Category Archives: Photographs

January 29, 2015 · 11:10 pm

Liming in Tobago…

I guess a short visit to Tobago did not give enough time to enjoy the full sense of liming – that very special occupation of working hard at doing nothing while sharing food, drink and laughter with friends – but it did provide an insight into just what a pleasurable activity that can be!  The island is actually much bigger than it might appear on a map (300 sq kms) , and it was crazy to try to circumnavigate it by car in just one day!  Definitely not liming – although evenings spent with Carib beer and local rum to wash down the fresh fish went some way to make up for the energy spent swimming and walking during the day!

For those who like hidden away, almost empty beaches, the east of Tobago is far preferable to the larger beach resorts on the flat western tip of the island, and the forested slopes of Main Ridge, which was designated as a protected Crown reserve in 1776, provide a rich habitat for the diversity of colourful birds.  Argyle waterfall is also definitely worth a visit – but the unofficial guides at the entrance by the main road are to be avoided.  Visitors should make sure that they go to the main car park and official pathway!  A bit of effort also takes one to some of the beautifully maintained historical sites such as Fort King George and Fort James, and it is definitely worth wandering around the capital Scarborough, with its colourful buildings and murals.

Thanks to all of my friends who persuaded me to visit – at last!  I hope that the following pictures do some justice to the island and its people.

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January 26, 2015 · 8:50 pm

Tobago: life on a wall

Visiting Scarborough today – that’s Scarborough in Tobago, not Scarborough, Yorkshire – I came across this amazing mural painted on a wall just beneath the Botanical Garden.  It captures so much of the culture of the island, represented in dancing, colour and energy, that I could not but help take some photographs – and share them here in the hope that others will enjoy them as much as I did!

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December 20, 2014 · 7:36 am

Pre-Christmas skiing in Kitzbuhel

It is always a risk going skiing before Christmas, but Kitzbuhel usually has snow when many other places do not.  That was certainly the case last week!  As the pictures below illustrate, although the valley was snow free for most of the week, there were enough runs open with good snow to enable us to have some great skiing.  Skiing in bright sunlight above the clouds down in the valley was amazing, and we only lost one day due to the cloud and rain!  It was also just so relaxing walking through the beautiful town in the evenings.  Thanks to Jonathan for making all the arrangements, and to everyone else on the trip who made it such a good week!

 

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December 8, 2014 · 6:59 pm

An evening walk through Doha’s Souq Waqif

One of the many challenges of attending conferences is that one usually has to spend around 12 hours a day deep underground in cavernous halls, or in dim windowless rooms watching images and words on large screens!  Not only is one left bereft of natural light, but air conditioning is no replacement for the oxygen of fresh air!  So after the main activities of ITU’s Telecom World were over today, I took myself back to Doha’s Souq Waqif just to immerse myself in the smells of spices, shisha and the wonderfully rich oud perfumes, to glimpse the rich colours of the textiles and jewels, to hear the laughter of small children and the squaks of parrots, and just to walk among ‘real’ people far from the robots and aggressive capitalism of many in the ICT and telecommunications sector who were expounding the virtues of the latest technologies at the conference!  Although this souq is a relative modern re-interpretation of the souq that used to be here, it continues in that rich tradition of sounds, smells, tastes and textures that have always dominated markets in the region.  I hope that the pictures below capture something of the reality of this world beyond the virtual!

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November 1, 2014 · 9:58 pm

Wentworth Fireworks Event, 2014

This evening was the annual fireworks party celebration at the Wentworth Club in Virgina Water.  It is several years since I last went, but the display this year was spectacular, and I hope that the images below capture something of the show!

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Thanks to everyone who made this possible!  It was a fitting evening after the magnificent rugby match at Twickenham between Australia and the Barbarians!

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October 22, 2014 · 1:15 am

In praise of the Park Hyatt, Busan

Just occasionally I discover fine wines, great restaurants and lovely places to stay that I feel I just have to write about!  On my latest trip to Korea I have found just such a hotel, the Park Hyatt in Busan.  On my last visit to Seoul, I remember above all else the hospitality and generosity of our hosts, but coming to Busan I have discovered a whole new side to the country and its people.

The Park Hyatt is without doubt one of the nicest hotels I have stayed in for a long time.  The decor is sophisticated and functional; the rooms are beautifully appointed and decorated in pale oak colours – mine looks over the yachting harbour used in the 1988 Seoul Olympics; the staff are all amazingly helpful, friendly and oh, so courteous; there are several different lounges with varying styles and colours, but all very comfortable; the food is delicious (albeit at a price); and the swimming pool is amazing.  And, having spent so much time in hotels that charge ridiculous prices for Internet access, it is so nice to stay somewhere that offers free and fast connectivity!  On arrival, one is whisked up to the 30th floor where the reception is located, and the rooms are then on the floors beneath.  This gives the lounges and dining rooms on floors 30-33 amazing views over the coast and harbour.  I hope that the images below convey something of the lovely character of the hotel.  Oh yes, and I really got a taste for Dry Finnish!

