Over nothern Europe
Posted by Patrik Edvardsson | Posted in Amsterdam , Ban Ki-Moon , Gordon Brown , Helsinki , International Herald Tribune , KLM , Kofi Annan | Posted on 5:15 PM
On a KLM-flight from Helsinki to Amsterdam. The humming sound from the engine is quietly constant as shattered clouds slowly pass under us. Kofi Annan writes an opinion piece in the International Herald Tribune. He argues that it is the developing countries, chiefly in Africa, that are 'under threat' from the financial crisis. They cannot be forgotten, he writes as he also dive into global warming and the weak international effort during the Palestine conflict. Later in the paper Ban Ki-moon, the current UN secretary general, echoes this message as he claims that 'now more than ever the world's poor need your help'. Gordon Brown is more into number, of course, illustrating the problem by arguing that 'lending to emerging countries was dropping to $150 billion next year from $1 trillion two years ago.' I take a final sip of my coffee from my olive green KLM-paper cup and look out of the window. From here the world looks like a peacefull and calm place as we head south with two humming engines. 1,2 kilometers up in the air, over comforting clouds.
Kofi Annan http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/01/30/opinion/edannan.php
Gordon Brown and Ban Ki-Moon: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/01/30/news/Davos-Forum.php
Kofi Annan is my best ever celebrity spotting target. I saw him in the Grand Hotel lobby in Stockholm. My second best is Bob Hansson at Stortorget in Örebro.
Erik: haha, Bob Hanson is a pretty distant second to Kofi. I'm very bad at spotting famous people myself, and I have a very bad memory, so when I do spot famous people, I tend to forget about it. I do remember seeing Paul Shafer when I was in New York in 2001 though, and Johan Glans, he was really short. Also think I saw James Murphy (LCD Soundsystem) walk his dog when I lived in San Francisco. Very indie.