Vacation in Curacao

Just got back from a week in Curacao. Curacao is a Dutch island in the Netherlands, Antilles. It's next to Aruba, and a little larger. The nearest mainland is Venezuela, which is about 2 hours south by plane. All the photos are on my wife's or my kids' cameras, so you'll have to wait for those. But here's my impressions, in more-or-less chronological order.
We left on a Monday afternoon and flew to Miami. Spent the night in a Hilton. We got to the hotel so late, the pool and kitchen was closed. So we were left with tv and pre-made room service. $100 and 4 bad entrees later ... I forgot that the kids went into the pool anyway, even though the sign said it was closed. There were raccoons cruising the pool decks looking for scraps. Kind of funny. Good thing they weren't alligators.

Back on the plane to Curacao the next morning. Mechanical problems and we were four hours late leaving, a foreshadowing of American Airlines' problems. The Curacao airport is small, but clean, and we got there after dark, so it was really hard to see much. We did see a bunch of little snack shops with different types of food, but we couldn't tell what type because there was no signs. No street signs, either. The cab took about 20 minutes, and cost us about $30, with the tip. Again, very late getting in (thanks, American) and we were still kind of tired so we ate at the Hilton hotel buffet, where we were staying. The food wasn't bad, but not great. Service was pretty slow. And they follow the European tradition of not bringing the check until you ask for it. The problem with that concept is that the server needs to be visible to the guest so they can ask for it. Most servers were distracted, or just not around. They don't seem to be looking at their customers. At first I thought that might be just the hotel, but it turns out to be pretty true everywhere. On the other side, the hotel pours a pretty heavy drink, so that was a real bargain.

The rest of the days I don't remember what we did on what day, but here's my general memories and impressions.
Punda is a shopping district in Willemsted, which is the main city. We wandered around there one afternoon via the hotel shuttle, which only runs from the hotel and back twice a day. Punda is about 8 square blocks and the shops are mostly tourist clothing, etc. with some jewelry stores, etc. We ate at a covered but open bazaar kind of place where several kitchens operate, called Plaza Bieu. They serve these stew-like dishes and I ordered goat. It was really good, but kind of bony. Prices were not bad, and the food was better than most. We also found a little place called the Pastechi House which serves an empanada-like dish. They take American money, but some places only list prices in Gilders, which is the Dutch currency.

When you're there, find the old pontoon bridge and walk across it. It spans the main channel into the harbor, and it's pretty odd how it opens and closes. It's not an auto bridge, but it's pretty cool.

You're better off renting a car, which is pretty cheap, relatively. Getting around the island is fairly easy if you stick to the main roads and get a map. They use a lot of round-a-bouts instead of stoplights, but the maps are accurate. The Curacao-ians drive really fast, however, so pay attention to where you're going. Also, the gas stations don't take credit cards, which is a bit of pain.

As for the beaches, they're fantastic. The water is very clear, and the perfect temperature for swimming. The Hilton beach was kind of rocky, but it connects to the Marriott beach, which was nicer. The kids rented a jet ski and rode around for awhile. It was really funny hearing them screaming every time they hit a wave.


One night we went to an old plantation house (Landhuis) for lobster. Dinner was pretty good. We all had lobster, except for Emily, who had a mixed grill. The service was better than the Hilton. Drinks about the same. We also went to a nightclub the kids wanted to go to called Cinco. It was really just a shack with a very loud, overdriven sound system (that means crappy) and a few cheesy lights that looked like they were bought at Radio Shack. Used. The dj played a lot of newer house, but he wasn't that good.

Mary and I drove to the western edge of the island and had lunch at a place she read about called Jaanchi's. Supposed to be really good. But it wasn't. It took over an hour to get our food after we ordered. And what did we order? More of the stews similar to what we had at Plaza Buis. Only more expensive. They served iguana and I tried a sample. It tasted like chicken but with more bones. I wouldn't order it again, unless it came boneless. Iguana are common in the area, and we saw several at the hotel.

The highlight of the whole trip for me was our day trip to Klein Curacao, which is a little spit of land about 20 miles off the coast of the main island. It's uninhabited, and not much to see. But the beach is very lush. We went over on a catamaran with about 30 - 40 others, mostly Dutch tourists. There are sea turtles to snorkel, and there's a lighthouse and a couple shipwrecks. Unfortunately, they're on the other side of the island, and we couldn't have made it there and back in time for lunch. Getting lunch was very important because we were starving after "breakfast." They provided "breakfast sandwiches" when we got on the boat at 7:30 AM, but the "breakfast sandwiches" consisted of one slice of ham on a roll. Yummy. Emily was sick from too much sun the days before, so it was just Mary, Becky and I.

