Spring is here, but let's get ready for summer

The winter has been long and cold. So, perhaps spring will be shorter and leading us to a warm summer, for compensation of the past few "bad" month.

And it will be time for our summer music festivals to come. With great bands to listen to and to reminisc about past times. Like when I was in the army.



But we still have to wait some weeks or month. I put these two videos to help you (and me) to wait patiently.

Not Las Vegas, but something smaller

Today I was here:


In the "Kursaal" in Berne, our capital city. This place represents about 0.0001 percent of what Las Vegas is. I mean, the building is big. But is only one building. In Las Vegas (I never was there, but I know from TV) there are hundreds of them.

The Kursaal is an institution. Clicking on the link will take you to their website (in English) and you can discover all the things they offer and provide. I have been many times there. In younger years, when my parents lived in Berne, I attended "New Year" parties there. I also went to attend jazz concerts, like the one of Lionel Hampton, or, a few years ago, Maynard Ferguson, this outstanding Canadian trumpet player. With his as outstanding, wild and great Big Band.

There is a huge multipurpose hall in the Kursaal. For concerts, for forum discussions, for celebrations, for society dancing competitions where professional dancers compete in saloon and latin dancing for European championships.


There are different sitting arrangements possible. Today it looked like in this picture. There was an attendance of around 600 people. For a very serious and important event: "The Annual Convent" of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation and its Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit. A division of the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The people I worked for in the past 10 years.

Attendance is by invitation and participants are from various Government agencies or Ambassadors from counntries accredited in Switzerland, representatives of international organisations and of Swiss Industry.

The Swiss humanitarian aid is presented to the audience and reviewed. In the first part of the day, the Director of the agency makes his speech, followed by a speech by the Minister of Foreign Affairs (a top shot lady). After this, different activities and projects are presented. A nice mixture of technical topics and geographic topics. All are either animated with small group discussions on the stage, hosted by famous (Swiss) TV stars, or short film shows. And photo shows by people who have been working in the field.

One the geographic topics was Sudan. When I saw the programme of the day, a few month ago, with the mention of Sudan, I feared the worst. And my fear (nightmare) came true a few weeks ago, when I got a message from the agency saying that I had to make a presentation of my work in Darfur. Why, I am retired!! Well, that was no excuse.

I made my speech. I did not sweat. I even got applause. I don't know whether I did well. I was too busy getting out of this alive.

But all in all, it was, as usual, a nice day. Specially the cocktail party at the end of it.

A Quilly story

Today I will take a QUEACHY way and walk to the stage in a JIBBERISH manner to make a speech. And at the end of the day, I will (and others) be met by a BACCHANTE.

More about this tonight.

The breakup (there was not even a start)

I was perhaps 15 years old. I was in love with Anne-Marie. We went to the same school, we were in the same class. Anne-Marie sat three rows ahead of me and had long auburn hair.

Some of our lessons took place in another school. I carried her bag. In summer I bought ice-cream for her. When it was raining, I carried her umbrella. And Anne-Marie always smiled at me.

Every year we had a one day school trip to some place. Either we went to the alps. Or to a museum. Or to the public swimming pool. And Anne-Marie always sat with me. She made sandwiches for me.

She was lovely and I loved her. And I wanted to tell her. But I was shy. And I did not tell her. But I thought that she might be in love with me too. After all, we were always sticking together and she was so sweet with me.

And then came the day. We had a school party, in the afternoon, in a nice little dancing which had been made available for us. We only drank soft drinks and did not smoke. Nothing, no cigarettes, no wee.

The party was going on, we danced, we had fun.And then, after having danced some "smoochy, smoochy" with Anne-Marie, we sat down and she looked at me. With the sweetest smile you can imgagine. She came closer to me and said: "Peter, I would like to tell you something".

I started to climb towards heaven. And Anne-Marie said: "Peter, you have always been so nice with me, I feel good when I am with you. I am shy about it, but you know, I have to tell you. I am madly in love with Kurt. As he is your best friend, could you not hint it to him. I am so afraid that he will reject me".

Well, heaven turned into hell. And this was the first time in my life I had a broken heart.

It was not the last time.

A different kind of CV

Swiped or borrowed this meme from Dr. John. It is like a kind of curriculum vitae. Unfit for presentation to a potential employer.

1. What is your occupation right now? Retiree, trying to find his way

2. What color are your socks right now? Socks? Black– I only have black socks

3. What are you listening to right now? A mother shouting at her kid.

4. What was the last thing that you ate? Fish soup

5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes, I did the last time about a week ago.

