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Saturday
September 3, 2016
Joe's Secret Garden had told me last Saturday that they were leaving on holidays for 3 weeks so I bought tickets for a Labor Day Bash (dance) that same night. Then the next day they decided they would open on Saturday for Fish Fry after all, so I had to beg off, even though I really love their Fish Fry.
The Labour Day Bash was being hosted by Liz Harrison and Jennifer Martin, an event coordinator and caterer respectively. Here was the published advertising:
Labor Day Bash launches a new expat business and dishes up some fun
At her home in Chicago, Liz Harrison always enjoyed having friends and
family over for simple dinners to highlight holiday parties. She would
cook her favorite recipes, put on some good dance music, and celebrate
the moment.
When she arrived in Cuenca
,
she started searching for some of what she loved from home – those
special times that were all about relaxing and being together with
friends. Even though she found some good restaurants and places to dance
occasionally, Liz didn’t find everything in one place,
and she missed her regular get-togethers.
,
she started searching for some of what she loved from home – those
special times that were all about relaxing and being together with
friends. Even though she found some good restaurants and places to dance
occasionally, Liz didn’t find everything in one place,
and she missed her regular get-togethers.
“I thought ‘where do people go in Cuenca when they want to eat good
food, dance to great music, and be in a warm and welcoming
environment?’” Liz said. “There are places in town that do one or two
things well but maybe not all of them at one time or on a regular
basis.”
Breaking her ankle in three places recently forced Liz to lie on the
sofa for several months, and that’s when the idea for Cuenca Events Co.
was born.
What if there was a monthly dining and dancing event at a nice location
for a reasonable price? And what if the food was made with time-honored
recipes and the music was familiar and fun, reminding people of happy
days?
Liz’s professional background in marketing and special events encouraged
her to move forward with her idea, and she shared her thoughts with
friend and fellow event enthusiast Jennifer Martin. They decided it
might be a good time to test Liz’s theory, and on
Saturday, September 3, the fledgling Cuenca Events Co. will throw a
Labor Day Bash at Villa San Carlos on Remigio Tamariz and Solano Avenue.
For $20, attendees will be
treated to appetizers, chicken diablo, an assortment of salads, and
dessert – all created from Liz’s homemade recipes. Doors open at 7 pm, dinner is served at 8 pm,
and then the dancing
begins, with songs by The Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett, and Chicago on the
playlist. There will also be door prizes, and a cash bar is available,
serving up margaritas, sangria, and beer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A query about the food brought me this response about tweaking the menu:
(probably) chicken; roasted potato salad w/ bacon & green onions, gluten free pasta with 5 roasted vegetables - no mayo, and 5 bean fiesta salad w/grape tomatoes - in cilantro-lime dressing, watermelon salad. All from fresh natural ingredients!!!!!!!!!
Appetizer & desert.
A query about the food brought me this response about tweaking the menu:
(probably) chicken; roasted potato salad w/ bacon & green onions, gluten free pasta with 5 roasted vegetables - no mayo, and 5 bean fiesta salad w/grape tomatoes - in cilantro-lime dressing, watermelon salad. All from fresh natural ingredients!!!!!!!!!
Appetizer & desert.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had offered on Tuesday to send an email to my dancer list, and this was accepted, so this added about 30 more people to the party which totalled a really impressive guest list of 110 people.
Sincerely I was hoping that this would be a successful alternative to my Oldies But Goodies dances. We have been trying to hand the reins to someone else ever since I started the OBG Dance Club. We had high hopes for this event to be a hit, despite some dancers not joining because they felt the price was a tad high.
I really don't know how to put things in a kinder light than the following because many things just did not go well, which was very surprising for a party hosted by an event coordinator and a professional caterer. Because I know almost everyone involved through hosting my own dances, I am sought out for advices and criticisms, even though I had zero to do with this event (other than unofficially helping out where I could at the event).
Tonight, the event was supposed to start at 7pm but the crowd had to cool their heels in the lobby because the venue had earlier hosted an Ecuadorian baptism that ran over their allotted time (certainly to be expected in Ecuador). The grumbling began.