Saturday night we went to a place called Mambo Beach. It's an outdoor restaurant and club area. The only sign to direct us there was on the back of a bus stop bench and it took us a while to find it. But it led to the best meal we had on the island. Driving into the parking lot, it looked like we drove onto an abandoned construction site. No lights, unpaved, and really deserted looking. But they did charge us $3 to park. How considerate. Anyway, we sat outdoors, and had some really good fish. They keep the whole fish right there, and you decide which one you want. They had bass, something called Rainbow Runner, tuna, mahi mahi, etc., maybe 20 different varieties. They had a dj, who played a lot of more vocal house, chill stuff.

I'll come back later and finish up.

Sarah And Jeff, July 17, 2010

Last night was a first, but goes to show we'll light anything. The bride and groom brought a tractor into their reception at Timber Creek Inn, Sandwich, IL. Timber Creek has a very large banquet and meeting facility, which is something that is sorely needed in Kendall County.
We also provided a monogram and projected it above the head table.

Music was provided by Limelight Music Service 815-467-9592.

Best wishes to Sarah & Jeff.

Christina & Steve, July 10, 2010, Chicago Cultural Center

Last Saturday we lit the Chicago Cultural Center's Preston Bradley Hall for Christina & Steve's wedding.
We didn't get to hear the band, but heard a few comments from guests as they were leaving about how much fun they had. The band? Sarlas Music
Flowers were provided by Robert's Floral Design Studio in Chicago. They don't have a website, but you can reach Robert at 773-836-9680 or robn3015@sbcglobal.net Robert did a combination of tall and short centerpieces, and we lit the tall ones. Instead of focusing the beam on the top arrangement, we focused on the glass vases filled with flowers. It made the whole table glow and everyone loved the effect. We also lit the cake, uplit the side rooms, and provided some lighting for the band and the dance floor.
This was a last minute event for us, but it came off without a hitch.
Special thanks to Tina's friend, Amy, who managed a lot of details.

Alison & Corey, Concorde Banquets in Kildeer

Last weekend we lit Alison & Corey's wedding reception at Concorde Banquets in Kildeer, IL. The venue is very nice, and has some outdoor spaces if you'd like to have a ceremony there.

Entertainment was provided by DJ Arson dj_arson@yahoo.com who kept the crowd jumping the entire time.

I wasn't able to get photos of the flowers, but from what I saw they were quite beautiful. Richard Remiard was the florist. We didn't stay for the reception, but I'm told it was a great success.

The Knickerbocker Chicago

Yesterday we lit the ballroom of the Knickerbocker Hotel in Chicago, for Laura and Brad's wedding. This elegant ballroom in the Gold Coast neighborhood is quite ornate. The flowers were arranged by and were quite stunning. The bride and groom hired a band, but I didn't catch their name. We also projected some patterns onto the ceiling to add even more drama to the room. The party ran into the wee hours, and the guests really enjoyed themselves. Best wishes to Laura and Brad.

Sunday Wedding

Sunday we worked a wedding for Anna and Jeff. Didn't get many photos, but I'll post the few that I have.

First, the venue was at Independence Grove. The venue is about 10 years old but this was the first time we were there. The space is long, with a wall of windows overlooking the beach and man-made lake. You can find more information at http://www.eventsatindependencegrove.com.

Their coordinator was Karolina Warren, who I also have not worked with before. We didn't have much interaction that day, but she seemed very organized and professional. Here's her website: http://www.weddingsbykarolina.com/

David Rothstein Music kept the party rolling. We couldn't see the dance floor, but all the waiters said it was pretty busy. http://www.drsmusic.com.

I didn't get a chance to meet the photographer, so I have no idea who that was. Also, forgot to get the name of the florist, but they did some very beautiful centerpieces. Here's a few pictures. What did we do? We lit up all the centerpieces and provided uplighting for the room. The only time we were able to take photos was at the very end of the reception, when the tables had been cleared away. Hope you enjoy them anyway.

Some news, but not all the news

We're heading into the busy wedding season and we're very excited about the season.

