By Judy Gordon-Conde and Jennifer Conde-Powers
A very intimate and distinguished group of top officials from the island government, Chamber of Commerce and the board of directors of the Consular Corps of Puerto Rico, along with close friends and family members, were invited recently to the Introductory Reception at the AFDA hosted by Mikio Mori, consul general of Japan in New York, to pay homage to the former honorary consul of Japan in San Juan, Manuel Morales, and the new honorary consul of Japan, Cameron McKenzie Hertell.
Special guests at the lovely reception honoring the new consul were Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia, Secretary of State Omar J. Marrero Díaz, Economic Development and Commerce Secretary Manuel Cidre Miranda and Senate President José Luis Dalmau Santiago, as well as Kawamoto Kenichi, president of JETRO New York, and Ramón A. Pérez Blanco, president-elect of the Puerto Rico Chamber of Commerce.
During the evening, waiters passed champagne and delicious bites while the guest musicians played traditional songs for all to enjoy. A delectable dinner of miso soup, black miso cod with seaweed salad, and purin for dessert was soon followed by a pairing of sublime wines to end a wonderful experience.