6. Last person you spoke to on the phone? A friend of mine

7. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Yes

8. How old are you today? 65+

9. What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? UEFA Champion’s League Football (soccer)

10. What is your favorite drink? Chilean Red Wine (and water)

11. Have you ever dyed your hair? No

12. Favorite food? Emincé de veau à la Zurichoise

13. What is the last movie you watched? Independence Day

14. Favorite day of the year? Every day

15. How do you vent anger? I am seldom angry (I don’t remember when I was angry last)

16. What was your favorite toy as a child? Dinky toys and Lego (just came out then)

17. What is your favorite season? Autumn – colourful forests

18. Cherries or Blueberries? Cherries

19. Do you want your friends to e-mail you back? If they like

20. Who is the most likely to respond? 5 billion people?

21. Who is least likely to respond? We will see

22. Living arrangements? A nice apartment overlooking the lake and one minute to walk to the lake

23. When was the last time you cried? When I left Sudan, two month ago.

24. What is on the floor of your closet? A lot of rubbish

25. What did you do last night? Check my friends blogs

26. What are you most afraid of? Not to be in this lovely world anymore.

27. Favorite day of the week? Friday

28. How many states have you lived in? If it is Swiss states: Berne, Solothurn, Zurich, Vaud: 4. If the states are countries: Switzerland, Rwanda, South Africa, Belgium, Ghana, Mauritania, Chad, Niger, Russia, Kosovo, Sudan: 11

29. Diamonds or pearls? Neither

30. What is your favorite flower? Roses, to give to my wife. Often.

In defense of my vice:

My biggest vice is my smoking. I started when I was 15. Today, I am 65. Yeah! Celebration: 50 years of smoking.

I know, I should not. But I can't quit. I am weak. I tried many times. As of now, my doctor did not tell me to quit. But the day he says I should quit, I will change the doctor.

I enjoy smoking. When I have stress (which is seldom) I cool down with a cigarette. Or when I have to think, it goes better with a smoke. And after a meail, how nice to have a pull.

But I am a decent smoker. In a restaurant (the very few ones that are left where you can smoke), I would never light a cigarette when I see that the people at the next table are eating. And at home I do not want to incomodate my family with my smoking. That is why I smoke on the balcony. Even in the harshest winter. That is why I bought a coat with which I could go to the North Pole.

Well, that is my little defense of my vice. Now, I will not go and smoke one. Because I smoked when I wrote this. In my office. Which is not the same place where my family is.

Some advertising, for others (and for me)

Lately, I have made some (minor) changes to my blog again. Though "twitter" in the right column tells you what I am up to, I guess it might not always attract the attention of what I say. Like that I have added new blogs to my "Favorite Blogs".

In the last two weeks I came across two lovely blogs. "Floating Life" is covering a wide range of subjects and is very interesting to read. The same day I hit on "Baron's Life...." which immediately seduced me by its humour. And yesterday, I fell on (by recommendation of "Baron's Life) a brand new blog I feel we should encourage: "A Lady's Life"
.
She just started blogging and I have the feeling that she will be soon in "My favorite Blogs". Please go and visit her.


I have also added in the right column "A bit of fun". There you will find the link to one of "Baron's Life..." posts which I found particularely amusing and I will change it frequently.

Then, of course, I have my "old" blogging friends. One of them, Dr. John, impresses me with his "Saying of the day". I have been following his blog since two years now and found it worthwhile to "copy" his sayings from time to time on my blog.

You also might have noticed that a post of mine, a few days ago, had a "Plinky" witched at the end. This is something cute to make a quick post, based on a catalogue of prompts you can choose from. I will use this in the future (though not exclusively) and suggest that you go and visit the site.

On top of my blog there is now "Sunday's "old" post of mine". Every sunday you will find one of my previous stories. Most of the time, these are posts that meant something to me, or originated a lot of comments or simply were silly.

And every Thursday, in the right column too, I have a "Why", on an actual topic or on nothing particular.

There, I am sure, will be always changes to blogs. So, that's not the end of my changes.

More cities

I used to work for an international forwarding company who was IATA agent. One day, in August 1991, we received a letter from SAS Scandinavian Airlines. They offered to any staff member of an IATA agent an airticket to any destination in Scandinavia. For 100 dollars. Immediately I applied for a week of leave and checked out what was the furthest I could go. It was Norway. And I went. Arriving in Oslo, I took a train to Trondheim. I did not have much time to spend there as I took another train to go up north to Bodö. From which I took a "Hurtigrute" ship back to Trondheim. Now I was able to spend 2 days there. I loved it very much. And went back to Trondheim in April 1998. And spent a week and in the region. It is my intention to go back to Norway.


