Learning and Using the Strategy of Working Together for Promotion
4th Of July Notes
One of my daily routines is to spread pieces of broken rice (it is sold here as uncooked dog food) on our terrace for the local birds. On Thursday the 3rd, as I was spreading the rice, I looked out onto the street and saw traffic barriers and traffic police were blocking traffic to the other block on our two-block residential street. This usually happens when there is some special event at the US Ambassador's residence (here in Montevideo, Uruguay) in that next block. Then, I thought there must be some kind of 4th of July party being held. I saw all the cars there were limos, so I was sure it was not a party that I would want to attend.
I have been working on a launch design for some weeks and I have not had time to take a break. If fact, I have been hyper-focusing and I was only vaguely aware that the July 4th holiday was coming. Here, of course, it is not celebrated. I got to thinking, that there must be some Fourth of July celebration for USA expats here, so I looked on the net to see what was happening. I sometimes use a forum for expats here in Uruguay, and I found an invitation to the Ambassador's Open House on the fourth.
The invitation gave an email address, so I shot off an email asking to be included on the guest list (even though I was over a week late in requesting it). On my next email check, I found an automated response telling me my name was now on the list for the open house.
On the 4th, at the appointed time, I wanted to go in jeans and polo shirt (as I always have gone to a Fourth of July party), but Isabel, my Uruguayan wife, was convinced that it would be a (Sunday-go-to-meeting) dress-up event. So, I put on dress paints and dress shirt with a nice sweater and my best overcoat (yeah, it is winter here). We walked the block to the residence. The barriers and the police were still there from yesterday.
We arrived, and went through the normal embassy security checks. Then, we were under a temporary portico looking up at this fantastic old mansion. It has tall columns across the entrance area of the house and they were draped with appropriate Fourth of July bunting. It really looked fabulous and for me, it was very nostalgic.
We left our coats in the cloak room as we entered the vestibule. There were massive rooms to the left and right, and in front of us was a main hall with marble floors and large chandeliers and a massive staircase going up on the left. There were a handful of folks standing around and it became obvious that this was not where the party was held. We were ushered out to the back porch (through more massive rooms) and down a staircase to a big, enclosed event tent in the back yard where there were about a hundred people standing around enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, open bar, tortilla chips, peanuts, cotton candy, dough-nuts, and ice cream. We met several families with kids running around and it did start to feel like a 'normal' Fourth event.
At 1pm, the Ambassador came through and asked us to go back inside to the main hall for the presentation of the flag. We went to the hall and were told where to stand, so that the marine honor guard could march in with the flag. The ambassador stood on the staircase and the soldiers marched in. They stopped, turned, and came to attention facing the ambassador (it was interesting to watch how they marched in so they could avoid the chandeliers with the flag).
One of the off-duty soldiers started us signing the national anthem. Now, I was never a professional singer, but I took voice lessons as a child and teenager, and I have been in some pretty awesome choruses as an adult. And usually in a setting like this I keep a moderate level on my voice and I follow the melody. But, I noticed there were many highly trained voices in the crowd. There was harmony coming from them. I was impressed and a little intrigued.
After the anthem and after the soldiers marched out of the hall, the Ambassador (Frank E. Baxter) gave a few words. He talked about the close ties between the USA and Uruguay. He mentioned recent research which indicated that Uruguay has the highest commitment (by the population %) to democracy in all of South America. He talked about other connections between the two countries. Then he started talking about the generosity of USA citizens.
He told about a ceremony he had attended the day before at the big Independence Plaza. He and his marines and the Uruguayan ceremonial soldiers had laid a wreath at a base of the monument for General Artigas (the "George Washington" of Uruguay). So, the party at his residence on the 3rd was somehow related to this political wreath-laying ceremony and event.
At that ceremony, there were many folks from the USA and Baxter was greeting many of them and discovered that most of them was a touring chorus of 60 voices from southern California, taking a bus tour around Montevideo. They were visiting the plaza and saw the ceremony and come over. They gave an impromptu concert at the monument.
The ambassador was ecstatic about meeting them and their spur-of-the-moment concert, and told them about the party at his house the next day, on the 4th. They agreed to send a delegation to the party (all 60 of them would have overloaded the accommodations). They sent about 10 to the Ambassador's party and this included a 5-voice Doo-Wap group, who entertained us. They really brought back the flavor of my youth with their singing and they got us involved in their entertainment. So, these were the highly trained voices I heard during the anthem and what the Ambassador was referring to as the generosity of US citizens.
Later, Isabel and I met individually with the members of that signing group and had great conversations with them. They are all retired businesspersons and professionals. They make multiple tours per year, and for many of them, this is their focus during their retirement. This trip is about 12 days for them and they have given concerts throughout this region of South America. This is their first tour in South America; they normally tour in western and eastern Europe.
Near the end of the party, one of them told Isabel that this particular Fourth of July has been his most memorable of his life. He had been a little disappointed that he would not be in the USA for the celebrations of the Fourth. So, he was surprised and delighted to have the opportunity to connect with those celebration feelings at the home of the US Ambassador in a foreign land.
As Isabel and I walked back home, we were talking about how much fun we had at the party. I told her my observation that most of the Uruguayans at the party were dressed for business, and the US citizens were dressed much more casually (I guess our approach to ceremony is less formal than for Uruguayans). We agreed with each other that this had been a very fine party. We also agreed it was great that I had seen the traffic barricades the day before, and had searched for what might be happening at the Ambassador's residence.
