No lounging for Rev. Stith on his busy African tour
Hospitality, not happenstance, explains why the renovation of the storied Bristol Lounge coincides with the Rev. Charles Stith's month-plus travels through Africa.
Well, at least according to Stith. "I told [manager] Tom [Gurtner] of my plans to visit with the heads of state in South Africa, Zambia, Ghana, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Botswana," Stith said, during a phone conversation from Johannesburg.
"I thought that the temporary closing of the Bristol during my travels was just another example of the Four Seasons going the extra mile to accommodate one of its most loyal patrons."
The former US ambassador to Tanzania and current director of Boston University's African archives lauded the "classiness, convenience, and collegiality" of the 17-year-old lounge, which has offered its fireside sofas and free wasabi twists to everyone from local Bostonians to The Boss.
After regretting that he would not have a chance to toast his wife at the lounge on Valentine's Day, Stith shared news of his travels and diplomatic meetings across the continent that will help lay the foundation for the African Presidential Round Table that BU hosts in late April.
"We'll be convening nine former heads of state from Africa to discuss their countries' present and future," said Stith, whose post has him traveling to Africa twice a year. "I can say from this trip that the countries that anchor this continent are very interested in what is happening in Boston right now. In particular, they want to know what is happening on the high-tech front, from the businesses along [Route] 128 to the role that places such as MIT and BU are playing in making the area an emerging center for technology."
Then there's the business of politics. Keeping an eye on the field of Democrats vying for president, Stith is optimistic that front-runner Senator John Kerry will hold his lead by the the time African leaders arrive in Boston. Stith said he looks forward to inviting Kerry to the conference and having him answer questions on the African Growth and Opportunity Act, the third version of which is currently being debated in Congress.
With plans to return to the city March 3, days after the Bristol Lounge reopens, Stith will have a chance to catch his breath in his favorite haunt, which he plans to share with African leaders.
