DFW International Dinner with 23 Mayors

WOW! I don’t think there are enough words that could possibly describe the greatness of the DFW International Meeting & Dinner I attended with Ms.Jennifer the CEO of MissAfricaTexas Pageant on Thursday night, 8/26/10. Please stay tuned until the end of this blog post to read a very important message I have to say. The DFW International Community Alliance is the portal to international North Texas, a region where 44% of the residents are either New Americans or first or second generation. DFW International is a network of over 1,600 internationally-focused organizations in the DFW metroplex and embodies the cultural and economic vibrancy of the global community. Therefore,by my platform,which is Raising Awareness for little kids with cancer,I felt it extremely fitting to be a part of this magnificent event! After each of the 23Mayors were introduced, I presented the Mayor of Dallas, Tom Leppert with a certificate after his speech. Now this a Mayor that is hard to get a hold of! He’s always busy with other Mayors discussing important matters so being able to snap a photo with him is an honor!
As Miss Africa Texas People Choice Winner, I had many important duties to fulfill during the dinner. At the VIP Welcoming Reception, I was to present the Mayors in attendance with an American Flag scarf. This was a great honor because firstly, I got to meet all the mayors and it fits with my culture. This allowed me to get a brief moment to chat with the mayors or the Mayor Pro Tems.
Among many other duties I had during the evening,was the Parade of Nations. This is when a representative from each country is chosen as the flag bearer. When each country is called out, the population of that country’s people in the DFW Area is called out. Now i didnt get a chance to carry the Nigerian flag but the lovely Ms Jennifer was called as a Cameroonian representative. Now,the actual dinner! Before dinner was served, I was introduced as Miss Africa Texas People's winner for the other guests, since I had only met the Mayors before then =)
The first course was by Kasbah Grill (Morocco).Danals Restaurant (Mexico) provided the second course with tamales and quesadillas.Kalahari (Nigeria) served the third course with Plantains and Jollof rice, shaved chicken"i'd say i cook better then what i had on my plate but i know its not easy cooking to impress those mayors" ; ) During this course, a beautiful young African Dance group performed.The fourth course was from Bali Slush (Indonesia)but my stomach felt like it was about to burst.
Dessert was served by the famous, La Duni! There were chocolate truffles, apple pie with powdered sugar, among many other delectable pastries! I must admit, I waited the whole evening for the fifth course of dessert =) I didnt get a chance to take a photo with the Pastry Chef, Dovia Borja but while networking i met her and she told me that the next time I come to La Duni, to say hello and she’ll give me treats. I’m definitely taking her up on her offer! The whole evening was filled with great people, incredible inspiring stories about people who came to America to live the American dream, and wonderful food. Anne Marie Weiss, the coordinator of this phenomenal event said that, “Dallas is the new Ellis Island.”