Next the crowd had to endure a long line-up at the entry ticket table, not only to be ticked off a list, but to also purchase their drink tickets. The drinks offered were wine, beer and sangria. No mention of soft drinks or even water for the patrons, especially those who don't drink. This was a very slow process and the grumbling continued.
We found a table and sat down and were told later that we were being allotted to certain tables, and we just happened to pick the right table... There were at least 12 tables but the numbering was haphazard and, incredibly, none were numbered 11 and 12 which some people were told to look for. Eventually people just sat where there were openings.
Then there was another huge line-up at the bar where the event coordinator was forced to play bartender because the venue's promised bartender cancelled out at the last minute. I had helped them bring in the wine from another room and was shocked that they had only 1.5 cases of wine for 110 people, and the only bargain on the drink menu was a bottle of wine for $15. Naturally they ran out of wine in the first 1/2 hour so people had to cool their heels for another 1/2 hour until more wine could be brought in. More grumbling. We resorted to getting water from the bathrooms because a person cannot consume only booze for hours.
Then the buffet-style meal was opened up at 8:15, another long line-up, but the staff took your plate, and gave everyone a spoonful of each item and moved you along. I got a drumstick, 3 meatballs, roasted potatoes, cold veggies, and cold pasta salad. I was praying there would be enough for seconds because my plate wasn't very full.
The grumbling continued mainly with the overly spicy meatballs, and the cold salads. In spite of this, most of us did go back for seconds. That was a move that I would soon regret because the 6 meatballs started giving me heartburn (and I almost never get heartburn) which lasted for over 12 hours.
The dessert was really the bright spot of the evening, with some delicious apple crisp accompanied by a chocolate-covered strawberry.
Around 9:20 the DJ cranked up the volume (more grumbling about it being too loud inevitably) and the dancing began. The DJ had an interesting system of showing music videos to complement the music on a big screen. That was a big hit with the patrons and the dance floor was well occupied until about 10:00 when the crowd began to thin out. The music was a strict continuous mix of Latin music and older Rock'n'Roll, without any hints of a waltz, country tune, or the like. The crowd kept the dance floor busy, so who am I to say different?? I was having trouble dancing with my heartburn but tried not to let on. We were among the very last to leave around 10:45.
In spite of the obvious problems, I really do hope the hostesses continue with plans for another dance around Hallowe'en, which is a Monday this year. I feel sorry for them because they are probably unaccustomed to dealing with many cranky retired gringos, who can be most unforgiving and unkind, and a very thick skin is required. I don't have a thick skin, and have endured some really unkind comments from some very unappreciative know-it-alls, who have never had the courage to take over the reins. We know that it is absolutely impossible to please everybody, but we still strive to please the majority and provide a reasonably fun evening. Sometimes shit happens and we don't have much, or any, control, especially when the venue's systems let you down. The criticism is directed to you anyway.
We all hopefully live and learn from our mistakes, and desire that more dances will be scheduled. I hope the hostesses accept my offer to assist in their next venture. Onward and upward!
I hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day's excitement, Cheers, Al
I had offered on Tuesday to send an email to my dancer list, and this was accepted, so this added about 30 more people to the party which totalled a really impressive guest list of 110 people.
Sincerely I was hoping that this would be a successful alternative to my Oldies But Goodies dances. We have been trying to hand the reins to someone else ever since I started the OBG Dance Club. We had high hopes for this event to be a hit, despite some dancers not joining because they felt the price was a tad high.
I really don't know how to put things in a kinder light than the following because many things just did not go well, which was very surprising for a party hosted by an event coordinator and a professional caterer. Because I know almost everyone involved through hosting my own dances, I am sought out for advices and criticisms, even though I had zero to do with this event (other than unofficially helping out where I could at the event).
Tonight, the event was supposed to start at 7pm but the crowd had to cool their heels in the lobby because the venue had earlier hosted an Ecuadorian baptism that ran over their allotted time (certainly to be expected in Ecuador). The grumbling began.
