, they all just stared at me. In my perfect world, I envisioned a beautiful Frenchman helping me on an Air France flight for a mere $150 USD, but that was not reality. I am a very optimistic person and I really thought that the airlines would do all they could to help a stranded passenger get on a plane – but nope, no, not going to happen. Perhaps that’s why the industry is in the toilet, they do nothing to promote good karma. I even asked the rep at Baltic Air if I could buy a ticket to Paris for the same amount as I did through eDreams. No luck. I would have to pay the full price. So, an hour later, I boarded an empty flight to Paris via Latvia $500 poorer and very pissed off.
Lesson learned
I can’t look back now, if I called my credit card companies, did my research, booked my tickets before I departed and confirmed my flights, I’d be a bit richer and I wouldn’t need to write this article. So, I take full responsibility for my mistakes, but I feel that there were things that could have been avoided if eDreams took a more proactive role in their booking of my airline tickets. I have sent emails to both eDreams and Baltic Air, without any positive outcome (for example: a refund for the ticket price difference). I got a canned email back from Baltic Air basically saying, “Too bad for you.” Because of my utter confusion about my airline tickets (why did I get one ticket without any problems, but the other was cancelled without any notice when I booked them both within 20 minutes of each other?)
I will never use eDreams again. Their lack of customer service coupled with their inability to return my emails or calls leads me to believe that service is not a big priority for them. Plus, you might buy a ticket from them, it might be cancelled and you won’t know about it until you are at the airport. With all the other issues surrounding air travel right now, the one thing I want to be sure of is that my ticket is good and I can get on that plane departing to my final destination. Heck, you can keep your peanuts, I just want a flight confirmation.
TICKETS ON SALE JANUARY 11 —- FESTIVAL TO BE HELD MAY 21-23
Sonoma Jazz + Festival is pleased to announce that tickets will go on sale for the first of three nights, with the great Earth Wind and Fire headlining Saturday, May 22, in the big tent on Sonoma’s Field of Dreams. “No other band has been more requested to play the critically acclaimed festival in the Sonoma wine country,” enthused SJ+ Executive Producer Jim Horowitz. “We couldn’t be more exited about EWF, and what a great way to launch a new year, a new decade and our 6th year with this very hot show, which is certain to attract one of the most diverse audiences in our history!”
Earth, Wind & Fire were one of the most musically accomplished, critically acclaimed, and commercially popular funk bands of the ’70s. Conceived by drummer, bandleader, songwriter, kalimba player, and occasional vocalist Maurice White, EWF’s all-encompassing musical vision used funk as its foundation, but also incorporated jazz, smooth soul, gospel, pop, rock & roll, psychedelia, blues, folk, African music, and, later on, disco. Lead singer Philip Bailey gave EWF an extra dimension with his talent for crooning sentimental ballads in addition to funk workouts; behind him, the band could harmonize like a smooth Motown group, work a simmering groove like the J.B.’s, or improvise like a jazz fusion outfit. Plus, their stage shows were often just as elaborate and dynamic as George Clinton’s P-Funk empire. More than just versatility for its own sake, EWF’s eclecticism was part of a broader concept informed by a cosmic, mystical spirituality and an uplifting positivity the likes of which hadn’t been seen since the early days of Sly & the Family Stone. Tying it all together was the accomplished songwriting of Maurice White, whose intricate, unpredictable arrangements and firm grasp of hooks and structure made EWF one of the tightest bands in funk when they wanted to be. Not everything they tried worked, but at their best, Earth, Wind & Fire seemingly took all that came before them and wrapped it up into one dizzying, spectacular package.
Combine that with the traditional weekend Wine and Song events around the Plaza and an expanded SJ+ after-hours program of live music following the main stage concerts, with two other big nights to announce and you’ve got a fantastic weekend to anticipate. Proceeds from Sonoma Jazz + enhance, promote and support local music programs in the Sonoma Valley schools, with over $460,000 raised to that end to date. The festival is produced by Jazz Aspen Snowmass, now entering its 20th Year, one of the nation’s leading not-for-profit institutions supporting world-class annual performance and education programming.
Sonoma Day is this Monday! SJ+ is offering Sonoma locals an early opportunity to purchase tickets for the Earth, Wind & Fire show on Monday, January 11. Great seats will be available ONLY to purchasers with a Sonoma mailing address. These tickets can be purchased beginning at 9am Pacific online at www.sonomajazz.org . You must type in the code word LOCAL to be allowed to purchase and enter a valid Sonoma mailing address. Tickets will also be available for locals on Monday at Sonoma Valley Music, 521 Broadway in Sonoma starting at 10AM.
