Papua New Guinea Adventure Featured at May 2014 Philadelphia Chapter Meeting

The Philadelphia Chapter met on Sunday, May 18, at Tiffin, an Indian restaurant in South Philadelphia. The group of 14 toasted another anniversary year of existence while dining on naan, butter chicken, basmati rice, shrimp vindaloo, and other dishes. With the scheduled speaker called away to Houston on business, chapter coordinator Jane Berryman pinch-hit with photos of her trip last summer to Papua New Guinea, which included a homestay with a local tribe. Everyone viewed the spirit houses, local fishermen, and the incredible carvings by the world-renowned woodworkers of the Sepik River. Jane arranged the trip directly with a company, PNG Adventures, in Port Moresby, and recommended them highly.

The next chapter meeting will be held on Sunday, Sept. 28, at 5 p.m. at the Jamaican Jerk Hut at 15th and South Streets in Philadelphia. The venue has a “bring your own rum” policy and is famous for being featured in the Cameron Diaz film In Her Shoes. There is parking directly across the street and we will dine in the garden under a tent. Please RSVP no later than Sept. 19 to Jane at jane.berryman@raymondjames.com. The Nationalities Service Center, a group working with refugees to the Philadelphia region, has been invited to speak at that meeting.

Looking ahead to 2015, we will be dining on Peruvian cuisine at Inka Wall in Upper Darby on Jan. 25, and enjoying an Israeli family-style feast at Zahav in Society Hill next May 17. Zahav has asked that TCC members prebook and prepay for that meal, priced at $55 a head; details will be sent at a later date.

The chapter also proudly announces the launch of a travel film program, hosted and curated by  member Lou Bluver in his beautiful Rittenhouse Square penthouse. The last two films were a smash hit, and the next film – in Cinerama format, no less – will be about Bali. Currently ten chapter members are signed up for the June 16 screening, but if anyone else is interested, please let Jane know ASAP by emailing jane.berryman@raymondjames.com. Please note there are space constraints in Lou’s media room so we are limited on headcount.

Lastly, we wish BON VOYAGE to chapter member James Stoudt as he leaves Philadelphia for a new corporate posting in New Zealand. He shall be missed.