IN THE CALENDAR

On July 10 at 6 PM it's The Best of Cebu Party 2018 at the Waterfront Cebu Hotel and Casino. Let us see who are in it.

On Friday July 12 it is dinner with Laurent Boisdron, general manager of the Conrad Hotel (Manila) at the Pig & Palm. Monsieur Boisdron used to be the PM of the Radisson Blue Hotel in Cebu.

On July 19 the Arts and Council presents international jazz pianist Claude Diallo at 6 PM at the Jazz & Bluz, located at Paseo Saturnino, the road that leads to Maria Luisa Estate Park. Tickets are at PHP 500 and PHP 1000, available at tel. (032) 328 1175.

July 23 is the National Day of the Kingdom of Belgium, celebrated with an evening reception at the ballroom of the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel.

The grand Escaño family reunion is set for July 26-28. Among the activities are a family dinner on July 27 at the Casino Español de Cebu ballroom, and on Sunday, July 28, an excursion to the Cebu Safari and Adventure Park in Carmen.

The Safari Park belongs to Michel Lhuillier, a member of the Escaño clan. Who else belongs to the clan? It is all in the book Escaño superbly written by National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares. The large volume is available at PHP 1500 from the office of Jose Sala, Honorary Consul of Sweden in Cebu, tel. (032) 233 3106.

On July 31, the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel launched its annual Swiss culinary journey to celebrate the National Day of Switzerland.

Its most recent culinary journey was from July 1 to 7, dubbed a "star-spangled celebration." It featured food from the USA, and those hamburgers were really juicy. So were the ribs, and due praise was given the Maine clam chowder.

"Happy 4th of July," greeted hotel GM Brian Connelly at the lobby, echoed by the hotel's top executives at Cafe Marco: Lara Scarrow, Manna Alcaraz, Febe Compañon, Trisha Evardone, Yumny Mariot, and Barbie Burchards.

The Philippines -- Australia Friendship Day was marked with a grandiose evening reception held at the ballroom of the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel. Hosting were the Ambassador of Australia Steven Robinson and his wife Mrs. Rhonda Robinson.

"The Philippines -- Australia Friendship Day is an annual celebration we take to different parts of the country," said Ambassador Robinson. "I am very pleased we are holding this year's celebration in Cebu."

The Ambassador cited strong business links, a network of Australia-educated Filipinos and development partnership with community organizations as reasons for selecting Cebu City as venue for this year's celebration

The Ambassador said that he had been in the Philippines for four months and this was his second visit to Cebu as ambassador. In his younger days, he had been here in the course of a trip around the country, 38 years ago.

The evening's highlight was a performance by Cebuana Pilita Corrales, in her time, and ours, Asia's Queen of Song. Her first song was "Moon River," by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer (lyrics), theme song of Audrey Hepburn's film "Breakfast at Tiffany's."

Pilita told her appreciative audience that she had started her international singing career in Australia, in Melbourne.

Ambassador Robinson said "Moon River" was a song he knew by heart. Could he go up the stage and sing it with Pilita? "Yes, of course," she welcomed him. There was much applause for that, and for Pilita's next songs... Usahay in Cebuano... Acercate Mas in Spanish.