Tickets for the Earth, Wind & Fire show will go on sale to the general public Tuesday, January 12 at 9am Pacific at 866 527 TIXX (8499), or through www.sonomajazz.org ; also on a walk-in basis at Sonoma Valley Music, 521Broadway in Sonoma.
Not to worry, you can go check out some of the Olympians at work while they train at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre located in the city of Abbotsford, Canada.
The Japanese Speed Skating training camp for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be taking place from January 26 – February 3, 2010 on the international-size ice rink at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre.
Etsuko Suzuki, an Abbotsford resident who speaks Japanese, has been selected as the Community Host for the team and will be assisting them with everything from choosing a restaurant to finding local souvenirs. “I am honoured to be a part of this once in a lifetime experience and can’t believe its all taking place in my own backyard!” says Etsuko Suzuki.
“Having Olympians training here in Abbotsford will truly inspire our local athletes to continue to dream big,” say Mayor George W. Peary. “It will also give those community members who don’t have tickets to the Games a chance to see some Olympians in person.”
The public is welcome to watch the Japanese Speed Skating team train during any of the dates and times below.
Tuesday, January 26*
8 am – 10 am
4-6 pm
Wednesday, January 27
9:15-11:15 am
4-6 pm
Thursday, January 28
9:15-11:15 am
5-7 pm
Friday, January 29
9:45-11:45 am
4-6 pm
Saturday, January 30
10 am -12 pm
4:45-6:45 pm
Sunday, January 31
10 am-12 pm
5:45-7:45 pm
Monday, February 1
8am-10am
2:45-4:15 pm
Tuesday, February 2
8am-10am
2:45-4:15 pm
Wednesday, February 3
8am-10am
2:45-4:15 pm
* Jan 26 & 27 morning practices may be canceled if athletes are suffering from jet lag. It should also be noted that a practice session could be canceled without notice if a speed skater becomes ill or injured.
On January 31st from 1:30 – 2:30pm a public Meet n Greet Event will be held at The Reach Gallery Museum Abbotsford, located at 32388 Veterans Way. The team will be available to meet the public in the Great Hall. Families can also partake in the free Sunday Family Arts session from 1 – 3 pm and make paper cut out cards to wish the Japanese team well.
The Russians are coming:
The Russian Figure Skating team will also be training in February at the Abbotsford Recreation Centre. More information on the Russian Figure Skating training camp will be released soon.
For information on the training camps, the Torch Relay Celebration event, Abbotsford Live Site, other Olympic-related events and volunteer opportunities, visit www.abbylivesite.ca.
No more ho hum gifts for your diligent jet setter. Reward your frequent flier with something more exciting than another pair of flannel pajamas. Since they grounded the Concorde, travel is no longer glamorous , but with my 8 great gifts, you are sure to bring sexy back to travel and put a smile on the face of your weary road warrior.
1. SeV SCOTTSVEST
Scott invented this multi-function jacket that acts like a piece of luggage. You can carry everything from your phone to a paperback book. Very clever Scott.
For more information CLICK HERE (click the X-Ray button under the main image)
2. Fly Solo: The 50 Best Places On Earth For a Girl to Travel Alone
Take my fun quiz in the front of the book to figure out where you should go on your next adventure. The book is great for girlfriend getaways too.
3. Christian Dior Bordeaux Patent Leather Passport Case
Such a lovely piece of candy. This case is both beautiful and functional. The pockets inside the case are the perfect place to store your luggage tracking tickets and foreign money.
Call 415-544-0394.
4. Gucci Belt Bag
Throw out those ugly fanny packs and invest in one of these sexy Gucci belt bags. You can carry your phone, wallet, passport, and tickets in this chic belt bag. It is awesome for solo travelers.
Get through security without losing your pants. No more embarrassing butt-crack moments. It’s all about plastic fantastic because there is no metal in these belts.
If you happen to own a hotel, restaurant or villa at a destination where tourism has dramatically dropped, then you might want to talk with Mr. Ajit M. George, co-founder of the very successful Winemakers Dinners in the British Virgin Islands. Mr. George is a seasoned fundraiser and entrepreneur who knows how to raise money and draw a crowd.
In 1989, Ajit became the Founding Chairman of Meals On Wheels Delaware and launched the highly successful Meals From The Masters Culinary Weekend in 1998. During the ten years that he chaired these major culinary events, he was able to raise more than $4.2 million for Meals On Wheels in Delaware.
Ironically, 27 years ago, Mr. George bought a little 147-acre property in the British Virgin Islands called Nail Bay. In 2008, he was trying to figure out how he could increase tourism to the BVI, while raising money for the local charities that desperately needed funding. Learning from his success with Meals on Wheels, he decided to see if his magic could work in the Caribbean. Could he entice travelers to his piece of heaven by offering an event that brought together culinary stars and legendary winemakers while supporting local BVI charities? He was not sure, but was willing to find out. So, with the help of a few friends, The BVI Winemakers Dinners idea was born. Now, all he needed was a few famous chefs, international winemakers and the hospitality of villa owners throughout the 60-plus BVI archipelagos to support his dream.
