WOMEN’S WORLD
“Amazing Thailand” was the theme of the 15th annual Asian Ladies Club (ALC) fundraising brunch at the Erawan restaurant in Colonia Polanco last week.
With the help of Royal Thai Embassy in Mexico, the ALC hosted a lavish sit-down meal of traditional Thai food, plus a performance of classic Thai dance, a fruit and vegetable carving display and a demonstration of Thai kickboxing.
There was also a raffle and stands selling handicrafts from various Asian nations.
“This is our most important event of the year,” explained ALC president Gurinder Preet at the start of the event.
“The objective of our annual fundraiser is to showcase some of the most interesting aspects of Asian countries, while at the same time raising money for local charities.”
The money raised by this year’s brunch will be divided evenly between Ministerios de Amor, which tends to street children and other vulnerable youngsters, and Aquí Nadie Se Rinde, which provides assistance to children with cancer and their families.
Between the brunch, the sale of handicrafts and the raffle of donated prizes, Preet said that the 50-member organization was hoping to raise at least 60,000 pesos this year.
ALC vice president Arti Patel added that one of the club’s most important objectives is to broaden international friendships through cultural events and to “give back something to our host country.”
Each year, one Asian country or tradition is chosen to be spotlighted during the brunch. Last year the brunch centered around Asian wedding dresses and ceremonies, and the year before that, the theme was Indonesian culture.
“Asia is the world’s largest continent, so we have members from many different countries,” Preet said.
“Consequently, we try to incorporate aspects from each country in our various activities. For example, we usually celebrate the Chinese New Year and the Zoroastrian festival Nowrūz.”
Preet went on to say that the Asian Ladies Club has always considered charity work and public service a fundamental part of the organization’s charter.
Founded in 2001, the ALC is a nonprofit group of women from 68 different countries and territories who meet socially once a month to exchange experiences, promote goodwill and serve the community.
In addition to the group’s regular charities, the ALC has occasionally taken on special projects, such as raising money for the Mother Teresa home for abandoned children here in Mexico or helping to rebuild a school in Pakistan after the devastating 2005 earthquake.
“Even though our main function is as a service organization,” Preet said, “we try also to be a social support group for each of our members. We reach out to each other when someone falls ill or has a difficult problem, and we celebrate each other’s birthdays and other special occasions.”
This close solidarity among the members has, she said, helped to keep the ALC united and strong.
The ALC meets once a month at the home of one of its members on a rotating basis, and each lady brings a dish from her native country to contribute to a potluck meal.
Any woman who is a native Asian can join. There is a nominal annual membership fee.
More information
The Asian Ladies Club is a nonprofit social and service organization for ladies of Asian nationality.
The club meets the second Tuesday of every month.
For more information, contact the ALC at asianladiesclub@gmail.com.
WHAT’S NEW
Golden Orchid
Guerlain has just introduced the third generation of its iconic anti-aging Orchidée Impériale Cream with an evolved regenerative power featuring new technology and active ingredients. In addition to the existing orchids, Guerlain has selected the gold orchid to unlock the secret to skin longevity and cellular production. Skin is perfectly revitalized, continuously renewed and looks younger for longer. Clinical studies have shown that after just eight weeks, most women show improved firmness, density and radiance, and a 28 percent decrease in visible wrinkles and 44 percent decrease in the appearance of fine lines. The cream also evens tone and increases elasticity.
Age Eraser
The French luxury cosmetic line Sisley has launched a new chapter in its iconic Sisleÿa Global Anti-Age cream, which has been the brand’s best-selling age defying product for the last 17 years. Sisleÿa L’Intégral Anti-Age now includes a third dimension that not only acts on the visual signs of intrinsic and extrinsic aging, but also on those linked to behavioral aging, which accounts for up to 75 percent of aging overall. Sisleÿa L’Intégral helps the body to naturally produce more collagen and elastin by focusing on the skin’s cellular cycle functioning mechanisms. It hydrates and restructures the dermis to leave a more beautiful and youthful complexion.
Forever and Ever
Dior Forever & Ever Wear is an essential first-step primer for a high-perfection complexion. This under-makeup base helps to enhance foundation application and improve hold. It can be incorporated into your daily makeup routine between your skincare and foundation. Dior Forever & Ever Wear’s fluid, non-oily texture blends seamlessly to ensure instant optimal correction of the complexions and its holding polymers optimize makeup’s adherence. With each application, the poreless effect skincare ingredient helps refine skin’s texture. A single universal shade adapts to all skin colors and the little plastic bottle slips easily into a purse.
THE NEWS