Our biggest news is the addition of Laura Sulkin. She'll be handling sales for Chicago Lighting Design. Laura was brought in because of her proven ability to generate new business and maintain client loyalty in business and consumer markets, specifically in the hospitality industry. Laura was a co-owner of a successful meeting planning and entertainment company for over fourteen years, planning high-end weddings, parties and corporate events. She prides herself on listening to the customers needs and providing excellent customer service to exceed their expectations. She's been with us for only a few weeks and is already having a very positive impact.

We'll be heading up to one of our favorite venues, the Eagle Ridge Resort and Spa in Galena, Illinois a lot again this year. If you enjoy the outdoors and the rolling hills of northwestern Illinois, this destination is worth the trip. Plus, there's a lot of shopping and restaurants in downtown Galena that are worth exploring.

Lauren and Anthony's Wedding

Last Saturday we did some lighting for Lauren and Anthony's wedding. Shame on me for not taking photos of the happy couple, but they looked great together.

The reception took place at Victoria In The Park in Mt. Prospect, IL This venue is owned by the same people who own Victoria's in Norridge and a couple other venues. You may remember that Victoria's stepped in when the old Starlite Inn in Schiller Park went under a few years ago. I didn't sample the food, but I can tell you that the staff is very accommodating. One thing I really like about this venue is that they use "racetrack" tables, instead of round or rectangular.

I ran into Heather Parker and her assistant , who were photographing the event. I've seen some of Heather's work before and it's really fantastic. I think part of her talent comes from her love of travel, which makes her see things differently.

Flowers are something I have no idea about. I liked them but I have no idea who the florist was.

Finally, DJ-Chicago provided the entertainment. I only saw a little of the dancing near the end of the night, but everyone seemed to be having a great time.

Moving Foward

The event charities we're involved with are moving forward. The first planning meeting for one of them took place yesterday evening, and was attended by some really generous individuals. Early indications are that this event will be very successful for one lucky couple. We'll have another announcement when the website goes live.

New Stuff

Spending a lot of time uploading pictures onto our website this week. Such fun. Also, we're sorting them by venue, so you can go to the venue page and see what types of things we've done there. The old slide shows are still up as well.

On the horizon, we're involved in a couple charity events of note, both hoping to provide a deserving couple with a dream wedding. One group is Wish Upon A Wedding http://www.facebook.com/WUWChicago This group provides weddings and civil commitments for those facing life-threatening medial conditions.

We'll have more about the other group tomorrow.

Last weekend

Last weekend was busier than most this time of year, due to Valentine's Day falling on Sunday. Unfortunately, a confluence of events prevented getting any pictures. What a bummer.

Friday, we set up for a fashion show. The event was held at the Salem Baptist Church in Pullman. The building was a former paint testing facility, now being used by the church. They have a semi-permanent stage and do all sorts of community events. They brought in black pipe and drape to close off part of the room. Our job was to wash the seating area and the stage for the fashion show. We used a number of LED par cans set to either pink or purple, and focused them on the audience and some on the ceiling. It looked pretty nice, if I do say so myself. We also used some focusable ellipsoidals to cover the stage. The trick was to get them so that the light wasn't bouncing back too much into the audience since they have a large video screen behind the stage they couldn't move. Shooting the lights at a greater angle reduced a lot of reflection.

Then Sunday off to Chateau Bu-Sche to set up a few LED uplights in one of their pavilions. I suggested more, but the bride only wanted 10 fixtures. We made do with the quantity ordered and the client was very happy. Since it was Valentine's Day they chose to keep them red all night long. Looked very nice with the red accents the bridal party was wearing. Then back to Pullman to take down the fashion show. Then back to Chateau Bu-Sche to load out the wedding. A long, but productive day.

Where's the "old customer" discount?

I've been in the same house for about 13 years. We've used the same phone/internet provider, the same tv satellite service, and the same insurance since we the day we moved in. And every once in a while, the same companies I already do business, and have done business with for 13 or more years (insurance company, are you listening?) with, offer some new customer deal. So I call. And say I want the same deal that new customers get.

"Sorry, sir, you're not a new customer. If you were to cancel for six months or a year, or whatever, you could get the new discount."

But then you're losing my business for the next six months or longer. In what universe does that make any sense?

Well, enough is enough. Starting now, I'll be changing the game and REWARDING my customers' loyalty, not penalizing it like everyone else. So head on over to my website and look for my customer loyalty program http://www.chicagolightingdesign.com/Loyalty.html In the end, we'll all be better off.