Martin Dindos, owner of OHMS, a company that imports premium wines from Germany and fine champagnes met with Ajit in the Czech Republic and together they conspired to make Winemakers Dinners a reality. Mr. Dindos, a founding sponsor, helped convince many of the winemakers to donate rare and exclusive wines for the event, as well as fly to British Virgin Islands for the dinners. Richard Grosche, wine journalist from German wine magazine Weinwelt and Manager of the international wine academy MUNDUS vini donated his time to meticulously pair the wines with the food each day.
OHMS – which stands for On Her Majesty Services – also donated the fine Czech porcelain and glasses for the seven course place settings each evening.
This past Winemakers Dinners series, held on December 2 to December 6, welcomed international tastemakers, seasoned gourmands, travelers and media from Canada, Czech Republic, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Puerto Rico, Slovakia, United Kingdom and the United States.
The gourmet lunches and dinners were held at a collection of exclusive villas and restaurants on three islands and featured an incredible variety of cuisine prepared by some of the world’s most celebrated chefs. The wines were poured by winemakers from Argentina, California, France, Germany and Italy.
Over 860 people attended the four dinners, seven luncheons and the VIP Reception. The four-day event featured 74 courses of food, and 81 different wines that were paired with these courses.
This series of Winemakers Dinners kicked off with a private VIP Reception at the Pirate’s Bight, on Norman Island and featured over 12 different Caribbean dishes prepared by Chef Matthew Webb from Guana Island and Norman Island. Two different wines from Rosemount from Caribbean Cellars and two burgundies from Domaine Bouchard Pere et Fils from Grands Vins de France were poured.
The first dinner was held at Baraka Point Estate at Nail Bay, Virgin Gorda. The second night was hosted by Richard Friedman at his private villa, Frenchman’s Lookout on Tortola Island. The third dinner was hosted at Giorgio’s Table and Rock Cafe on Virgin Gorda. The final dinner was hosted at the newly-constructed Golden Pavilion Villa on Tortola Island.
Each night, the seven-course dinners were paired with 14 renowned wines, personally poured by the vintners. Every night, the guests were treated to a pre-dinner sunset reception featuring Grand Cru Champagnes from Pierre Paillard Champagne in France.
Visiting chefs and culinary personalities created a symphony of food under the leadership of Vikram Garg from Halekulani Resort in Waikiki, Hawaii who has served as the Executive Chef of the Virgin Islands Winemakers Dinners from its inception.
The other chefs included: Anne Burrell, host of the Food Network program, Secrets of a Restaurant Chef Roberto Trevino from Budatai, Puerto Rico Otto Borsich from City Hall Restaurant, Keller, Texas Taekuing Chung from Chung Cooking Studio, Tokyo, Japan Albert Kramer who served as the first Executive Chef of Virgin Gorda’s Little Dix Bay when it opened in 1964.
Virgin Gorda based chefs who participated included Heidi Davis Benyair, pastry chef at Biras Creek and Giorgio Paradiso, owner of Giorgio’s Table All the chefs volunteered their time and talent.
The international vintners included: Antoine and Quentin Paillard from Grand Cru Champagne producer Pierre Paillard in Bouzy, France Andres Belinsky of Terrazas de los Andes and Cheval des Andes in Argentina Johannes Haart of Weingut Rienhold Haart in Piesport, Germany Anselmo Guerrieri Gonzaga of Tenuta San Leonardo, Trentino, Italy Larry Stone of Francis Ford Coppola’s Rubicon Estate in Rutherford, California Gerhard Grans from Weingut Grans-Fassian in Leiwen, Germany.
All the winemakers donated their wines for this incredible fund raising event.
“The 2009 Winemakers Dinners were a series of exclusive events during which guests had the opportunity to meet some of the most gifted winemakers in the world and sample their award-winning wines. These are wines were expertly paired with innovative creations by international master chefs together with some chefs in the British Virgin Islands. We are pleased that over $110,000 in gross revenue was raised from the 2009 Winemakers Dinners even though the economic climate was very challenging. However the combination of great food and wonderful wine served in unique settings in the British Virgin Islands persuaded both visitors and residents to support this event,” said Mr. George.
The four beneficiaries of the net proceeds of the 2009 Winemakers Dinners are The BVI Red Cross, St. Mary’s School, Virgin Gorda, St. George’s School, Tortola, and YEP (Youth Empowerment Project) in the East End, Tortola.
