Five days left

In five days I will leave "MY" lovely island of Sri Lanka. My mission is finished.


I have started to say Good Bye to my many colleagues who have become friends.


I will miss the beauty of this country. I will miss the beauty of its people from any ethnic group, civilians, government officials and army officers and staff. I will miss their kindness, their friendliness, their warmth and their smile.


But like this Buddah, I am looking over the countryside for a last time. And have, somehow, the feeling that I will be back soon.

I might bore you

Again a story about airplanes. But this time it is rather a story about an airline. My love story with Lufthansa. The story has developped because I was "orphaned". As a Swiss, I did fly for many years with our lovely and great airline "Swissair". But then, a few years ago, this great airline disappeared because of bad management. So, for a certain time, I was flying with several airlines, not bad ones. But I was still an "orphan". I had not found a new "home" in the air yet.


And then, late 2004, I started to travel again. Long distance. To Khartoum. From Geneva via Frankfurt. With Lufthansa. When I knew that I was going to fly with them, I thought that I will experience German austerity and authority. How wrong I was.

First, I was sitting in an impeccable Airbus 330-300. Lufthansa just had received them in 2004. Second, all the flight attendants were wonderfully and warmly smiling at you and "can I help your with your hand luggage?".


During 4 years I flew every six weeks from Khartoum to Geneva and back. And never, not once, did I have something to complain about. The meals were good, the inflight shopping was good. During night flights there was no need to call for water, because the ladies were walking up and down all the time with juices or water, just in case somebody needed a drink.

I loved when de "Maître de Cabin" made an announcement: "Ladies and Gentlemen, as soon as we have reached the cruising altitude we will serve you drinks and after a dinner. We also would like you to know that besides German and English, we also speak French, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, Hindu, Thai, Norwegian (I stop here now, often they added more languages). And if required, please don't hesitate to call us. My colleagues and I are here to make your flight comfortable".


And comfortable we were indeed. I always was thrilled when I took my Lufthansa flight (LH 590/LH591). Because when the ladies stopped at my seat and asked: "What would you like to drink, Sir?", my standard answer was: "A whisky with some ice, please". With a smile it was given to me and I sat back, relaxed, enjoyed the whisky and my terrible fear of flying vanished. Because for me it was simple: Nothing can happen to me when I am sitting in a Lufthansa Airbus.

So, I really enjoyed every flight with Lufthansa. But this put me in trouble. In one of my last flights, one of the attendants came to me and asked if I would like to fill in one of those forms where you give your passengers/customers appreciation of the service. I refused. The lady was surprised and asked if I where not satisfied. I said that everything was ok but I could or would not fill in the form. Seeing her puzzled, I told her why: "In the last few years, I have filled so many of those forms (at my initiative) that your bosses will think that I am crazy when they receive another one". She looked at me and laughed out loud. I filled in the form again.


A few times I flew business class in the Airbus A330-300. Just like in this picture (I am not the one). The famous new Recaro seat. What a luxury, what a pleasure to transform my seat in a 2 meter long flat bed.

I could tell you dozens of stories on this wonderful Lufthansa. Like when I flew from Geneva to Frankfurt which is a one hour flight. During this hop, you get a breakfast. But one day, the weather was really bad: "Cabine crew, please stop the service and take your seats" came from the cockpit. The plane was shaking, it was extremely bad and some of the passengers did scream. And there came the cockpit again: "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is your captain. As you have noticed we have extreme bad weather conditions. I know that many of you are sceared and very anxious. I just would like you to know that there is no danger, the aircraft is supporting this and I promise you that we will bring safely to Frankfurt. I know it sound silly when I tell you please sit back and relax; so I tell you: don't be afraid". And everybody in the cabin cooled down. Did someone up there also hear the captain's message? All of a sudden everything became calm again and we landed safely in Frankfurt.


Though in the last 12 month I did not fly with Lufthansa because I went to one of the few destinations where they don't go, I will follow the "crane" again. Because it is with Lufthansa I feel at "home" up there.


I will continue to profit from their 360 degree service par excellence, in the air, on the ground and on the internet. I will want to fly with them because from my home base airport Geneva, they offer me the best connections to everywhere (well, almost).


And soon I will fulfill a dream: A journey on a Lufthansa Airbus A380. As soon as they put it in service.

Lufthansa, thanks to you, I am not an air "orphan" anymore.

Saving Lifes

Saving lifes. That is what we are doing in our daily work of giving food assistance to people in need. But sometimes we do a different thing.

We get the water in our house from an open well and pump it into a tank on the roof when needed. Last week, when I went out to start the pump, I did hear a cat miauw and I could hear from the sound that it was terrible. I followed the noise and discovered that the cat had fallen into the well. What to do? No long hesitation. We have a Toyota Landcruiser Buffalo with a wench and a cable. My friend Leon hooked himself to the cable and we let him down.


Deep down, Leon tries to put the cat in the bucket. It does not work. She escapes.


We send down a second bucket. No success.


Still struggling, but at least the "beast" is fixed on the spot.


And now Leon can put her in the big bucket.


Thumbs up. Lift!


And up she comes, slowly, back to safety.


And then, of course, we also have to bring him back on firm ground. Leon, our hero of the day.

Curiosity kills the cat. Not this time.

WHY?

WFP OFFICE IN ISLAMABAD BLASTED

Statement On Explosion At WFP Offices In Islamabad, Pakistan
Published on 05 October 2009


WFP is providing vital food assistance to as many as 10 million people across Pakistan, including 2 million Pakistani civilians displaced by conflict in the Swat Valley region earlier this year.

Five people working for WFP have now been confirmed dead after what local police are describing as a suicide bomb attack at the WFP offices in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The attack took place at 12:15 local time. A number of injured – some of whom are in a critical condition – are being treated in hospital.

“I wish to express my deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of those dedicated WFP staff members who were killed or injured in this terrible attack,” said WFP Executive Director, Josette Sheeran.

“All of the victims were humanitarian heroes working on the frontlines of hunger in a country where WFP food assistance is providing a lifeline to millions. This is a tragedy – not just for WFP – but for the whole humanitarian community and for the hungry.”

Jazz on the 5th, Nr. 17

A jewel, a treat. A video from 1963. "Jive Samba" performed by the great Cannonball Adderley with his alto sax, accompagnied by his also great brother Nat on the trumpet, Yusuf Lateef, as great, with his solo on the flute and the not less great Joe Zawinul on the piano.

A feast for the eyes, a feast for the ears.