The famous French singer Gilbert Bécaud made a song "Nathalie" were he sings about Moscow and the Red Square. Me, the only thing I knew about Moscow was the grim looking Breshnew's and Kossygin's on TV when they assisted the May 1 parade. But it seemed so far and so unreachable. But in 1998/1999 I worked in a turn around management programme and had the chance to go to Russia several times. Moscow was a real discovery. A beautiful city with monuments, also in the region. Walking across the Red Square was another taste of the big, wide world. And the Russians are not looking grim. They are in fact very nice, warm and hospital people. We Swiss can learn a lot from them. Like not nagging and complaining all the time about futile things. It would be nice if I could go back.


And again a cheap travel offer. For 50 dollars. The European City-Night line train. Any destination. The furthest to go was Dresden in the Eastern part of Germany, close to the Tchech border. When I went in November 1998, Germany had been reunited just a few years ago. So, coming to Dresden one could still see the "left over" of the former GDR. But there were already very modern tramways criss crossing the city in a very big network. It was fantastic to see how this city, completely destroyed during World War II had been rebuilt again. The Semper Opera is a beautiful, but not the only, example. I want to go back to Dresden also.


The famous, typical "Indonesian Rice Table", has been many times the reason for me to go to Amsterdam. I ate this delicious food for the first time in 1969. The last time I went was in 2001. With my wife. We wanted to go to Helmond to visit the Vlisco cloth factory. They made the famous "Real Dutch Java Wax Print" material which the women all over Africa use to dress with. We stayed a few days in Amsterdam and I took my wife for an "Indonesian Rice Table". She thought it would be like in a Chinese Restaurant. When they brought the menu of the rice table, we looked at and I passed the order. When the waitress left my wife asked what I had ordered. I looked a bit puzzled and said "But everything". And now my wife looked puzzled. The meal was, as always, delicious and we had a good time. My wife wants to go to Amsterdam again.


In September 2002 my agency (I was working in Kosovo at that time) had organised a one week training I attended. When we flew back to Prishtina, there was a problem. As we were approaching the airport, the pilots could not get the landing gear out. So we were circling for a time and finally, they managed to get the wheels out manually. There was a problem with the hydraulic system. We could have landed in Prishtina but the aircraft could not have been steered on the ground and would have needed a tractor to pull it of the runway. But the airport did not have a tractor big enough to do so. The pilots were searching for an alternate airport in the region and they found Sofia in Bulgaria. We landed safely and we had to wait for a night and a day to continue our journey to Kosovo. We were taken to the city and I liked what I saw, though it was only little. Whilst I was working in Darfur, I was flying around a lot in Russian MI-8 helicopters of WFP's UNHAS (I wrote about it). Flown by Bulgarian pilots. Many of them have become friends. And invited me to go and visit them. And that is why I want to go back to Sofia.

This would go in my care package to a homesick overseas friend

A bottle of "Bordeaux" wine, if he is from France
He would appreciate to drink something else than water.

A "Grison nut cake", if he is from Switzerland
It will remind him of his Grison mountains but has the risk of making him more homesick.

A can of "Tomato Paste", if he is from Italy
To make him feel good to eat "Spaghetti Napolitana".

A real "Coca Cola, if he is from the US.
Because, if he is in some lost place, he will not need "Diet Coke"

A "Bratwurst", if he is from Germany
Then, even if he is only drinking water, he can imagine that he is at the "Oktoberfest".

Dr. John, you might want to change residence!

This is for you, Dr. John.

About two years ago I posted about the brotherhood I am a member of. Soon, I will put that post in my Sundays "old" post.

Twice a year we have a nice function in this castle.


The "Château de Chillon". Besides the castle of Versailles in France, "our" castle is very popular too among tourists, from Switzerland and all over the world.

The castle is located about one hours walk from where I live. A nice walk along the shores of Lake Geneva. In summer, I make this walk at least twice a month.

If you like, Dr. John, I can inquire about the price of the castle. I am though afraid that they will throw me in the lake immediately if I dare to ask.

I had an argument (and an outcry)

Last November, just before I was ending my 4 years mission in Darfur, I was sitting in a café in Khartoum, with a colleague. It was always a pleasure to be with her and to discuss about a milion things. At that time, several month had passed since Luis Moreno-Ocampo had filed his suit against President Omar Al-Bashir at ICC, the International Criminal Court.