Next the crowd had to endure a long line-up at the entry ticket table, not only to be ticked off a list, but to also purchase their drink tickets. The drinks offered were wine, beer and sangria. No mention of soft drinks or even water for the patrons, especially those who don't drink. This was a very slow process and the grumbling continued.
We found a table and sat down and were told later that we were being allotted to certain tables, and we just happened to pick the right table... There were at least 12 tables but the numbering was haphazard and, incredibly, none were numbered 11 and 12 which some people were told to look for. Eventually people just sat where there were openings.
Then there was another huge line-up at the bar where the event coordinator was forced to play bartender because the venue's promised bartender cancelled out at the last minute. I had helped them bring in the wine from another room and was shocked that they had only 1.5 cases of wine for 110 people, and the only bargain on the drink menu was a bottle of wine for $15. Naturally they ran out of wine in the first 1/2 hour so people had to cool their heels for another 1/2 hour until more wine could be brought in. More grumbling. We resorted to getting water from the bathrooms because a person cannot consume only booze for hours.
Then the buffet-style meal was opened up at 8:15, another long line-up, but the staff took your plate, and gave everyone a spoonful of each item and moved you along. I got a drumstick, 3 meatballs, roasted potatoes, cold veggies, and cold pasta salad. I was praying there would be enough for seconds because my plate wasn't very full.
The grumbling continued mainly with the overly spicy meatballs, and the cold salads. In spite of this, most of us did go back for seconds. That was a move that I would soon regret because the 6 meatballs started giving me heartburn (and I almost never get heartburn) which lasted for over 12 hours.
The dessert was really the bright spot of the evening, with some delicious apple crisp accompanied by a chocolate-covered strawberry.
Around 9:20 the DJ cranked up the volume (more grumbling about it being too loud inevitably) and the dancing began. The DJ had an interesting system of showing music videos to complement the music on a big screen. That was a big hit with the patrons and the dance floor was well occupied until about 10:00 when the crowd began to thin out. The music was a strict continuous mix of Latin music and older Rock'n'Roll, without any hints of a waltz, country tune, or the like. The crowd kept the dance floor busy, so who am I to say different?? I was having trouble dancing with my heartburn but tried not to let on. We were among the very last to leave around 10:45.
In spite of the obvious problems, I really do hope the hostesses continue with plans for another dance around Hallowe'en, which is a Monday this year. I feel sorry for them because they are probably unaccustomed to dealing with many cranky retired gringos, who can be most unforgiving and unkind, and a very thick skin is required. I don't have a thick skin, and have endured some really unkind comments from some very unappreciative know-it-alls, who have never had the courage to take over the reins. We know that it is absolutely impossible to please everybody, but we still strive to please the majority and provide a reasonably fun evening. Sometimes shit happens and we don't have much, or any, control, especially when the venue's systems let you down. The criticism is directed to you anyway.
We all hopefully live and learn from our mistakes, and desire that more dances will be scheduled. I hope the hostesses accept my offer to assist in their next venture. Onward and upward!
I hope you enjoy the photos. That was the day's excitement, Cheers, Al
© All my work is COPYRIGHT protected and may not be used in any way without
purchase, or without my permission.
NOTE that
you may click on any photo for an ENLARGED VIEW.
 |
| Some of our fun tablemates at Table 8 (Peter says he is hungry) |
 |
| The videos were a big hit! |
 |
| A stellar crowd of 110 people crowded the place |
 |
| More folks up on the big stage |
 |
| Meal service |
 |
| One of the 3 door prize winners |
 |
| Experimental 10-second shot of the dancing |
 |
| Another longer experimental shot. Laser lighting is cool. |
 |
| The dance floor was pretty busy |
 |
| Having a fun time doing what we enjoy, dancing... |
 |
| Young and old, enjoying the fast music |
 |
| David mugging with Cristina |
 |
| Dance, dance, dance |
 |
| These folks were the last |