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Nowhere, though, not event the Park Hyatt, Busan is perfect!  So may I finish with just a few pleas:

  • It would be great to have some chocolate and/or cinnamon on the capuccinos in the restaurant – especially at breakfast!
  • The wine list ought to have some reasonably priced ‘house wines’ on it – fine to have the expensive classics, but a really good restaurant also has stunning reasonably priced house wines.
  • The menus look  delicious, but much of the food is available only for two people, which makes life rather difficult for solitary travellers 😉 !
  • Finally, I could not decide whether or not to post a picture, but for those of us from northern Europe who are unused to multi-functional loos, and were brought up having to urinate on the ice in the pan of the outside netty on a frozen winter morning, these devices are really threatening, and it would be great to have some instructions!  How is one meant to know which button to push: rear cleansing; soft rear cleansing; front cleansing; dryer; oscillating; pulsating; rhythm; stop?  I was too scared even to experiment!

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October 20, 2014 · 1:11 pm

Korean hospitality and vitality at opening evening of ITU Plenipotentiary 2014

When I was last in Korea in 2013, I had the opportunity to watch some amazing drumming, martial arts and dancing in Seoul.  I was therefore greatly looking forward to the celebration of Korean culture that was to accompany the welcome dinner for the ITU 2014 Plenipotentiary conference held in Busan this evening.  As I hope the images below indicate, this was a vibrant and energetic performance that showed much about Korean culture, both old and new.  Thanks to the people of Korea, and of Busan in particular, for sharing with us just a little bit of their beauty, culture and hospitality  this evening.

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October 20, 2014 · 5:16 am

Opening ceremony of ITU Plenipotentiary 2014 in Busan

Just thought I would share some images from the recently completed opening ceremony of the ITU’s 2014 Plenipotentiary meeting in Busan.  This featured very sophisticated presentations of the Republic of Korea’s achievements in the field of ICTs, as well as the beauty of its traditional culture and dance.  South Korea is certainly an absolutely fascinating place, in which we have been made to feel most welcome.  It was good to see the emphasis placed on the use of ICTs by people with disabilities, and also Hamadoun Touré’s commitment to finding ways through which ICTs can be used to help resolve the current Ebola crisis in western Africa (see my regularly updated blog post on ways through which ICTs can indeed contribute).

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Sorry I could not post these live during the event, but the WiFi system was down while President Park Geun-hye was in the room.  Let’s hope we all have a fruitful and productive Plenipot meeting.

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September 21, 2014 · 10:52 am

Jenny and Al’s wedding, 20th September 2014

Yesterday was a very special day – Jenny and Al were married at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. All of the hard work and attention to detail that they and so many others put into the preparation paid off enormously.  It was truly a fantastic day, from the practice session and dinner the night before, through the early morning hair, make-up and dressing, to the service itself, the reception, wonderful meal and evening party!  Thanks so much to everyone there who made it a really special day.  Jeremy, Arnold and Kathleen made the service itself very memorable and joyous.  The staff at Emma did a brilliant job with the food.  Ettie made an incredible cake – well, actually three cakes in one!  The musicians and band (The Zoots) were great – and it was so rewarding seeing everyone dancing and enjoying themselves so much!  I hope that the informal pictures below capture something of a truly memorable day.  Thanks to everyone for making it such a very happy celebration.  Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Bowe!

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September 10, 2014 · 4:36 am

Grameenphone hosted cultural dinner at CTO’s Annual Forum

One of the very real privileges of being Secretary General of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation is the opportunity that it has given me to visit so many different countries and people across the Commonwealth.  It is so important that we celebrate our cultural differences and richness, rather than trying to create a single uniform market across the world! The CTO’s Annual Forum is always an occasion when our host countries share something of their culture, usually in the form of dance and music.  Last night was a very special occasion.  Grameenphone, which started with the Village Phone programme to empower the rural women of Bangladesh in 1997, became the first operator to cover 99% of the country’s people with network, and is now  the leading and largest telecommunications service provider in Bangladesh with more than 48.68 million subscribers as of March 2014.  It was such an honour to meet with Vivek Sood, CEO of Grameen phone and his staff, and I hope that the imagery below captures something of the  excitement, beauty and energy of this wonderful evening. Thank you so much to all of the dancers and musicians who shared so much of their culture with us.

 

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