I had a terrible argument with my colleague. On the ICC issue. She was a very strong defender of bringing the Sudanese President to court. And I was strongly opposed. She argued that people who do or did something wrong should be brought to justice. In particular when it involves war crimes and crimes against humanity. I said that of course I agree with this but that one has to look at the way how it is done. I told her that issuing an arrest warrant will not do anything. She answered that it would by all means send a signal. And I replied that it will make a big mess.


And now we have a big mess. ICC issued the warrant. It is obvious that the Sudanese authorities will never accept this. The international community is divided on this issue anyway. The Arab Ligue, the African Union and the Chinese Government are requesting for the execution of this warrant to be postponed. ICC could have made a statement that, in principle, there is a case but that the proceedings will be postponed by 12 month. They could have invoked article 16 of the court law to do so.

To give a chance for peace in Darfur to come. Of course, this chance is slim. But one has to give the benefit of the doubt. A few weeks ago, the JEM rebels and the Sudan Government have signed a first document in Doha. It just could be the beginning of something good to happen. But, of course, doubts are permitted. After all, the Darfur Peace Agreement signed in May 2006 (by only one rebel party) and hailed by the international community as a "major breakthrough for peace in Darfur", did not bring any peace. How can it, when the agreement is not signed by all parties concerned.

So, still no peace in Darfur, a "goof up" by an international institution (supported by Western nations), an angry government and its reaction. Kicking out international NGO. 10 of them, maybe more to come. I know all of them. In my last 10 years as a humanitarian aid worker I got to know them, in many different ways. Their not "being around" anymore will certainly not get the Sudanese President arrested. But the suffering of the people of Darfur will certainly become more terrible.


"Save the Children" has many activities in Darfur. They are also a partner of WFP for General Food Distribution and Supplementary Feeding Programmes. They are a superb organisation, with truly engaged staff in the field.


"Action contre la Faim" is equally efficient, with young, very much engaged and enthousiastic people. They run clinics in camps, they do therapeutic feeding and contribute a lot to well being of the population.


"Oxfam" has numerous activities and they are great for providing water. They are specialist in this. And very efficient. Once they are gone, for how long will people have access to water?


"Médécins sans Frontieres" is a true giant of humanitarian aid. Doctors, nurses and other qualified staff are giving their lifes to support people needing medical assistance. They could make careers in their countries of origin but the prefer to go to "terrible" places to help people. And when things are getting tough, they stay on the spot till the bitter end.


"IRC" is known to me, among other activities, as camp coordinators. When I was WFP Head of Field Office, we worked with them. They did a great job of organising camp coordination meetings, of registering new arrivals and coordination assistance for them. And they were on my back all the time to ensure that food assistance was given quickly.

These are just a few NGO's (partners of WFP) I have been presenting, there will be more that will get kicked out. I cannot imagine the terrible impact this will have on the population in Darfur.

Of course, all these organisations have national staff. They trained them and they will be able to continue the work. But only for a short time. The problem is that national staff has often no "power" when it comes to discuss with authorities. I could make a long list of things that will bring hardship because of NGO's that are not around anymore. Let me just tell you that it will become terrible.

Here is some more reading from Peter Casier, a blogging friend of mine.

I will come back on this issue.

But I maintain my opinion that the ICC ruling is just a "stroke in the air". And doing nothing else but put the people of Darfur in a more terrible situation than they have been already. And that was already bad. I have witnessed it for 4 years.

PS. As I was to finish this post, I have learned that two other NGO's were expulsed:





Both CARE and Solidarités are also partners of WFP. Involved in General Food Distribution. And reaching a huge number of people in need. Hundreds of thousands of them. Even when the security situation was extremely bad. And that was often.

So, we have now the result:

1. A president who has an arrest warrant against him and most PROBABLY will never appear in court.

2. An huge, very huge, number of people who will face DEFINITELY more hardship and never ending suffering.

Can the international community be satisfied with this?

I am worried. For the people in Darfur. For all the devoted people, international and national, working with these NGO's. And, last but not least, for all my colleagues and friends I left behind of this wonderful, amazing organisation:

The United Nations World Food Programme. I know they are not sleeping right now. They are working very hard to find ways to continue to bring assistance to the people in need.

Jazz on the 5th, Nr. 10

He suffered from "Osteogenesis imperfecta", also called "Brittle Bone Disease". He died in 1999 at the age of 37 years. And I had the immense fortune to see him in a very memorable concert in Montreux, at the Jazz Festival.

Michel Petrucciani was simply a genius. France had and has many good jazz musicians. When it comes to piano players, Michel is certainly one of the world's top artists. There is not much more I will say. What is the use of words when you watch his performance of Duke Ellington's "Caravan"?