Susan Boyle is on

Her story goes on. In this news video from mid April they show that her performance has been watched 11 million times on Youtube. But now it has been seen close to 60 millions times.



Amanda Holden, one of the shows judges, makes clearly reference to the hope of people, people like you and me. Hope is always driving us and that is the beauty of life. Hope always has driven me and made the beauty of my life.

And here we see Susan's second performance:

Memories

Did you play?

Did you play the "Free Rice" game? If not, please click on the "Free Rice" banner. You will be led to the game. It is simple and fun. You will learn new words. You will be challenged on words you think you know. You also can change the subject and test your skills on geography and many more. And above all, you will see how much rice you have donated to WFP.

Please play, I count on you. And I thank you.

I am happy, hundreds of thousands are not.

They are not happy. They have suffered since years. But in the last few months and weeks, they did not simply suffer. They went through hell. Now, they have come out of hell. But they are not in paradise yet. And when will they be in paradise again? If ever.

They have lost their fathers, their mothers, their brothers and sisters. How many times did I hear in the last few days: "I don't know where my husband is" or "Where is my son?". Yesterday, 20'000 had grievances, suffering and pain in their minds. Tomorrow, there will be 60'000. And that pain will subsist for days, weeks, months and years to come.

What can I do about this? Nothing, or not much. Except wipe the tears from my eyes. But I also can work hard with my colleagues so that these people get assisted, that they get some food.

It will not make them happy. I don't think they ever will be happy again.

But I am happy. Because with my very, very small contribution I might perhaps have contributed that they forget. For a few seconds.

***

1. The truck has arrived


2. Unloading of the truck


3. The cooking place


4. The food is cooked


5. Preparation to pack the food


6. Packing of the food in parcels


7. The distribution of food
No photo. No permission to take any.

Hello Old Fart, Hello Thom

I dedicate this to Old Fart and Thom.

Baron's Life brought me to this with his post for both of them So, let me bring in my voice. We often take granted that we just hop on a bus and go somewhere. Public transports (in particular in my country) are huge, efficient and needed entreprises. They are our lifeline. Busses are not only taking us to work, but also to shopping centers and leasure places. And they are driven, in summer with nice weather and in winter in harsh conditions, by drivers who know their job. And we feel very save with them.


This is a trolleybus from VMCV, the bus company of my hometown. It was famous with its trailer. This bus hails from the 1940ies and did run until 10 years ago.


Then they put these trolleys into service. They run Line 1, along lake Geneva, from Vevey via Montreux to Villeneuve. Frequency: Every 10 minutes. Imagine the number of busses, the line is 10 kilometers long.


Switzerland's biggest city has mainly a tramway network. But for the further suburbs, they run this "beast". Every 20 minutes.


Most of the Swiss population lives in towns and villages in the "plateau", the flatlands. But many live in mountain valleys, far from town and high above. No problem. The Swiss Postal Service has its bus service taking people to those "lost" places. In the Jura, in the Bernese, Grison, Vaud and Valais alps. Frequency: every 60 minutes.


My sleepy, boring, annoying little town of Olten, where I grew up is forerunner for something great: They have busses that run on natural gas. Frequency: Every 30 minutes.


Our capital city Berne uses busses too, but they are more in for tramways. And they have a very heavy schedule: Every 6 minutes.

So, Old Fart, Thom and all you other wonderful guys, taking care of us in safety and security, why should I climb in my car and struggle? When you are there to take me where I want to go.

In the name of all the bus users in this world: Thank you for your dedication.

Titania, the Starlight

Her last post was on 13th December 2008. There are over 100 comments on that post. She has not been around since then. We miss her a lot.


Titania, please come back. Bring back your shiny Starlight of funny, tender and witty posts. And help us do what you are so great at: "Finding Life's Enchantment".

More Sri Lankan Impressions

I was happy to have reached the hotel. The journey from the airport was about an hour and I was tired. And the humid heat was troubling me. The grooms of the hotel took my luggage. And where welcoming me with big beautiful and natural smiles.

The lobby of the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo is impressive. Thick carpets, wide open spaces. I got a room for 59 dollars. I mean, it was a suite. A big living room, an even bigger bedroom and a toilet/bathroom/shower with a mirror that was 3 meters large. All overlooking the Indian ocean. And on one side, sight on Government buildings. But I could not make photos. Because stickers on the windows advised me not to do so.

After a few moments of rest, I went down to visit the "Verandah" bar. As it was early evening, I felt that the climate was a bit more supportable. I enjoyed a whisky (without ice because of health concerns and then, it is best to drink whisky without ice anyway) and I looked around to "scrutinize" the patrons of this hotel.

I got hungry and the hotel staff might have felt that because they prepared a very magnificent buffet. About 15 meters long. With stirr fried shrimps, with mashed potatoes, with rice and lamb, chicken roast and many more delicious things. And I filled a plate. I went to my table and a "Lion Lager" beer was already waiting for me. I looked at my food and my mouth started watering. Not for long. I put the first fork in my mouth and within one second, all the water in my mouth dried up. A NASA space shuttle takes off very quickly and fast. But never as fast as I took off. The food was so spicy hot, I almost exploded. I coughed and a waiter approached me immediately, with concern on his face. I gulped down water and beer. The waiter advised me on alternatives to eat so that my taste buds would not be destroyed completely. And finally everything ended ok and I was not going to bed hungry. But I would have to be careful in the choice of places where I will eat.

On the first two days, I was busy at the office getting ready for my mission inland. UN ID-cards, security briefing, Ministry of Foreign Affairs approval and many more. A colleague suggested to take me for lunch.