Next year, I know that I will be planning ahead to make sure I'm in Montevideo for the Fourth of July. This party was a blast. I want to go to it again. I look forward to the surprise that might show up next time.
Rodger Bailey, MS
I have been working on a launch design for some weeks and I have not had time to take a break. If fact, I have been hyper-focusing and I was only vaguely aware that the July 4th holiday was coming. Here, of course, it is not celebrated. I got to thinking, that there must be some Fourth of July celebration for USA expats here, so I looked on the net to see what was happening. I sometimes use a forum for expats here in Uruguay, and I found an invitation to the Ambassador's Open House on the fourth.
The invitation gave an email address, so I shot off an email asking to be included on the guest list (even though I was over a week late in requesting it). On my next email check, I found an automated response telling me my name was now on the list for the open house.
On the 4th, at the appointed time, I wanted to go in jeans and polo shirt (as I always have gone to a Fourth of July party), but Isabel, my Uruguayan wife, was convinced that it would be a (Sunday-go-to-meeting) dress-up event. So, I put on dress paints and dress shirt with a nice sweater and my best overcoat (yeah, it is winter here). We walked the block to the residence. The barriers and the police were still there from yesterday.
We arrived, and went through the normal embassy security checks. Then, we were under a temporary portico looking up at this fantastic old mansion. It has tall columns across the entrance area of the house and they were draped with appropriate Fourth of July bunting. It really looked fabulous and for me, it was very nostalgic.
We left our coats in the cloak room as we entered the vestibule. There were massive rooms to the left and right, and in front of us was a main hall with marble floors and large chandeliers and a massive staircase going up on the left. There were a handful of folks standing around and it became obvious that this was not where the party was held. We were ushered out to the back porch (through more massive rooms) and down a staircase to a big, enclosed event tent in the back yard where there were about a hundred people standing around enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, open bar, tortilla chips, peanuts, cotton candy, dough-nuts, and ice cream. We met several families with kids running around and it did start to feel like a 'normal' Fourth event.
At 1pm, the Ambassador came through and asked us to go back inside to the main hall for the presentation of the flag. We went to the hall and were told where to stand, so that the marine honor guard could march in with the flag. The ambassador stood on the staircase and the soldiers marched in. They stopped, turned, and came to attention facing the ambassador (it was interesting to watch how they marched in so they could avoid the chandeliers with the flag).
One of the off-duty soldiers started us signing the national anthem. Now, I was never a professional singer, but I took voice lessons as a child and teenager, and I have been in some pretty awesome choruses as an adult. And usually in a setting like this I keep a moderate level on my voice and I follow the melody. But, I noticed there were many highly trained voices in the crowd. There was harmony coming from them. I was impressed and a little intrigued.
After the anthem and after the soldiers marched out of the hall, the Ambassador (Frank E. Baxter) gave a few words. He talked about the close ties between the USA and Uruguay. He mentioned recent research which indicated that Uruguay has the highest commitment (by the population %) to democracy in all of South America. He talked about other connections between the two countries. Then he started talking about the generosity of USA citizens.
He told about a ceremony he had attended the day before at the big Independence Plaza. He and his marines and the Uruguayan ceremonial soldiers had laid a wreath at a base of the monument for General Artigas (the "George Washington" of Uruguay). So, the party at his residence on the 3rd was somehow related to this political wreath-laying ceremony and event.
At that ceremony, there were many folks from the USA and Baxter was greeting many of them and discovered that most of them was a touring chorus of 60 voices from southern California, taking a bus tour around Montevideo. They were visiting the plaza and saw the ceremony and come over. They gave an impromptu concert at the monument.
The ambassador was ecstatic about meeting them and their spur-of-the-moment concert, and told them about the party at his house the next day, on the 4th. They agreed to send a delegation to the party (all 60 of them would have overloaded the accommodations). They sent about 10 to the Ambassador's party and this included a 5-voice Doo-Wap group, who entertained us. They really brought back the flavor of my youth with their singing and they got us involved in their entertainment. So, these were the highly trained voices I heard during the anthem and what the Ambassador was referring to as the generosity of US citizens.
Later, Isabel and I met individually with the members of that signing group and had great conversations with them. They are all retired businesspersons and professionals. They make multiple tours per year, and for many of them, this is their focus during their retirement. This trip is about 12 days for them and they have given concerts throughout this region of South America. This is their first tour in South America; they normally tour in western and eastern Europe.
Near the end of the party, one of them told Isabel that this particular Fourth of July has been his most memorable of his life. He had been a little disappointed that he would not be in the USA for the celebrations of the Fourth. So, he was surprised and delighted to have the opportunity to connect with those celebration feelings at the home of the US Ambassador in a foreign land.
As Isabel and I walked back home, we were talking about how much fun we had at the party. I told her my observation that most of the Uruguayans at the party were dressed for business, and the US citizens were dressed much more casually (I guess our approach to ceremony is less formal than for Uruguayans). We agreed with each other that this had been a very fine party. We also agreed it was great that I had seen the traffic barricades the day before, and had searched for what might be happening at the Ambassador's residence.
Next year, I know that I will be planning ahead to make sure I'm in Montevideo for the Fourth of July. This party was a blast. I want to go to it again. I look forward to the surprise that might show up next time.
Rodger Bailey, MS
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