In 2007 I was impressed by: (part 1)

The oldest guide in the worldWhen I visited the province of KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa halfway through 2007, I got the oldest guide in the world for one day. Thomas Rudolo is 81 years old, he is quick-witted, knows a lot of places, names and dates by heart as if he’s still a young student, and once in a while he says: ‘which year was that again, I’m getting old’. He drove me at 120km an hour to the Battlefields and the Midlands. Near Pietermaritsburg in Howick he made a pitstop. ‘At this place, Nelson Mandela was arrested in 1962. That was the beginning of his 27 year detention’. Thomas blinked away a tear and so did I. And we drove further through the hills with green farmlands... I’m still grateful to Syavayatours for letting me spend some time with the oldest guide in the world for one day.

A new profession in the meetings industry: Welcomer Can our industry still invent a new profession? I was convinced not. Until that day that the first Pullman hotel in Paris – Paris Rive Gauche – opened its doors, and I encountered a well-dressed young man with an orange tie. I hadn’t had the chance to report myself to the reception or he began to speak to me as if I was his personal guest. He reminded me of warm Asian hospitality on cool Parisian territory. I asked him about his function: ‘Welcomer,’ he replied very politely.

Girl with moon settingHotel visits can sometimes be a little bit annoying. Always the same dull stories about the number of hair driers in each room and which drinks are available in the minibar. Ugh! And then all of a sudden, this young trainee appears in front of me in the recently opened Hilton hotel in Reykjavik. Very confident she says: ‘in this conference room, 35 people can be seated in moon setting.’ - ‘What did you say,’ I ask again. ‘Moon setting,’ she repeats. ‘Who invented that,’ I inform. ‘I did,’ she says very convincing. Edda Hrund, I would like to compose a new conference jargon with you in 2008! Half-moon setting, full moon setting, first quarter setting and even meet in lunar eclipse! Down with all the dullness of theatre, school and all these tedious schoolish settings.

(to be continued)