And I discovered a very nice place. The "Cricket Club Café". They had spicy food. But they also had "regular" food. I ate a burger (I don't remember its name). It was simply fantastic, with nice french fries. I suggest that the people of McDonald's go there. Then they would know what a good burger is.


It was quite a busy time, with a lot of running around. And in the evening, I was happy to come back to the hotel. This lovely place, built in 1864, was the perfect setting to relax. To relax your mind. And your eyes. The hotel is very popular for weddings and in the five days I was there, many took place. It was always something that gave me the impression of perfect beauty. It is difficult to describe with words and at my next stay in Colombo, I will ask a wedding party if they would allow me to take some photos. By the way, there will be soon my "own" photos on the blog.


But I was not here to stay in Colombo, I had to move on to the north. And on wednesday, all my papers ok, I left. We travelled by road through a beautful countryside. We passed at Kurunegala. I saw road signs "Elephants crossing", but no elephants. It seems they cross later in the day, towards the evening.


In the afternoon we arrived in Anuradhapura were we made a stop. It was not far from our final destination, but we needed to get out of the car a bit. We had been on the road since 5 hours.


And finally we reached Vavuniya, my new home. Where I discovered beautiful Hindu temples, after having seen furthe south, beautiful Buddhist temples. I was driven to the guesthouse where I met my house "buddies": 2 men from Sweden, 1 from Denmark and 1 from USA.

They welcomed me warmly. With cold beer. But soon I went to bed, thinking about the very sweet bananas I bought on the road, thinking about all those peacock's I had seen crossing the roads and wondering if the elepahnts were crossing the roads now.

But not for long. I drifted off............

When I started using the Internet

I don't remember exactly, but it was right at the beginning when it was commercially available in Switzerland, I think in 1993.



With a 9.6 modem, then a 19.2 moden, after a 33 modem, followed by a 56 modem and then the jump to ADSL at various speeds.



I remember when it took long, long hours to download 5 megabytes. Now it takes minutes to download 500 meagbytes.



I also remember when, shortly after making my contract, my provider wrote an email to say "now we are 5'000". Three month later we were 7'000 and another three month later we were 25'000. And today, the provider has 3.5 million customers. Out of a total population of 7.7 million.



And so, I am a happy "interneter". Well, some times not so much. When I am living in a place where the technical facilities are not so brilliant.



But I will be happy anyway. The most important is to be on the web. Even, if sometimes, it is a bit.........

Sri Lankan Impressions

So I am back and settled in my duty station Vavuniya in the north of Sri Lanka. A six hours travel by road brought me from Colombo to here. Travel across of one of the most beautiful countries I ever have seen. Sri Lanka is also called (I don't remember where I saw that) "The Pearl of the Indian Ocean". How true this is.


Not considering why I am here, everything started out good. Last Thursday I took of from Zurich with an Boeing 777 from Emirates Airlines. In Business Class. With an excellent service, delicious food and excellent wines. It was a late day flight and I would survive the 6 hours flight without smoking problemless because I had 90 minutes to change planes in Dubai and there would be enough time to smoke one or two.

One should never to be sure of himself. When we landed in Dubai it just so happened that an Airbus 380 landed ahead of us. When we reached the terminal, there were hundreds of people (at 6 a.m.) queing for the security check. And my time "reserve" alloted for smoking diminished dangerously. When I was finally through the check, another problem occured. My stomach had become rebellous and I realised that I had a problem: Either smoke or go to toilet. There was no time for both. The stomach part became a big issue. I had decided to take care of that.

We resumed our journey and landed in Colombo after 4 hours. Immigration and customs formalities were simple, quick and with a lot of people smiling at me. I was picked up by a driver from my hotel. He welcomed me and we moved out of the airport.

I was immediately hit by the climate. Hot and humid, both very much. Very uncomfortable. I would have to get used to that. But what was more important was a smoke. I had not smoked for more than 12 hours. I asked the driver if I could smoke one before we leave. He said that he has to get the car. And whilst I was waiting for him I smoked. What a relief. People passing by looked at me, in a particular way. And when my cigi was finished I noticed that there were no butts on the ground. Oowhoo. I grasped it: In Asian countries is there not something about smoking in public? I know for sure in Singapore. Not because I had been there but because I read about it.

So I put my cigarette rest in my pocket. The driver came and we drove to Colombo town. What an impressive trip. So many things to see. On the right, on the left. I was now in Asia, for the first time in my life. After a short time on the trip to town, I knew that a new world would open to me. A new world I am eager to discover.

And you will know about it.

Jazz on the 5th, Nr. 12

This is for my Canadian friends. Maynard Ferguson, the excellent Canadian trumper player, and his orchestra. I have seen him several times when he was touring Europe.

Be careful, this is going to be wild (and loud). A delight for a big band freak like me.

I have arrived

My internet setups don't work. I will have to figure out something in the coming days. But right now I am connecting with the "business service" of the hotel I am staying at. At 100 rupies per 10 minutes. Which is not quite 1 dollar. So, for emergency this is satisfactory.


I have some administration to do, like getting the Ministry of Foreign Affairs ID card, like getting my security briefing and clearance. And then I will be set to go to the North.

Meanwhile, I am staying at the lovely Galle Face Hotel, at the ocean front. This hotel was built in 1864 and has a charm the "new" hotels don't have.

That is it for now. Soon more. Take care.

PS. There will be "Jazz on the 5th". I prepared it before I left.