The Co-Chairs of the BVI Charitable Fund are the Premier of the British Virgin Islands, the Hon. Ralph T. O’Neal, OBE and Ajit Mathew George, Managing Director, Nail Bay Resort. The BVI Charitable Fund was established in March 2008 with a $25,000 challenge grant from Nail Bay Resort to help promote this destination to potential new visitors while at the same time creating new and innovative fund-raising events to benefit various charities in the BVI by attracting support from both outside and within the BVI. The BVI Charitable Fund is part of the Community Foundation (BVI) Limited which has no paid staff or overhead. In addition to Nail Bay Resort the other Founding Sponsors are Allivictus and OHMS.
For additional information including pictures from the various dinners and lunches visit www.winemakersdinners.com.
As a self-professed Christmas junkie, sitting down to a performance of “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens is a holiday tradition. Actors traipse through plot lines seen countless times since childhood, evoking memories of carols gone by. At the American Conservatory Theater’s production of “A Christmas Carol” you’ll find all the familiar players but with a refreshing element of unabashed silliness.
A.C.T.’s gorgeously gilded theater, which turns 100 years old in January 2010, is a fitting stage on which to mount Dickens’ classic tale. Adapted by Paul Walsh and Carey Perloff, the script has a decidedly Bay Area flair. The diverse, multi-generational, free-spirited cast doesn’t take itself too seriously,—adding a bit of cheekiness even when simply moving the scenery—and if they lack polish at times they make up for it with their infectious good cheer.
At the heart of the story is that miserable miser Ebenezer Scrooge, played brilliantly for the fourth year by James Carpenter. Carpenter portrays a man who is doomed by his actions but redeemed by his memories, hitting tender notes of emotion and humor as he revisits the joys and mistakes of the past. Around him flits a motley crew of outlandish Christmas spirits and irrepressible townspeople. His nephew Fred (Philip Mills) embodies the sheer goodwill of the holidays without seeming saccharine, and Scrooge’s former employers Mr. and Mrs. Fezziwig (played by acclaimed local actors Jarion Monroe and Sharon Lockwood) come across like festive, madcap characters from a Baz Luhrmann production.
The entire show is infused with Christmas cheer, and Carpenter’s performance as Scrooge is pitch-perfect. With families tightening their belts in the wake of the recession, “A Christmas Carol” is a necessary, uplifting reminder of community and generosity this holiday season.
“A Christmas Carol” runs December 3-27 at A.C.T. Theater, www.act-sf.com
Orbitz Presents ‘The Artist Showcase Series’ a group show featuring the work of noted artists: Helen Adams, Uri Chartarifsky & Glenn Fry. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of artwork will be donated to StartOut.org. The Artist Showcase is a multi-media extravaganza for the sophisticated consumer, affluent trend-setter, key influencers and art connoisseurs.
WHEN
Monday, December 7, 2009
WHERE
Greenhouse
150 Varick Street
(Between Vandam & Spring)
NY, NY
CHARITY
10% of the proceeds generated from the sale of artwork will be donated to StartOut.org
ABOUT THE ARTISTS
URI CHARTARIFSKY
Uri Chartarifsky is a respected artist and active community leader in San Diego. He was born and raised in Mexico City, Mexico and he currently lives in San Diego. Uri has earned recognition and respect in the photography field and his photographs can be seen exhibited in his conveniently located North Park gallery and in local lifestyle magazines. Mr. Chartarifsky established The Gallery On 5th Project in 2001 with its main focus on helping Non-profit Organizations raise funds through the Arts. His charities have raised more than $1 million for various local, national, and international non-profits. For more information please visit www.uriphotography.com
HELEN ADAMS
New multi-media artist and creator of beautiful things, Helen Adams Franklin opens a new dialogue with her first group show. Her artwork, cast in a variety of mediums pays homage to the healing arts. Diagnosed with Systemic Lupus over 20 years ago, Ms. Franklin uses photography and painting as her way of creating. “I know by focusing on my art and the pleasure it gives me, I create more. More opportunities, more positive relationships, just a better and positive outlook on life.”
GLENN FRY
Glenn Fry’s artistic style is an amalgamation of many influences, styles and techniques. Viewing his art, one can see his love of cartoons and their bold outlines, the stylized flatness of Egyptian art, the Post-Impressionist Seurat dottism and Lautrec poster-style art. One also sees his experiences in the advertising world with half-tones, graphic and vintage-style ads. However, its greatest appeal is what Glenn individually brings through his own creative and imaginative efforts. For more information please visit www.glennfryart.com
ABOUT STARTOUT
StartOut is an non-profit organization dedicated to fostering and developing entrepreneurship within the LGBT community. It is established to connect those in the LGBT community who want to form entrepreneurial ventures, provide support for existing entrepreneurs, and connect entrepreneurs with funding, education, networks, and other external resources. For more information please visit www.startout.org.
