Interesting talks

Spent most of the evening at the European Patent Office. Every Friday, there’s an extensive drink in session here and once in a while, Betsy and I get invited through her ABN-AMRO contacts.

This night, we met two Brits, one of which who had given princess Diana a peck on the cheek during her honeymoon and had met president Mandela in the mid-nineties. The other had met both Mandela and Tutu at a function in Trinidad (as you do).

The first guy was going to work as head of security of some major bank, balancing an annual budget of 14 million pounds (!!!). He also had been stationed in Iraq, during the first world war and said he had never felt so uncomfortable, with all those Americans around him.
He had some interesting views on the hostage crises in the south of Russia, which ended today. He believed the Russians should have stayed put, not attack, when the bombs went off inside the school. It wouldn’t have been nice, but chances of the 200 children, or so, who died, would have been better.

Chantal, visiting us from abroad, I mean Limburg, had gone ahead to the function in Rijswijk, but by taxi. Betsy and I had gone over by bike. It meant we cycled back with Chantal taking Betsy’s bike and me pedalling on the other bike with Betsy on the bike seat.

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